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Asen Gyczew

What is the aim of this course?

This course will help you drastically improve your knowledge and skills in creating business models in Excel for traditional offline businesses such as Retail, B2C services, and products, and B2B services, and products. It is designed for those who want to become consultants, business analysts, and people who need to be able to analyze any business in Excel. In the course you will learn 4 things:   

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What is the aim of this course?

This course will help you drastically improve your knowledge and skills in creating business models in Excel for traditional offline businesses such as Retail, B2C services, and products, and B2B services, and products. It is designed for those who want to become consultants, business analysts, and people who need to be able to analyze any business in Excel. In the course you will learn 4 things:   

  1. What your business model is about, what to concentrate on and what are the most important KPIs for you?   

  2. How to translate your business model into Excel and evaluate it?   

  3. How to draw conclusions using your business model in Excel?   

  4. Estimate  the impact of specific changes that you may consider in your business 

This course is based on my 15 years of experience as a consultant in top consulting firms and as a Board Member responsible for strategy, performance improvement, and turn-arounds in the biggest firms from Retail I have carried out or supervised over 90 different performance improvement projects in different industries that generated a total of 2 billion in additional EBITDA. On the basis of what you will find in this course, I have trained in person over 100 consultants, business analysts, and managers who now are Partners in PE and VC funds, Investment Directors and Business Analysts in PE and VC, Operational Directors On top of that my courses on Udemy were already taken by more than 224 000 students including people working in EY, McKinsey, Walmart, Booz Allen Hamilton, Adidas, Naspers, Alvarez & Marsal, PwC, Dell, Walgreens, Orange, and many others.

I teach through case studies, so you will have a lot of lectures showing examples of analyses, and tools that we use. To every lecture, you will find attached (in additional resources) the Excels as well as additional presentations, and materials shown in the lectures so as a part of this course you will also get a library of ready-made analyses that can, with certain modifications, be applied by you or your team in your work.

Why have I decided to create this course?   

Most consultants and business analysts struggle with building business models in Excel as it requires a mixture of knowledge about the business, some fluency in simplification, and presentation in Excel of the logic behind the business. By training in modeling your business in Excel, you gain in-depth knowledge about your business and you can spot faster the links between seemingly unrelated issues. This course is designed to fill in the gaps and turn you into an expert in business modeling. I strongly recommend this course to people who want to be in charge of their business as it will empower you to move your business forward.   

To sum it up, I believe that if you want to build or to find improvements in any business you should master techniques related to modeling the business in Excel. That is why I highly recommend this course not only to consultants or business analysts who have to advise their customers but also to owners, founders of businesses as well as investment directors.   

In what way will you benefit from this course?   

The course is a practical, step-by-step guide loaded with tons of analyses, tricks, and hints that will significantly improve the speed with which you analyze and create business models in Excel. There is little theory – mainly examples, a lot of tips from my own experience as well as other notable examples worth mentioning. Our intention is that thanks to the course you will know:   

  1. How to build the model in Excel for your business   

  2. How to identify important issues for your business and how to reflect them in Excel   

  3. How to find ways in which you can significantly increase the value of the business   

  4. How to calculate the impact of proposed changes in Excel   

You can also ask me any question either through the discussion mode or by messaging me directly.   

How the course is organized?   

The course is divided currently into the following sections:   

  • Introduction. We begin with a little intro into the course as well as some general info on production   

  • Retail. In the second section, I will discuss the business model of Retailers. I will show you the main challenges they are facing, KPIs that matter in Retail, and examples of companies. Since more and more Retailers operate also online I will also show you the details of the e-commerce business model. I will show you how to model traditional retail as well as e-commerce in Excel   

  • B2C  Services. In this section, I will discuss the business model of B2C services i.e. hairdressers, restaurant chains, plumbers, electricians, etc. I will show you the main challenges they are facing, the KPIs that matter in B2C service, and examples of companies. We will go into more detail when it comes to restaurant chains and I will show you how to model them in Excel.   

