Online Business Models in Excel - Practical Guide from Udemy

Why have we decided to create this course?

We work with startups on a daily basis within our accelerator StartupAkademia and we have noticed that despite tonnes of very good books on lean methods (i.e. Lean Analytics, Running Lean, etc.) startups, as well as small/medium businesses, have problems with applying this knowledge in practice. We have noticed that especially first-time startups, do not really understand their business model (which is totally understandable). That's why, it is very difficult for them to know what they should concentrate on. Most entrepreneurs/startups have a more or less clear business idea but quite often they do not know the business models they can choose and end up learning it the hard way, through their mistakes. Some of them have read Lean Analytics, Lean Startup, or Running Lean but even then they do not know exactly how to translate it into a coherent Excel model. A business model in the form of Excel is very important for evaluating your business, seeing how much cash you need, and how your hypothesis and KPIs are translating into the business

What will this course give you?

The course is a practical, step-by-step guide loaded with tons of tips and tools that will help you significantly speed up your business, especially if you are a startup or a small/medium business. There is little theory – mainly examples, a lot of tips from our own experience as well as other notable examples worth mentioning. Our intention is that thanks to the course you will know:

What your business model is about, what to concentrate on and what are the key KPIs for you?
How you can translate it into Excel and evaluate your business?
How to make conclusions on the basis of your business model presented in the form of Excel

In this course, we concentrate only on online business models

How is the course organized?

Currently, the course is divided into 5 sections:

Introduction. In this section, I will give you a quick overview of the purpose and approach we will use in each and every section
E-commerce business model. In this section, you will get insight t into the business model of different e-commerce companies. The E-commerce business group is very diversified so we will try to show the similarities and differences between concepts. You will learn here the definition of this business model, and see some examples of companies using this business model. You will also understand what really matters in this sort of business, what KPIs you should look at, and what values you can expect. Afterward, I will show you how you can build the model in Excel and what conclusions can you draw from it.
2-sided market business model. This business model has been very popular over the last 5 years and successful companies in this model can grow to be truly global players at a big scale. Here you will get insight into the business model of a 2-sided market, especially marketplaces. You will learn not only the definition of this business model but you will have also the opportunity to see some examples of companies using these 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. Afterward, I will show you how you can build the model in Excel and what conclusions can you draw from it.
Media site business models. Here you will have a look at a relatively simple and cheap business model – a media site. You will learn the definition of this business, and see some examples of companies using this business model. You will also understand what really matters in this sort of business, what KPIs you should look at, and what values you can expect. Afterward, I will show you how you can build the model in Excel and what conclusions can you draw from it.
SaaS business models. Here you will get insight into the business model of Software as a Service company. You will learn the definition of the business model, and see some examples of companies using this business model. 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 the end, I will show you how you can build the model in Excel and what conclusions can you draw from it.

We will be adding another 2 business models: the mobile application model and User Generated Content model. The price will increase as we develop further the course

You will also be able to download many additional resources

Models in Excel shown in lectures
Links to books worth reading
Presentations of different business models

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

Good luck with the course and if you have any questions please write to me or on the discussion panel

What's inside

Learning objectives

Pick the right business model for their business idea
You will understand what is important in your business
Model your business in excel

Estimate the value of your businees
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

Pick the right business model for their business idea
You will understand what is important in your business
Model your business in excel
Estimate the value of your businees
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

In this section we will explain what it makes sense to take the course, what you get out of it and what you should look forward to. We will also explain the logic we used to build the course

Here I willl show what the course will be about.

The course is a practical, step by step guide loaded with tones of tips and tools that will help you significantly speed up with your business, especially if you are a startup or a small / medium business. There is little theory – mainly examples, a lot of tips from our own experience as well as other notable examples worth mentioning. Our intention is that thanks to the course you will know:

what your business model is about, what to concentrate on and what are the key KPIs for you?
How you can translate it into Excel and evaluate your business?
How to make conclusions on the basis of your business model presented in the form of Excel

In this course we concentrate only on on-line business models

On top of that every moth we organize office hours for 5 startups (first come first served bases) during which startups get 30 minutes to ask as directly (phone, Whatsapp or Skype) for advices.

