Lean Business Planning (M4)

“An imperfect plan launched today creates more impact than a flawless one delayed indefinitely. Action fuels peacebuilding.”

(Inspired by George S. Patton)

🕊️Welcome to the Peacebuilder Academy (PBA)

Every peacebuilder’s journey begins with a commitment — to yourself, your community, and to a more peaceful world. By the end of this short guide, you’ll know how to leverage the resources available to you, and begin shaping the change you want to see in the world.

🧰PBA Resources:

1. 🌐 Public Mind Maps

   1. Here at the Peacebuilder Academy (PBA), we use AYOA mind maps to guide your learning and save you time by providing visual notes for each lesson. Most public mind maps won’t require a login, but Pro features use AYOA templates that do require an AYOA account. (Note: Best viewed on Desktop)

2. 💬 Captions & Transcripts
   1. Our videos use the Descript platform, which lets you read and follow along with captions while you watch. Just click the chevrons (<<) in the upper right-hand corner of the video player to view the full transcript alongside the video. On mobile, rotate your screen horizontally for the best viewing and caption experience.
      1. ⏩Learn faster by increasing the video playback speed — up to 2x! 
3. 🔗 Lesson Links
   1. To help your learning and viewing experience, all lesson links are highlighted in green and will open in a new tab or window. You can also right-click any link to open it in a separate tab while keeping your place in the lesson.

📌 Deliverables

Deliverables are small, action-focused steps designed to help you apply what you’ve learned right away. They’re not tests — they’re practical checkpoints that move you from knowledge to action.

At the PBA, deliverables also double as real-world assets — notes, plans, and frameworks you create here can become working documents for your project, business, or product. Every lesson is intentionally designed to leave you with something usable, not just theoretical.

By the end of the course, you won’t just have learned — you’ll have built. You’ll walk away with a portfolio of project plans, business strategies, product outlines, and conflict resolution frameworks ready to launch, refine, or share.

📱 Navigation Tip

On mobile, tap the ☰ hamburger menu in the top right corner to open site navigation options (About, Courses, Community, Pricing, Login, etc.). You can also tap the Peacebuilder Academy logo or text logo at the top to return to the homepage.

💡 AI/Tool Tip:  Use ChatGPT or your PBA AI Companion (coming soon!) to brainstorm, refine, and expand your lesson deliverables. AI can help you design your product, shape your service, or clarify your vision into practical next steps.

💫 From conflict to clarity. From purpose to profit. Accelerate your journey with Pro.

Unlock the full Peacebuilder Academy experience — designed to help you resolve conflict with confidence, launch your mission-driven business, and earn income doing what matters.
✅ Personalized course tracking & gamified learning
✅ AI-powered agent support (coming soon!)
✅ Proven frameworks, templates, and real-world use cases
✅ Group coaching & community to guide your growth

🔓 Upgrade to Pro and turn your peacebuilding vision into lasting, profitable change.

"What business entrepreneurs are to the economy, social entrepreneurs are to social change. They are the driven, creative individuals who question the status quo, exploit new opportunities, refuse to give up, and remake the world for the better."

– David Bornstein

Welcome to the exciting world of Impact Entrepreneurship!

🔹 Module Introduction: Lean Business Planning & Impact Entrepreneurship

Welcome, Peacebuilder — it’s time to turn your vision into a venture.

This module will guide you through transforming your peacebuilding project into a lean, purpose-driven business. You'll learn how to design a sustainable model that funds your mission, supports your life, and scales your impact.

Far too many world-changing initiatives fade because they rely on goodwill alone. In this module, you'll gain the tools and strategies to build a business that lasts — one that earns income while staying true to your values. This is where your project becomes a powerful, income-generating force for good.

🔹 Lesson Summary: Intro to Impact Entrepreneurship

In this first lesson, we’ll explore what it really means to be an impact entrepreneur. You’ll learn the 10 most common types of entrepreneurship and the 10 key traits that define successful founders.