  • B2B Services. Next, we will move on to the business model of B2B services. They behave a little bit differently than the B2C service. I will show you the main challenges they are facing, the KPIs that matter in B2C service, and examples of companies. In the end, I will show you how to model a consulting business in Excel.   

  • FMCG. In this section, we will move to products. The first one to be discussed is FMCG products. I will show you the main challenges they are facing, the KPIs that matter in B2C service, and examples of companies. As an example, I will show you how to model in the Excel Cosmetics business.   

  • Commodity. On the other scale are products for which the brand is not that important and that are simply selling well-known,  not differentiated products. I will show you the main challenges they are facing, the KPIs that matter in B2C service, and examples of companies. As an example, I will show you how to model in Excel production of plywood 

I will be adding new sections and lectures in the coming months       

You will be able also to download many additional resources   

  1. Models in Excel shown in lectures   

  2. Links to books worth reading   

  3. Presentations of different business models   

  4. Links to additional presentations and movies     

At the end of my course, students will be able to   

  • Pick the right business model for their business idea

  • You will understand what is important in your business

  • You will know what KPI you should look at and what are the benchmarks

  • You will be able to write down your business model in the form of an Excel model and draw conclusions from it

Who should take this course? Who should not?   

  • Management Consultants

  • Business analysts

  • Investment Directors

  • Small and medium business owners

  • Startups founders

  • Controllers

What will students need to know or do before starting this course?

  • Basic or intermediate Excel

  • Basic knowledge of economics or finance

Enroll now

What's inside

Learning objectives

  • Create business models in excel
  • Analyze offline business models in excel
  • You will understand what is important in your business
  • You will know what kpi you should look at and what are the benchmarks
  • You will learn how to analyze strategies using business models in excel, especially during management consulting projects

Syllabus

I will show you in this lecture what KPIs, drivers are important for the FMCG model and how do they generated the end results – operating profti

Read more

In this lecture I will go briefly through the main assumptions for the model that we will work on in Excel. I will also go through the first sheet in which I generate the sales

We begin with little intro into the course as well as some general info on what the course will be about

A little bit about me and my experience

Here I will show you what to do if a blurry image appears

Here I will show you how to find additional resources attached to the coruse like Excel files, presentations, links etc.

In the second section I will discuss the business model of Retailers. I will show you the main challenges they are facing, KPIs that matter in Retail, examples of companies. Since more and more Retailers operate also on-line I will also show you the details of e-commerce business model. I will show you how to model traditional retail as well as e-commerce in Exce

I will start by showing main challenges in Retail

I will show you in this lecture what KPI I the retail business model driven by. This will help you understand the modeling in Excel done in next lectures

Here I will show you how to model the Retailer business in Excel.

In this lecture I will show you how we will estimate the fixed and variable costs in production

In this lecture you will get insight into the business model of different e-commerce companies. E-commerce businesses group is very diversified so we will try to show the similarities and the differences between concepts.. You will learn here the definition of this business model, see some examples of companies using this business models. You will also understand what really matters in this sort of business, what KPIs you should look at and what values you can expect.

In this Lecture I will go through a business model of e-commerce and show you how you can model the behaviour of the customer, acquisition methods and margins in Excel. Attachted to this lecture you will find the file that I show in the video so dowload it and go through it. You can use it to model the e-commerce business you are analyzing

We can be talking about 3 different models in B2C services

  • Services performed at specialized place no production involved
  • Services performed at specialized place with some production
  • Services performed at customer place

I will discuss the differences between them in this lecture

I will shortly go through things that matter in the case of B2C Services performed at specialized place no production involved such as hairdressers, beauty salons and other

I will shortly go through things that are important in other B2C Services such as restaurant chains, services performed at the customer place etc.

In the next lecture I will show you the main drivers of the B2C model and on the basis of this we will create a business model in Excel. I will concentrate on the example of restaurant chain

In this lecture I will show you how to estimate the Gross Margin using sales and production costs

Excel gives you great opportunities to calculate whether your idea makes sense or not. For this you will use the knowledge you have gathered in the previous lectures on your concept, location and your customers. Excel is obviously less emotion than you and the model you will create here can be used as a cornerstone of your business plans. It shows also to banks and potential investors what is your cash flow. We start with a simple model so you can understand it and learn how to use it.