Here we will explain the basic rules used to build he business models in Excel. Modelling in Excel can be very easy and worthwile if you follow some rules we will present you in this leture

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 this lecture you will get insight t 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 show you how you can build the model in Excel and what conclusions can you draw from it.

Let's look at other e-commerce models

In this lecture I will show you how you can build the model in Excel and what conclusions can you draw from it.

Let's look at other marketplace models

Here you will have a look at relatively simple and cheap business model – media site. You will learn the definition of this business, 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

Here you will get insight into the business model of Software as a Service companies. You will learn the definition of the 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

I hope you have enjoyed the business modeling

We have put all other business models that we have created in one folder so you have a look at how other businesses can be modeled. You can find there models on consumer goods businesses (FMCG, SCMG), retail, online startups (SaaS, media sites, marketplaces), consulting, real estate (buy & rent model, flipping, hotel, Airbnb), and many more.

I hope they will prove useful.
Below you can find the link to the folder. They are also available in the Resources.

Best regards

Asen

Traffic lights

Read about what's good

what should give you pause

and possible dealbreakers

Provides a practical, step-by-step guide with tips and tools to accelerate business growth, especially beneficial for startups and small to medium-sized businesses

Focuses on translating lean methods into coherent Excel models, which is useful for startups struggling to apply theoretical knowledge in practice

Helps entrepreneurs understand various online business models, enabling them to choose the right one and identify key performance indicators for their business

Teaches how to build business models in Excel, which is a valuable skill for evaluating business performance and making data-driven decisions

Includes downloadable Excel models, presentations, and links to relevant books, offering additional resources for practical application and further learning

Concentrates solely on online business models, which may not be suitable for entrepreneurs interested in brick-and-mortar or hybrid business models

Reviews summary

Practical online business modeling in excel

According to learners, this course provides a very clear, practical, and easy-to-follow guide on modeling online business models in Excel. Students particularly value the practical examples, useful Excel templates, and the focus on key KPIs and drivers for different online business types like e-commerce, 2-sided markets, media sites, and SaaS. Reviewers highlight the course's ability to simplify complex concepts and provide actionable insights that can be immediately applied to their own startup or business. While some mention the language being slightly non-native, they generally find the instructor's explanations clear and the content highly beneficial for understanding and building financial models.

Instructor's English has non-native nuances.

"Although the accent and non-native English can be noticeable sometimes, it does not hinder understanding."

"The language isn't perfect native English, but the content and clarity of explanation are excellent."

"Sometimes the phrasing is a bit awkward due to the non-native speaker, but it's easy to get past."

Instructor shares valuable real-world experience.

"Tips from the instructor's own experience are invaluable. This isn't just theory."

"The instructor clearly has a deep understanding of the topics and conveys it effectively."

"I enjoyed the real-world insights shared by the instructor throughout the course."

Highlights key metrics for various models.

"Knowing what KPIs to look at for each business model is extremely helpful. This saves a lot of time."

"The course provides a solid understanding of key metrics and how to measure success for different online businesses."

"I really appreciate the focus on the drivers and KPIs that matter for each specific online business type."

Simplifies complex business modeling concepts.

"The course is very clear and well structured. It provides a good overview of different online business models and how to model them."

"Explanations are very clear and easy to follow. The instructor does a good job of breaking down the models."

"It gives a very structured way of thinking on building a business model and financial plan around it."

Downloadable models are highly useful.

"The Excel models provided are a goldmine. I can adapt them for my own business."

"Being able to download and use the actual Excel files discussed in the lectures is a huge plus."

"The templates alone are worth the price of the course. They make modeling so much easier."

Provides useful, immediately applicable tools.

"Very practical and helpful, especially the Excel templates. Exactly what I was looking for to understand how to build a business model."

"The course is very practical, easy to understand and has many useful tips that you can apply in your business straight away."

"Very practical examples and useful tips from the instructors experience. I learned how to model different online businesses."

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 Online Business Models in Excel - Practical Guide with these activities:

Brush Up on Excel Skills

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Reviewing Excel skills ensures you can effectively build and manipulate business models within the software.

Browse courses on Excel Formulas

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Review basic Excel functions like SUM, AVERAGE, and IF.
Practice creating charts and graphs from data.
Familiarize yourself with data validation and formatting.

