Creating a Flat Business?

Creating a Flat Business isnt’t just going online with your business.  A flat business, in a flat world, takes a good idea and a good preparation.  On this page, I’ll try to point out a few strategies, specifiactions, …which can help set up your flat business. But for starters a brief presentation on the future of work/business!

First of all, I want to make clear that a flat business is not only about e-commerce, or setting up an online business/shop/commercial site/… A flat business is a business where you use the flat world as a integrated part of your business. If not on the commercial site, maybe on the back-office or processing side….there are many ways in yout business can be a flat business.  A flat business uses new technologies, communications and media to set up or change their business idea.

It helps to create a flat business if you look at trends for the future. Try to select 5 trends/challanges for the future which will have an impact on your business or have an impact on your business idea. For each challange/trend you give 5 short/long term ideas (these can be specific for your business unit).

Try to work out a draft of the business model. Alex Osterwalder has created a canvas to work out your business model and idea.

Look if your idea/canvas matches these 8 criterias:

1. a clear strategic vision based on a radically different way of meeting a large, previously unsatisfied customer/employer/supplier/stakeholder need.
2. a set of highly distinctive capabilities – technological, marketing and logistical – tailored tot the needs of the market.
3. value propositions that are so compelling that they change the customer/employer/supplier/stakeholder behaviour.
4. an entrepeneurial but disciplined orginazation that balances creativity with practicality, is innovative but pragmatic, and creates effective teams
5. a robust, radical business model that is not easily imitable
6. genuine concern for the quality and consistency of the customer/employer/supplier/stakeholder experience
7. leadership that ensures the clear communication of strategic direction and consistent implementation
8. sharp on focus on the chosen market.

If your business canvas (which is based on your idea) fits the 8 criteria’s then you can start implementing the business model.