Spoiler: You don’t need to be a tech wizard or have a business degree — just a clear purpose and the willingness to build. Impact entrepreneurship is for everyone, including you.

Resources:

1. Use these interactive mind maps as your visual notes! (Note: Best Viewed on Desktop)
   Right click the links below and open the AYOA mind map in a new tab or window — no account or login required. It’s safe, free to use, and designed to help you follow along and review key concepts. 
   1. M4. Public Mind Map: Lean Business Planning
   2. The 10 Most Common Types of Entrepreneurship, Public Mind Map
   3. The 10 Characteristics of an Entrepreneur, Public Mind Map 

💫 From conflict to clarity. From purpose to profit. Accelerate your journey with Pro.

Unlock the full Peacebuilder Academy experience — designed to help you resolve conflict with confidence, launch your mission-driven business, and earn income doing what matters.
✅ Personalized course tracking & gamified learning
✅ AI-powered agent support (coming soon!)
✅ Proven frameworks, templates, and real-world use cases
✅ Group coaching & community to guide your growth

🔓 Upgrade to Pro and turn your peacebuilding vision into lasting, profitable change.

“The best way to predict the future is to create it.”

- Alan Kay

Welcome to Disruption & Innovation — the engines of change for mission-driven entrepreneurs.

In this lesson, you’ll explore how to harness disruption and innovation to reduce costs, unlock opportunity, and strengthen your competitive edge. More than just buzzwords, these forces help you amplify your impact while building a resilient, future-ready business.

You’ll also revisit Peter Drucker’s 7 timeless sources of innovation — practical, proven entry points for discovering value others overlook. By the end of this session, you’ll know how to spot emerging trends, respond creatively to change, and stay ahead of the curve — all while staying rooted in your purpose.

🧰 Resources:

1. Use these interactive mind maps as your visual notes! (Note: Best Viewed on Desktop)
   Right click the links below and open the AYOA mind map in a new tab or window — no account or login required. It’s safe, free to use, and designed to help you follow along and review key concepts.
   1. M4. Public Mind Map: Lean Business Planning
   2. Peter Drucker's 7 Opportunity Areas for Innovation to Emerge From, Public Mind Map 

🔧 Deliverables:

1. Identify at least one way disruption or innovation is reshaping your industry.
2. Then, apply that insight to strengthen your project’s unique advantage or impact strategy.

 💫 From conflict to clarity. From purpose to profit. Accelerate your journey with Pro.

Unlock the full Peacebuilder Academy experience — designed to help you resolve conflict with confidence, launch your mission-driven business, and earn income doing what matters.
✅ Personalized course tracking & gamified learning
✅ AI-powered agent support (coming soon!)
✅ Proven frameworks, templates, and real-world use cases
✅ Group coaching & community to guide your growth

🔓 Upgrade to Pro and turn your peacebuilding vision into lasting, profitable change.

“Feasibility is the foundation upon which successful projects are built.”

- Unknown

💡 Lesson Summary: Feasibility & Fit

Before launching any mission-driven business, you need to know:

• Is it viable?
• Is it worth it?
• Can we realistically bring it to life?

In this lesson, you'll explore your idea through five key feasibility lenses, including competitor analysis tools such as the 5 Why’s + 1 How (5W1H) Canvas, Porter’s Five Forces, SWOT Analysis, and the R-W-W Framework. These tools will help you assess your idea’s competitive edge, clarity, and real-world viability.

By the end, you’ll choose one of four paths for your business idea based on your findings:

1. Go
2. No-Go
3. Pause
4. Pivot

Pivoting isn’t failure — it’s a smart, adaptive move that protects time, energy, and future impact. You’ve already done the hard thinking. Now it’s time to test the foundation and move forward with clarity.