In this lecture we make more advanced model. We introduce the traffic parameter and show how it is converted first into people that are engaged (stop and enter your restaurant) and later into customers (they buy something from you). Here we will be operating on 2 customer groups: first one eats at the restaurant; second one comes for take-aways. For both customer groups we calculate separate conversion rates and Average ticket (ATV). We still here show you a business model for a 1 restaurant

Finally we show you how to model in Excel a restaurant chain.

Next we will move on to business model of B2B services. They behave a little bit differently than the B2C service. I will show you the main challenges they are facing, KPIs that matter in B2C service, examples of companies. At the end I will show you how to model consulting business in Excel.

I will shortly go through things that are important in other B2B Services.

Here we will talk abou the model of service company and consulting firm. It is an introduction to modelling it in Excel

Before I show you the model in Excel I want to present you in this lecture the overall logic

I show you in the lecture the model of the consulting firm in Excel. After modifying it you can use it for your purposes (we attach the Excel files to the lecture). This model will let you check whether your business idea makes sense.

In this section we will move to products. The first one to be discussed are FMCG products. I will show you the main challenges they are facing, KPIs that matter in B2C service, examples of companies. As an example I will show you how to model in Excel Cosmetics business.

I will shortly go through things that are important in other FMCG.

I will show you how we will approach modeling FMCG business model in Excel

Now it is time to estimate the cost of sales by channels and cost of marketing

In this lecture I will show you how to model the head office costs

In this lecture I will show you how to estimate the Net Margin using Gross Margin and the cost of sales and marketing

We have also take care of head office costs to get to profit and loss account

Finally we estimate the profit and loss account and we can try to draw conclusion on the business

We wil finally close with a full profit and loss statement

On the other scale are products for which the brand is not that important and that are simply selling well known, not differentiated product. I will show you the main challenges they are facing, KPIs that matter in B2C service, examples of companies. As an example I will show you how to model in Excel production of plywood

I will shortly go through things that are important in Commodities

Here I will show you the drivers for offline business models

Here I will show you what model we will build for commodity business model and what are the assumptions

In this lecture we will discuss how to model production costs in FMCG

We move on to modeling the Gross Margin in commodit

Now it is time to add the cost of sales and marketing

Now we can calculate the net margin

We cannot forget the head office costs in our clacuations

FInally we can calculate the P&L for commodity

In this section we will model SMCG businesses in Excel. We will use 2 different approaches. In this lecture I will show you what you can expect in this section

I will shortly go through things that are important in other SMCG.

Here I will discuss the main drviers for SMCG business model and how they are interlinked

We will start withteh first business model

In this lecture I will go briefly through the main assumptions for the model that we will work on in Excel. I will also go through the first sheet in which I generate the sales

In this lecture I will show you how to estimate the Gross Margin using sales and production costs

In this lecture I will show you how to estimate the Net Margin using Gross Margin and the cost of sales and marketing

In this lecture we will also add the estimation of Working capital which may be crucial in Cash Flow estimation

We will now try to model SMCG assuming that they are trying to switch from sale of product to sale of services. We will see how the profit loss statement will change due to change in the business model

More and more SMCG businesses are considering switching from just selling the product and loosing track of the customer to selling service which usually, helps you increase your link with your customer base and earn more at the same time

Here I will introduce the case study of a smart phone producer that wants to shift from product sales to service sales. We will be solving the case study in the next few lectures

In this lecture I will show you the solution to previously introduced case study

We will use the case that we have discussed so far to see how we can use it and model the full profit and loss statement of SMCG business operating as a provide of services

