3.2. Business Framework

Before we dive into visual branding, below is an overview of a business framework.

The top-down levels of a business - no matter if you are a service or product-based entrepreneur - are the following:

1. Strategic - vision for your business as a whole

2. Functional - how do I implement this vision through specific strategies for each segment or function or processes: e.g. design (older R&D), branding, marketing, production, sales, financial etc.

3. Operational - tasks we actually do to implement the functional strategies.

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As an example - for a product-based entrepreneur who sells floral wreaths:

1. Strategic: vision: make people more mindful about nature and connect people through gifts of floral wreaths & sales goals of USD 50,000 / year.

2. Functional: setting up functions such branding and marketing, product design, production, marketing, sales, financial & assign specifc functional strategies 

3. Operational: production - what steps are involved into actually producing a floral wreath or what steps are related to delivering a product to a customer.

Another example: a product-based entrepreneur who creates paintings for sale, the business should include all segments of the above mentioned: financial (incl accounting, budgeting, cash-flow), production, sales, branding, marketing, HR… It is understandable that in early stages of your business development, these functions will be performed mainly by yourself (excepting probably accounting) - I know it by heart, been there, done that, all hats on my head…As you grow, you will start outsourcing, focusing more on your “zone of genius” - the passion which actually has defined the foundation of your business.

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Challenge: Mindmap Your Business

It could be the case that you are totally aware about the business flow, that you might consider not time-worthy this exercise.I still suggest you do it - on one hand, it brings you more clarity and maybe some new insights, on another hand, it makes a clear statement of your past achievements and future plans.

Depending if your visual style is horizontal, vertical or round - draw the “map” of your business & answer the next 3 questions:

1. What are the functions or segments of your business?

2. What systems do you have in place for each one? (e.g Mailchimp / marketing, Stripe / financial - payments, etc)

3. Who is helping you on each segment? Combine here a network of people (like your husband who takes care of invoices) ++ consider regular suppliers / supermarkets where you buy your regular supplies.
Here are some examples you can use of decision trees or mind maps:

The purpose of this topic is to have a common understanding or overview on how a business looks like in terms of functions or segments.


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Alina Barna Vizual Branding & FInance
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