🧰 Resources:

1. Use these interactive mind maps as your visual notes! (Note: Best Viewed on Desktop)
   Right click the links below and open the AYOA mind map in a new tab or window — no account or login required. It’s safe, free to use, and designed to help you follow along and review key concepts.
   1. M4. Public Mind Map: Lean Business Planning
   2. Feasibility Analysis/Testing, Mind Map
2. Competitor Analysis- The 5 Why's + 1 How (5W1H) Canvas
   
   1. 🔒 Pro Exclusive
3. Porter's Five Forces- Competitor Analysis, Canvas
   1. 🔒 Pro Exclusive
4. SWOT Analysis, Canvas
   1. 🔒 Pro Exclusive
5. R-W-W Framework, Canvas
   1. 🔒 Pro Exclusive

 📌 Deliverable

1. Conduct a feasibility analysis of your business idea using the R-W-W framework:

• Is it Real?

• Is it Worth it?

• Can we Win?

💫 Resolve conflict. Launch your impact business. Get paid to do good.

Pro gives you everything you need to learn faster, build smarter, and grow sustainably — with expert support, guided tools, and (Coming Soon) AI-powered peacebuilders by your side.

🔓 Upgrade to Pro to access every deliverable, download, tool, template, etc., and start turning your mission into impact and income.

“You don’t get paid for the hour. You get paid for the value you bring to the hour.”

- Jim Rohn

🌱 Welcome to Value Creation!

Every successful business starts with a clear understanding of value — what it is, how it’s created, and why people will exchange money, time, or attention for it. In this lesson, we’ll break down value creation into practical, actionable steps so you can build a business model that’s both impactful and profitable.

You’ll explore:

• Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs & Motivation Model – how human motivation shapes demand.

• 9 Common Forms of Economic Value – including products, services, shared resources, subscriptions, resale, leasing, agency, audience aggregation, and capital.

• 12 Forms of Value – a broader lens connecting each value type to specific, proven business models.

We’ll also show you a step-by-step process to study and emulate successful business models in your industry, and how to adapt them to your own mission-driven venture. This framework will become the foundation for your lean business model and planning strategy, ensuring your idea has a clear path to generating revenue and sustaining impact.

By the end of this lesson, you will:

• Recognize the different ways value can be created and delivered.

• Match your skills, interests, and mission to the right value type(s).

• Identify revenue opportunities that align with your peacebuilding goals.

• Begin shaping a business model that is both competitive and adaptable.

Keep pushing forward, peacebuilder — you’re not just learning to launch a business; you’re mastering the art of creating meaningful, lasting value in the world.

🧰 Resources:

1. Use these interactive mind maps as your visual notes! (Note: Best Viewed on Desktop)
   Right click the links below and open the AYOA mind map in a new tab or window — no account or login required. It’s safe, free to use, and designed to help you follow along and review key concepts.
   1. M4. Public Mind Map: Lean Business Planning
   2. Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs & Motivation Model, Public Mind Map
   3. 9 Common Forms of Economic Value, Public Mind Map
   4. 12 Forms of Value, Public Mind Map

 📌 Deliverables

1. Select 1–3 forms of value that best match your skills, mission, and target audience.

2. Structure your business idea so every part of it — from your offer to your operations — is aligned with delivering those chosen forms of value. 

💫 Resolve conflict. Launch your impact business. Get paid to do good.

Pro gives you everything you need to learn faster, build smarter, and grow sustainably — with expert support, guided tools, and (Coming Soon) AI-powered peacebuilders by your side.

🔓 Upgrade to Pro to access every deliverable, download, tool, template, etc., and start turning your mission into impact and income.

“Companies that solely focus on competition will ultimately die. Those that focus on value creation will thrive.”

— Edward de Bono

🌟 Welcome to Value Proposition!

In this lesson, we’ll bring together everything you’ve learned about value creation and apply it to one of the most powerful tools in business design — the Value Proposition Canvas.

You’ll explore your product or service from three key perspectives:

• Pains – the problems, frustrations, or risks your audience wants to avoid.