Review 'Lean Analytics'

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Reading 'Lean Analytics' will help you identify the key metrics to track in your Excel business models.

View Lean Analytics: Use Data to Build a Better... on Amazon

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Read the book and take notes on relevant KPIs.
Identify KPIs applicable to e-commerce, SaaS, and marketplaces.
Consider how to represent these KPIs in an Excel model.

Model a Local Business in Excel

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Building a model for a real-world business will solidify your understanding of the concepts taught in the course.

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Choose a local business with an online presence.
Identify the business model and key revenue streams.
Create an Excel model to forecast revenue and expenses.
Analyze the model and identify areas for improvement.

Four other activities

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Create a Business Model Comparison Chart

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Creating a comparison chart will help you internalize the differences between various online business models.

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List the business models covered in the course.
Identify key characteristics of each model.
Create a chart comparing the models based on these characteristics.

Review 'The Personal MBA'

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Reading 'The Personal MBA' will give you a broader understanding of business principles.

View The Personal MBA 10th Anniversary Edition on Amazon

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Read the book and take notes on key business concepts.
Consider how these concepts relate to online business models.
Reflect on how these concepts can be modeled in Excel.

Present a Business Model Analysis

Show steps

Presenting your analysis will help you refine your understanding and communication skills.

Show steps

Choose a business model from the course.
Create an Excel model for the chosen business model.
Prepare a presentation summarizing your analysis and findings.
Present your analysis to a peer or mentor.

Explore Advanced Excel Techniques

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Learning advanced Excel techniques will allow you to build more sophisticated and accurate business models.

Show steps

Search for online tutorials on advanced Excel functions.
Practice using these functions in your business models.
Experiment with different data visualization techniques.

Career center

Learners who complete Online Business Models in Excel - Practical Guide will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Startup Founder

A startup founder is responsible for creating and growing a new business. A clear understanding of business models is essential for success, and this course provides a practical guide focused on online business models, a particularly attractive area for startups. This course helps one to translate their business idea into an Excel based model, evaluate its potential, and identify key performance indicators. It is especially beneficial for first time founders, who often struggle to translate lean startup concepts into a practical model for their business.

See salaries and explore the career path for Startup Founder

eCommerce Manager

An eCommerce manager is responsible for overseeing the online sales and marketing efforts of a company. The course directly addresses the e-commerce business model, providing valuable insights and examples. By understanding the key performance indicators that drive e-commerce success, as well as how to model the business in Excel, an eCommerce manager can make informed decisions to optimize sales, marketing, and customer acquisition strategies. This course helps one to develop a data-driven approach to managing an e-commerce business.

See salaries and explore the career path for eCommerce Manager

Management Consultant

The role of a management consultant is to help organizations improve their performance by analyzing existing problems and developing plans for improvement. Gaining a strong understanding of business models is crucial, and this course focuses on online business models. This course helps to learn how to translate different business models into Excel and evaluate them, one develops a structured approach to business analysis which is key for consulting engagements. As a management consultant, understanding key performance indicators and benchmarks is invaluable, and this course provides practical insights into these areas.

See salaries and explore the career path for Management Consultant

Business Analyst

A business analyst identifies business needs and determines solutions to business problems. This often includes analyzing and modeling business processes. Taking this course helps to understand various online business models like e-commerce, two sided markets, media sites and SaaS. By learning how to translate business models into Excel, one refines their analytical skills and gains a practical understanding of key performance indicators. This is directly applicable to a business analyst's work of evaluating businesses and making data driven recommendations.

See salaries and explore the career path for Business Analyst

Venture Capital Analyst

Venture capital analysts work for venture capital firms, evaluating early-stage companies for potential investment. This course helps to provide insights into various online business models, such as e-commerce and SaaS. Venture capital analysts gain an understanding of what it takes to create an Excel based model of business. They also learn how to understand marketplaces, media site models, and the importance of metrics. Learning how to analyze KPI's such as customer acquisition costs is critical to the analyst's role.