Traffic lights

Read about what's good
what should give you pause
and possible dealbreakers
Provides practical, step-by-step guidance with numerous analyses, tricks, and hints to significantly improve the speed of analyzing and creating business models in Excel, which is useful for consultants
Based on 15 years of experience as a consultant in top consulting firms and as a board member, which may provide learners with insights and perspectives that are highly relevant to industry
Includes downloadable Excel models, presentations, and links to books, which can serve as a valuable library of ready-made analyses that can be adapted for various business scenarios
Requires basic or intermediate Excel skills and basic knowledge of economics or finance, which may pose a barrier to entry for individuals with limited prior experience in these areas
Focuses on modeling traditional offline businesses, which may not be as relevant for learners primarily interested in online or digital business models and may limit the scope of application

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Reviews summary

Practical excel business modeling with cases

According to learners, this course offers a highly practical guide to building business models in Excel for various offline businesses. Students particularly value the instructor's real-world experience and the inclusion of detailed case studies and downloadable Excel files. The content is seen as directly applicable for roles like consultants and business analysts, providing valuable insights and ready-made templates. While generally largely positive, some mention the pace can be fast.
Wide range of offline business types covered.
"The course covers various business models from Retail to FMCG and B2B/B2C services, giving a broad perspective."
"Liked how different industries were broken down with their specific KPIs and modeling considerations."
"Provides a good overview of how modeling differs across sectors like e-commerce vs traditional retail."
"Helped me understand the key drivers for different types of offline businesses."
Experienced instructor provides valuable insights.
"The instructor clearly has deep experience in consulting and finance. His insights are practical and based on years of work."
"You can tell the instructor knows his stuff. He explains complex topics in a clear and understandable way."
"Appreciated the tips and tricks shared from the instructor's own career. Adds credibility to the content."
"The instructor's background makes the case studies and examples much more impactful."
Downloadable Excel templates are very useful.
"The Excel files provided with each lecture are a game-changer. They allow you to follow along and adapt the models easily."
"Having access to ready-made templates saves a tremendous amount of time and provides a solid foundation."
"The downloadable resources, especially the Excel sheets, are worth the price of the course alone. Great value."
"Being able to examine and modify the actual models shown in the lectures solidified my learning."
Emphasis on real-world application and cases.
"The course is extremely practical. The case studies are relevant and show you how to apply the concepts to real businesses."
"Learned exactly what I needed to build models for offline businesses. The step-by-step approach with examples is very helpful."
"Less theory, more doing. This hands-on approach using Excel was perfect for understanding the material."
"Directly applicable to my job as a business analyst. The frameworks provided are very useful."
Pace can be fast; requires prerequisites.
"Sometimes the lectures move quite quickly, especially when diving into the Excel details. Needed to pause frequently."
"As noted in the prerequisites, having intermediate Excel skills is definitely necessary."
"While comprehensive in scope, some areas could benefit from slightly deeper dives for absolute beginners in finance."
"It's a fast-paced course, packed with information. Be prepared to practice outside of the lectures."

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Offline Business Models in Excel - Practical Guide with these activities:
Excel Fundamentals Review
Review basic Excel functions and formulas to ensure a solid foundation for building business models.
Browse courses on Excel
Show steps
  • Review basic formulas like SUM, AVERAGE, and IF.
  • Practice using cell referencing and formatting.
  • Familiarize yourself with common Excel shortcuts.
Review 'Business Model Generation' by Osterwalder and Pigneur
Study a book on business model frameworks to enhance your understanding of the underlying concepts.
Show steps
  • Read the book and familiarize yourself with the Business Model Canvas.
  • Apply the Business Model Canvas to different types of businesses.
  • Consider how the Business Model Canvas can inform your Excel models.
Review 'Financial Modeling' by Simon Benninga
Study a book on financial modeling to deepen your understanding of the concepts and techniques used in the course.
Show steps
  • Read the chapters related to business model construction.
  • Work through the examples provided in the book.
  • Apply the techniques learned to your own business scenarios.
Three other activities
Expand to see all activities and additional details
Show all six activities
Model a Local Business
Apply the course concepts by building an Excel model for a real-world local business.
Show steps
  • Choose a local business to model (e.g., a restaurant, retail store).
  • Gather data on the business's revenue, costs, and operations.
  • Build an Excel model to forecast the business's financial performance.
  • Analyze the model to identify key drivers and opportunities for improvement.
Sensitivity Analysis Dashboard
Create an interactive dashboard in Excel to perform sensitivity analysis on key business model assumptions.
Show steps
  • Identify the key assumptions in your business model.
  • Create a dashboard with input controls to adjust these assumptions.
  • Link the dashboard to your Excel model to dynamically update the results.
  • Present your findings and insights from the sensitivity analysis.
Blog Post: Excel Modeling Tips
Solidify your learning by writing a blog post sharing your top tips for building effective business models in Excel.
Show steps
  • Brainstorm a list of helpful Excel modeling tips.
  • Organize your tips into a coherent blog post structure.
  • Write clear and concise explanations for each tip.
  • Include screenshots or examples to illustrate your points.
  • Publish your blog post on a platform like Medium or LinkedIn.