• Gains – the benefits, improvements, or outcomes they’re hoping for.

• Solutions – the offers you create to reduce pains and amplify gains.

We’ll link these insights to the Lean Business Planning approach, Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, the 9 Common Economic Values, and the 12 Forms of Value — giving you a comprehensive framework for designing offers that people truly want.

By the end of this lesson, you’ll know exactly how to:

• Define what makes your offer valuable and relevant.

• Match your solution to the real motivations of your audience.

• Integrate these insights into your Value Proposition Builder Framework so you can guide product development with clarity and purpose.

Keep going, Peacebuilder — this is where your idea transforms into a compelling offer the world can’t ignore.

🧰 Resources:

1. Use these interactive mind maps as your visual notes! (Note: Best Viewed on Desktop)
   Right click the links below and open the AYOA mind map in a new tab or window — no account or login required. It’s safe, free to use, and designed to help you follow along and review key concepts.
   1. M4. Public Mind Map: Lean Business Planning
   2. Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs & Motivation Model, Public Mind Map
   3. 9 Common Forms of Economic Value, Public Mind Map
   4. 12 Forms of Value, Public Mind Map
   5. Value Proposition Canvas, Public Mind Map
2. Value Proposition Builder Framework, Canvas
   1.  🔒 Pro Exclusive

📌 Deliverables

1. Map out the pains, gains, and solutions for your target audience.

2. Complete your Value Proposition Builder Canvas, ensuring it aligns with your chosen forms of value and peacebuilding mission.

💫 From conflict to clarity. From purpose to profit. Accelerate your journey with Pro.

Unlock the full Peacebuilder Academy experience — designed to help you resolve conflict with confidence, launch your mission-driven business, and earn income doing what matters.
✅ Personalized course tracking & gamified learning
✅ AI-powered agent support (coming soon!)
✅ Proven frameworks, templates, and real-world use cases
✅ Group coaching & community to guide your growth

🔓 Upgrade to Pro and turn your peacebuilding vision into lasting, profitable change.

"Startups don’t fail because they lack a product; they fail because they lack customers and a profitable business model."

- Steve Blank

🚀 Welcome to Business Model Design!

In this lesson, you’ll explore 20 different business model types, each with its own startup requirements, monetization strategies, and potential for impact. You’ll see how different models align with Lean Business Planning principles and how they can be adapted for peacebuilding or mission-driven ventures.

The first half of the lesson focuses on broadening your perspective — giving you a clear view of the many ways you can generate revenue while creating value. The second half helps you narrow your focus by selecting a business model that fits your skills, mission, and target audience.

By the end, you’ll know how to:

• Compare and contrast the strengths of multiple business models.

• Identify which models align best with your chosen forms of value.

• Apply your selection to the foundation of your own venture.

Keep going, Peacebuilder — every great business starts with a clear model for creating value and sustaining impact.

*Note: We are actively working to resolve audio quality issues occurring between 36:00 and 49:00. Thank you for your patience.

🧰 Resources:

1. Use these interactive mind maps as your visual notes! (Note: Best Viewed on Desktop)
   Right click the links below and open the AYOA mind map in a new tab or window — no account or login required. It’s safe, free to use, and designed to help you follow along and review key concepts.
   1. M4. Public Mind Map: Lean Business Planning
   2. 20 Business Model Types, Public Mind Map

📌 Deliverables

1. Review the 20 Business Model Types discussed in this lesson.

2. Select one primary model (and optionally one complementary model) to guide your business.

3. Document how this model aligns with your mission, chosen forms of value, and peacebuilding goals.

💫 Resolve conflict. Launch your impact business. Get paid to do good.

Pro gives you everything you need to learn faster, build smarter, and grow sustainably — with expert support, guided tools, and (Coming Soon) AI-powered peacebuilders by your side.

🔓 Upgrade to Pro to access every deliverable, download, tool, template, etc., and start turning your mission into impact and income.