See salaries and explore the career path for Venture Capital Analyst

Digital Marketing Manager

Digital marketing managers are responsible for developing and implementing online marketing campaigns to promote a company's products or services. This course helps one to understand how different online business models work. By learning to identify key performance indicators and model business performance in Excel, a digital marketing manager can better track the effectiveness of marketing campaigns, and make data-driven decisions to optimize marketing spend. The insights into media site business models are also directly applicable to developing content marketing strategies.

See salaries and explore the career path for Digital Marketing Manager

Financial Analyst

Financial analysts provide guidance to businesses and individuals making investment decisions. The course's emphasis on translating business models into Excel spreadsheets aligns perfectly with a financial analyst's need to model and forecast financial performance. Understanding different online business models, such as e-commerce and SaaS, helps a financial analyst to assess the value of companies operating in these sectors. Additionally, the focus on key performance indicators provides valuable metrics for financial analysis and valuation.

See salaries and explore the career path for Financial Analyst

Investment Analyst

Investment analysts evaluate investment opportunities for firms or individuals. The knowledge of online business models gained from this course can be instrumental in assessing the viability and growth potential of companies in the digital space. Investment analysts gain an understanding of crucial key performance indicators (KPIs), such as customer acquisition cost and lifetime value, essential for informed investment decisions. Learning to build financial models in Excel, as covered in the course, helps in estimating future revenue, expenses, and profitability.

See salaries and explore the career path for Investment Analyst

Strategy Consultant

Strategy consultants work with organizations to develop and implement long-term strategic plans. Understanding different business models is essential, and this course provides practical insights into online business models. By learning to translate business models into Excel and evaluate their potential, a strategy consultant can develop data-driven recommendations for clients. The emphasis on key performance indicators and competitive benchmarking is directly applicable to strategic analysis.

See salaries and explore the career path for Strategy Consultant

Business Development Manager

Business development managers are responsible for identifying and pursuing new business opportunities. Understanding different business models, including two sided marketplaces and SaaS, is crucial for identifying potential partnerships and expansion opportunities. It may be useful to learn how to model these business models to evaluate their potential and understand their key performance indicators. The course's practical approach, with examples and Excel models, is especially valuable for developing a data-driven approach to business development.

See salaries and explore the career path for Business Development Manager

Private Equity Associate

A private equity associate supports senior team members in evaluating and executing investment transactions. This course is likely to be helpful by providing knowledge on the business models of e-commerce, two sided markets, SaaS, and media sites. Understanding key performance indicators helps an associate who is performing due diligence. They also gain skills in making business models in Excel to help evaluate businesses and estimate deal value and returns.

See salaries and explore the career path for Private Equity Associate

Product Manager

A product manager is responsible for the strategy, roadmap, and feature definition of a product. This course may be useful to learn how to analyze different business models. Understanding the SaaS business model, for instance, is highly relevant for product managers in software companies. Learning to identify key performance indicators and building models in Excel can translate into a better understanding of how a product contributes to the overall business and how to measure its success.

See salaries and explore the career path for Product Manager

Market Research Analyst

The role of a market research analyst is to study market conditions in local, regional, or national areas to examine potential sales of a product or service. This course may provide a framework for analyzing online business models. Learning to identify key performance indicators and understand the dynamics of different online business models helps a market research analyst assess the competitive landscape and identify opportunities for growth. The Excel modeling skills taught in the course are also directly applicable to conducting quantitative market research.

See salaries and explore the career path for Market Research Analyst

Operations Manager

An operations manager oversees the day-to-day activities of an organization to ensure efficiency and effectiveness. This course may be useful to gain a solid understanding of different online business models. Learning to model these business models in Excel helps them to identify bottlenecks and optimize processes. In particular, the focus on key performance indicators provides valuable metrics for monitoring operational performance and driving continuous improvement.

See salaries and explore the career path for Operations Manager

Data Scientist

Data scientists analyze large datasets to extract meaningful insights and inform business decisions. This course may be useful to provide a strong understanding of different online business models and the key performance indicators that drive their success. This helps a data scientist to identify relevant data sources and develop models that can predict business outcomes. The Excel modeling skills taught in the course provide a solid foundation for more advanced data analysis techniques.

See salaries and explore the career path for Data Scientist

Online Business Models in Excel - Practical Guide

What's inside

Learning objectives

Syllabus

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Reviews summary

Practical online business modeling in excel

Activities

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