Career center

Learners who complete Offline Business Models in Excel - Practical Guide will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:
Management Consultant
A management consultant advises organizations on how to improve their performance and efficiency. This course may be highly relevant to the work of a management consultant, especially those focused on operational improvements or business transformation. The course provides a practical, step-by-step guide to building business models in Excel, a skill that consultants frequently use to analyze and optimize business processes. Management consultants can leverage the Excel templates and case studies provided in the course to quickly assess client operations and identify areas for improvement. The course helps build a foundation in modeling businesses in Excel to spot links between issues.
Entrepreneur
An entrepreneur starts and manages their own business, taking on the risks and rewards of the venture. This course may be highly valuable for an entrepreneur, as it provides a practical framework for understanding and modeling different business models in Excel. Entrepreneurs can use the skills learned in this course to develop financial projections, assess the viability of their business ideas, and make informed decisions about pricing, marketing, and operations. I recommend this course not only to consultants or business analysts but also to entrepreneurs. You will learn 4 things relating to your business model.
Business Analyst
A business analyst identifies business needs and determines solutions to business problems. This often includes analyzing existing business models and proposing improvements. This course may assist a business analyst since it provides a practical guide to creating business models in Excel for various offline businesses. You will learn how to translate a business model into Excel, evaluate it, and draw conclusions, which are all essential skills for a business analyst. The course's focus on case studies and real-world examples also provides practical insights applicable to the work of a business analyst.
Strategy Manager
A strategy manager helps develop and implement long-term strategic plans for an organization. This course may be relevant to a strategy manager since the course provides a framework for understanding different business models and translating them into Excel-based models. This allows strategy managers to analyze the potential impact of different strategic initiatives and make data-driven decisions. The course's emphasis on KPIs and benchmarks can also help strategy managers assess the competitiveness of their organization and identify opportunities for growth. You can spot links between seemingly unrelated issues.
Investment Director
An investment director is responsible for overseeing a firm's investment strategy and portfolio. This course may be quite useful for an investment director who needs to quickly assess the potential of different business opportunities. The course provides a practical framework for understanding various offline business models, identifying important KPIs, and building Excel-based models to evaluate their financial viability. The course's case studies and Excel templates can help investment directors rapidly analyze potential investments and make informed decisions. The course empowers one to move a business forward.
Financial Analyst
A financial analyst provides guidance to businesses and individuals making investment decisions. The course may be helpful to a financial analyst by improving their ability to model and analyze different business models in Excel. This can assist in forecasting financial performance, assessing the viability of investments, and understanding the key drivers of profitability. The course's emphasis on KPIs and benchmarks can also help financial analysts compare different companies and industries. Financial analysts will gain a deeper understanding of how to calculate the impact of proposed changes in Excel.
Business Development Manager
A business development manager focuses on identifying and pursuing new business opportunities for an organization. A course like this may assist business development managers by providing a practical understanding of different business models and how to evaluate their potential. Business development managers can model new business opportunities in Excel, assess their financial viability, and identify key drivers of success. The course's emphasis on KPIs and benchmarks can also help business development managers compare different opportunities and prioritize their efforts. The course empowers you to move your business forward.
Management Accountant
A management accountant provides financial information and analysis to help managers make informed decisions. Management accountants can use the techniques taught in this course to build Excel-based models that forecast financial performance, analyze profitability, and identify areas for cost reduction. The course's emphasis on KPIs and benchmarks can also help management accountants track performance and identify areas where the business can improve. You will master techniques related to modeling the business in Excel.