"Having the ability to be brutally honest with yourself is the greatest challenge you face when creating a business model. Too often we oversell ourselves on the quality of the idea, service, or product. We don’t provide an honest assessment of how we fit in the market, why customers will buy from us, and at what price."

- Mark Cuban

🗺️ Welcome to Simple Business Plans!

In this lesson, you’ll learn how to present your business strategy clearly and effectively using business model canvases. Much like the 1-Page Lean Project Plan we discussed in Module 2 (Agile Project Management), these canvases distill complex ideas into straightforward, actionable plans you can share, test, and refine.

We’ll start with a big-picture view of your business — translating the project data you’ve gathered so far into a Simple Business Plan Canvas. Then, we’ll zoom in to refine your plan, drawing on the 20 Business Model Types and the insights you’ve gained throughout this module. This process will help you evolve from a rough concept to a well-structured, mission-aligned strategy.

By the end, you’ll have a clear, visual roadmap for your business that you can adapt as your idea grows and the market shifts.

🧰 Resources:

1. Use these interactive mind maps as your visual notes! (Note: Best Viewed on Desktop)
   Right click the links below and open the AYOA mind map in a new tab or window — no account or login required. It’s safe, free to use, and designed to help you follow along and review key concepts.
   1. M4. Public Mind Map: Lean Business Planning
   2. 20 Business Model Types, Public Mind Map
2. Simple Business Plan, Canvas
   1.   🔒 Pro Exclusive

📌 Deliverables

1. Select the business model that best “fits” your business idea and peacebuilding goals.

2. Complete your Simple Business Plan Canvas, ensuring it reflects your chosen forms of value, target audience, and competitive positioning.

💫 Resolve conflict. Launch your impact business. Get paid to do good.

Pro gives you everything you need to learn faster, build smarter, and grow sustainably — with expert support, guided tools, and (Coming Soon) AI-powered peacebuilders by your side.

🔓 Upgrade to Pro to access every deliverable, download, tool, template, etc., and start turning your mission into impact and income.

"Good marketing makes the company look smart. Great marketing makes the customer feel smart."

- Joe Chernov

📣 Welcome to Marketing & Promotion!

In this lesson, we’ll introduce essential marketing concepts to help you share your impact, build trust, and attract the right audience. You’ll learn how to highlight your achievements, create social proof, and start the process of guiding people toward your products, services, or ideas.

While we’ll explore marketing in greater depth in a dedicated future module, now is the perfect time to start building your awareness of key strategies. Understanding marketing promotion options early will help you:

• Influence how you develop your current offers.

• Shape the design of future products and services.

• Communicate value clearly to inspire action.

We’ll also cover the basics of lead generation and lead nurturing — two critical skills for turning awareness into engagement and engagement into sales or participation. By the end, you’ll have a starter toolkit for promoting your work and building momentum.

🧰 Resources:

1. Use these interactive mind maps as your visual notes! (Note: Best Viewed on Desktop)
   Right click the links below and open the AYOA mind map in a new tab or window — no account or login required. It’s safe, free to use, and designed to help you follow along and review key concepts.
   1. M4. Public Mind Map: Lean Business Planning
   2. Marketing Promotion Options, Public Mind Map

📌 Deliverables

1. Select one marketing promotion option that feels most aligned with your audience and business model.

2. Write a short action plan (3–5 bullet points) for how you could use this method to build awareness and attract your first customers or supporters.

💫 Resolve conflict. Launch your impact business. Get paid to do good.

Pro gives you everything you need to learn faster, build smarter, and grow sustainably — with expert support, guided tools, and (Coming Soon) AI-powered peacebuilders by your side.

🔓 Upgrade to Pro to access every deliverable, download, tool, template, etc., and start turning your mission into impact and income.

“We need to create a business strategy for our content. That means saying no to many channels and content types, and focus on where we can build an asset, an audience, over time.”

– Joe Pulizzi

🛰️ Welcome to Channel Strategy!