Operations Manager
An operations manager oversees the day-to-day operations of an organization, ensuring that processes are efficient and effective. An operations manager will find this course useful because you can leverage the Excel modeling skills gained in this course to analyze operational processes, identify bottlenecks, and implement improvements. The course's emphasis on KPIs and benchmarks can also help operations managers track performance and identify areas where the business can improve. This course is a practical, step-by-step guide loaded with analyses.
Product Manager
A product manager is responsible for the strategy, roadmap, and feature definition for a product or product line. This course may be applicable to a product manager who needs to understand the financial implications of product decisions. Product managers can use the Excel modeling skills gained in this course to analyze the profitability of different product features, forecast product sales, and evaluate the impact of product changes on the overall business. The course empowers you to move your business forward.
Business Intelligence Analyst
A business intelligence analyst uses data to identify trends and insights that can improve business performance. This course may be valuable for a business intelligence analyst looking to expand their skillset into financial modeling. Business intelligence analysts can leverage the Excel skills taught in this course to build dashboards, track KPIs, and create reports that communicate financial performance to stakeholders. You will know what KPI you should look at and what are the benchmarks.
Market Research Analyst
A market research analyst studies market conditions to examine potential sales of a product or service. This course may be helpful to a market research analyst who needs to understand the financial implications of their findings. Market research analysts can use the Excel modeling skills gained in this course to forecast sales, analyze the profitability of different market segments, and evaluate the impact of marketing campaigns on the overall business. You will understand what is important in your business.
Project Manager
A project manager is responsible for planning, executing, and closing specific projects, ensuring they are completed on time and within budget. Although not immediately obvious, this course may provide valuable skills for project managers, particularly those involved in projects that involve business process improvement. Project managers can use the Excel modeling techniques learned in this course to analyze the financial impact of proposed project changes, track project costs, and forecast project outcomes. You will know what KPI you should look at and what the benchmarks are.
Data Scientist
A data scientist analyzes large datasets to extract meaningful insights and inform business decisions. While this course focuses on Excel-based modeling rather than advanced statistical analysis, data scientists can use the Excel skills learned in this course to prepare data for analysis, build basic financial models, and communicate their findings to non-technical audiences. The course teaches you how to translate your business model into Excel and evaluate it.
Actuary
An actuary analyzes statistical data to estimate risk and uncertainty, primarily for insurance companies and pension funds. Since the course focuses on business models in Excel, it may not be directly relevant to the core responsibilities of an actuary, which involve more advanced statistical modeling techniques. However, an actuary may find the course helpful to understand the business context of their work and how their risk assessments translate into financial outcomes for their organization. You will be able to write down your business model in the form of an Excel model and draw conclusions from it.

Reading list

We've selected two books that we think will supplement your learning. Use these to develop background knowledge, enrich your coursework, and gain a deeper understanding of the topics covered in Offline Business Models in Excel - Practical Guide.
Provides a comprehensive guide to financial modeling using Excel. It covers a wide range of topics, including valuation, forecasting, and sensitivity analysis. It useful reference for understanding the underlying principles of financial modeling and applying them to real-world business scenarios. This book is commonly used as a textbook in finance courses.
Introduces the Business Model Canvas, a strategic management tool for visualizing, designing, and assessing business models. It provides a framework for understanding the key components of a business model and how they interact. While not Excel-focused, it provides a valuable conceptual foundation for the practical modeling skills taught in the course. This book is more valuable as additional reading than as a current reference.

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