Your message matters — but so does where and how you share it. In this lesson, we’ll explore channel strategy: the art of delivering the right message, at the right time, in the right place, to the right people.

You’ll learn how an effective channel strategy can save you time, energy, and resources, while increasing the chances your audience will actually see and respond to your message. Drawing from Joe Pulizzi’s insights, we’ll examine direct, indirect, and omni-channel approaches, with a focus on finding the best fit for your mission-driven business.

By the end of this lesson, you’ll be able to:

• Identify the channels most likely to reach and resonate with your audience.

• Decide when to use single-channel focus versus multi-channel presence.

• Create an outreach plan that’s both efficient and impactful.

🧰 Resources:

1. Use these interactive mind maps as your visual notes! (Note: Best Viewed on Desktop)
   Right click the links below and open the AYOA mind map in a new tab or window — no account or login required. It’s safe, free to use, and designed to help you follow along and review key concepts.
   1. M4. Public Mind Map: Lean Business Planning
   2. Channel Strategy, Public Mind Map

📌 Deliverables

1. Choose the channel strategy (direct, indirect, or omni-channel) that best fits your audience and peacebuilding goals.

2. Outline at least two practical ways you will use this strategy to engage your audience in the next 30 days. 

💫 Resolve conflict. Launch your impact business. Get paid to do good.

Pro gives you everything you need to learn faster, build smarter, and grow sustainably — with expert support, guided tools, and (Coming Soon) AI-powered peacebuilders by your side.

🔓 Upgrade to Pro to access every deliverable, download, tool, template, etc., and start turning your mission into impact and income.

 “You know you’re priced right when your customers complain — but buy anyway.”
— John Harrison

💲 Welcome to Pricing Strategy!

Pricing is more than just a number — it’s a powerful signal that influences how your audience perceives value and decides whether to buy. In this lesson, we’ll explore the foundations of pricing strategy and why setting the right price is essential from the very beginning.

You’ll learn how pricing shapes not only your marketing but also your product development, by helping you define the break-even point your business must reach to achieve both financial sustainability and social impact. We’ll introduce ways to determine your initial price point, then refine it over time as you gain insights into your customers’ willingness to buy (WTB) and willingness to pay (WTP).

By the end, you’ll understand how to:

• Choose an informed starting price for your product or service.

• Factor in both your costs and your impact goals.

• Adjust pricing as you learn more about your audience’s buying behavior.

🧰 Resources

1. Use these interactive mind maps as your visual notes! (Note: Best Viewed on Desktop)
   Right click the links below and open the AYOA mind map in a new tab or window — no account or login required. It’s safe, free to use, and designed to help you follow along and review key concepts.
   1. M4. Public Mind Map: Lean Business Planning
   2. Pricing Strategies, Public Mind Map

📌 Deliverables

1. Choose your initial price point for your product or service.

2. Briefly explain how it supports your break-even goals and aligns with your customers’ perceived value.

💫 From conflict to clarity. From purpose to profit. Accelerate your journey with Pro.

Unlock the full Peacebuilder Academy experience — designed to help you resolve conflict with confidence, launch your mission-driven business, and earn income doing what matters.
✅ Personalized course tracking & gamified learning
✅ AI-powered agent support (coming soon!)
✅ Proven frameworks, templates, and real-world use cases
✅ Group coaching & community to guide your growth

🔓 Upgrade to Pro and turn your peacebuilding vision into lasting, profitable change.

“Unless you have tested the assumptions in your business model first, outside the building, your business plan is just creative writing.”
— Steve Blank

📋 Welcome to Business Plans (the Lean Way)!

In this lesson, we’ll explore why business model canvases often outperform traditional, lengthy business plans — especially in the early stages. Canvases save time and energy while giving you a clear, one-page view of your strategy, making it easy to spot strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities for improvement.

We’ll walk through the structure of the Business Model Canvas, showing how it can help you:

• Refine your idea without getting bogged down in unnecessary details.

• Adapt your strategy quickly as your business evolves.

• Stay focused on what matters most — delivering value and achieving impact.

This approach is faster, more flexible, and far better suited to the reality of building a peace-driven venture. Think of it as a living document you’ll revisit often, rather than a fixed, one-and-done plan.

🧰 Resources

1. Use these interactive mind maps as your visual notes! (Note: Best Viewed on Desktop)
   Right click the links below and open the AYOA mind map in a new tab or window — no account or login required. It’s safe, free to use, and designed to help you follow along and review key concepts.
   1. M4. Public Mind Map: Lean Business Planning
2. Business Model Canvas
   1.  🔒 Pro Exclusive

📌 Deliverables

1. Complete your first draft of the Business Model Canvas for your idea.

   1. Focus on clarity, not perfection — this is a working version that you’ll revise as you test assumptions and gain insights.

💫 Resolve conflict. Launch your impact business. Get paid to do good.

Pro gives you everything you need to learn faster, build smarter, and grow sustainably — with expert support, guided tools, and (Coming Soon) AI-powered peacebuilders by your side.

🔓 Upgrade to Pro to access every deliverable, download, tool, template, etc., and start turning your mission into impact and income.

“The same products, services, or technologies can fail or succeed depending on the business model you choose. Exploring the possibilities is critical to finding a successful business model.”
— Clayton M. Christensen

🗺️ Welcome to Lean & Social Business Model Canvases!

In this lesson, we’ll explore two powerful tools — the Lean Business Model Canvas and the Social Business Model Canvas — that build on the foundation you’ve created so far. These frameworks are designed to help you adapt your idea for maximum viability while staying true to your mission and social impact goals.

The Lean Business Model Canvas streamlines your planning process, focusing on the essentials so you can pivot quickly when needed. The Social Business Model Canvas takes it further by integrating social value, community benefit, and sustainability into every part of your business strategy.

By the end of this lesson, you’ll be able to:

• Apply lean principles to make your model agile and adaptable.

• Incorporate measurable social impact into your business design.

• Validate your ideas before investing significant time and resources.

Take your time with this step, Peacebuilder — you’re building the blueprint for both impact and income.

🧰 Resources

1. Use these interactive mind maps as your visual notes! (Note: Best Viewed on Desktop)
   Right click the links below and open the AYOA mind map in a new tab or window — no account or login required. It’s safe, free to use, and designed to help you follow along and review key concepts.
   1. M4. Public Mind Map: Lean Business Planning
2. Business Model Canvas
   1.  🔒 Pro Exclusive
3. Lean Business Model Canvas
   1.  🔒 Pro Exclusive
4. Social Business Model Canvas
   1.  🔒 Pro Exclusive 

📌 Deliverables

1. Complete your Business Model Canvas as a starting point.

2. Adapt it into a Lean Business Model Canvas, focusing on speed and agility.

3. Build your Social Business Model Canvas to embed social impact into your revenue model.
   Remember: Progress > Perfection — these are living documents you’ll revisit and refine over time.

💫 Resolve conflict. Launch your impact business. Get paid to do good.

Pro gives you everything you need to learn faster, build smarter, and grow sustainably — with expert support, guided tools, and (Coming Soon) AI-powered peacebuilders by your side.

🔓 Upgrade to Pro to access every deliverable, download, tool, template, etc., and start turning your mission into impact and income.

“A budget is telling your money where to go instead of wondering where it went.”
— Dave Ramsey

📊 Welcome to Simple Accounting!

In this lesson, you’ll learn how to create a simple yet effective business budget — the financial blueprint that keeps your peacebuilding venture sustainable and investment-ready. We’ll explore key considerations for budgeting, introduce basic accounting tools, and show you how detail and accuracy now will save you time, money, and stress later.

You’ll also take your first steps into financial statement analysis, learning how to translate your ideas into clear, actionable numbers. Whether you’re running a nonprofit, a social enterprise, or a small business, these skills will help you understand exactly where your money is going — and where it should be going.

🧰 Resources

1. Use these interactive mind maps as your visual notes! (Note: Best Viewed on Desktop)
   Right click the links below and open the AYOA mind map in a new tab or window — no account or login required. It’s safe, free to use, and designed to help you follow along and review key concepts.
   1. M4. Public Mind Map: Lean Business Planning
2. Video: Accounting Basics Explained Through a Story
   1. (Source) Video: “Accounting Basics Explained Through a Story” by Leila Gharani — used here for educational purposes. All rights belong to the original creator.
3. Budgeting Templates (from Vertex42.com)- Modify or recreate with AI!  

   1. Personal Budget Template – Vertex42

   2. Business Budget & COGS Analysis Template – Vertex42

4. Nonprofit Startup Budget Template

   1. 🔒 Pro Exclusive

📌 Deliverables

1. Complete your startup budget using one of the provided templates.

   1. Include estimates for revenue, expenses, and COGS (Cost of Goods Sold) to give you a realistic picture of your financial runway.

   2. Save your budget in a format you can easily update as your business grows.

   3. Remember the lessons of The Lean Startup (Eric Ries) and The $100 Startup (Chris Guillebeau) — keep your MVP budget small, focused, and agile so your impact-driven business can grow without unnecessary risk.

💫 Resolve conflict. Launch your impact business. Get paid to do good.

Pro gives you everything you need to learn faster, build smarter, and grow sustainably — with expert support, guided tools, and (Coming Soon) AI-powered peacebuilders by your side.

🔓 Upgrade to Pro to access every deliverable, download, tool, template, etc., and start turning your mission into impact and income.

“Organizations are successful because of good implementation, not good business plans.”
— Guy Kawasaki

🎉 Congratulations — You’ve Completed Module 4!

Congratulations, Peacebuilder — you’ve reached the end of Module 4, and your dedication truly deserves applause. Over the past lessons, you’ve not only built a toolkit of lean business planning skills, value creation strategies, and impact-focused business models — you’ve also likely undergone a significant transformation in how you see yourself as a changemaker.

You are now equipped with powerful tools and strategies to design ventures that are both sustainable and meaningful, and to create a profound impact in your community. This is no small achievement — you’ve been laying the foundations for a future where your work generates real value, inspires others, and leaves a lasting mark.

Well done on your progress so far. Keep up the excellent work in building, refining, and sharing your ideas. The skills you’ve gained here are more than just business tools — they’re the seeds of positive change, and the more you nurture them, the more they’ll grow to serve people, communities, and causes that matter to you.

Next, in Module 5, we’ll explore the 8-step new product development process, preparing you to confidently launch your next offer or venture with clarity, creativity, and courage.

🧰 Resources

1. Use these interactive mind maps as your visual notes! (Note: Best Viewed on Desktop)
   Right click the links below and open the AYOA mind map in a new tab or window — no account or login required. It’s safe, free to use, and designed to help you follow along and review key concepts.
   1. M4. Public Mind Map: Lean Business Planning

📌 Module 4 Key Deliverables

1. Complete your Value Proposition Canvas.

2. Complete your Social Business Model Canvas.

3. Complete your Startup Budget.

Tip: Keep these documents as living tools — update them regularly as your market insights grow and your impact expands.

💫 From conflict to clarity. From purpose to profit. Accelerate your journey with Pro.

Unlock the full Peacebuilder Academy experience — designed to help you resolve conflict with confidence, launch your mission-driven business, and earn income doing what matters.
✅ Personalized course tracking & gamified learning
✅ AI-powered agent support (coming soon!)
✅ Proven frameworks, templates, and real-world use cases
✅ Group coaching & community to guide your growth

🔓 Upgrade to Pro and turn your peacebuilding vision into lasting, profitable change.