Business Model Restructure case - Using Mind Mapping tool

applied to the market.

Challenge & Selection

At the beginning of 2014, while I was still doing my business management course

at my hometown university, I had the opportunity to help a store owner that was on the  verge bankruptcy. One day a friend of mine contacted me and asked if I could help him  to have some ideas on how to save the business of an acquaintance of his, a little market  that used to sell everyday basic goods, some fruits and vegetables and also make juices  and sandwiches.

When we first saw the store, we noticed that it had an interesting and unique

wooden design but the business model they were practicing there wasn’t working. We  noticed that it basically was selling the same products that we could find in a supermarket  at the end of the same street where the store was located, not bringing any differential that  would make a costumer do a purchase there.

Application

To solve the problem I contacted two friends of mine that were also studying

management and we started to design ideas on how to transform a business that was not  being profitable into one that could actually bring benefits to the owner. We started to  have regular meetings in order to come up with ideas on what could be done in his case.  We later realized that we were actually providing a consulting service to him even if that  wasn’t the main goal. We used some tools that we learned in the university, and that  were also commented during this Design thinking of innovation course, like  brainstorming, visualization of the problem, but mainly the mind mapping tool.

We decided that in order to make the business successful we would need to change

the hole concept of it, so we decided to use the mind mapping tool during our meetings  to try to figure out the needs of the consumers in town. With this tool, we started  visualizing that the store was located near to the biggest university of the city, so the main  clients that went through there were young adults from 18 to 25 years old. We also figured  out that they were into cheap and healthy food, like organic and vegetarian diets and we  could also map that there weren’t many stores in town that had it’s products and services  directed to this segment of the market.

Insight & Approach

We decided to transform the little market into an organic and vegetarian burguer

shop, so after some weeks of planning we decided to start testing recipes and makes some  advertising in the internet. It was not hard to adapt the structure of the little market into a  restaurant, it already had tables a small kitchen, shelves and places to expose products. In  no time with the correct idea and some social media marketing the store was full of clients.  Not a month later me and my friends came to an agreement with the owner to buy out the

place, which is still opened today, being remarked as one of the best vegetarian food  places in town.

The application of the mind mapping tool during this case, helped us to organize

the flow of ideas during the meetings and have insights on how to solve the problem. It  made more clear the understanding of which segment to approach and which public we  were dealing with, making it simpler to analyze the information that we collected and to  present our ideas in a more tangible way. Using design thinking tools like this one, makes  the problem easier to visualize, creating space to a better discussion of the ideas and  developing better strategies on how to approach this problem.

The design thinking tools are a great way to approach innovations and to assist in

solving a large amount of life problems in general. It helped a lot to construct new ideas  and to organize the ones we had and I would use them again for sure while facing similar  issues in the future.


Business Model Restructure case - Using Mind Mapping tool applied to the market . Challenge & Selection At the beginning of 2014 , while I was still doing my business management course at my hometown university , I had the opportunity to help a store owner that was on the verge bankruptcy . One day a friend of mine contacted me and asked if I could help him to have some ideas on how to save the business of an acquaintance of his , a little market that used to sell everyday basic goods , some fruits and vegetables and also make juices and sandwiches . When we first saw the store , we noticed that it had an interesting and unique wooden design but the business model they were practicing there was n’t working . We noticed that it basically was selling the same products that we could find in a supermarket at the end of the same street where the store was located , not bringing any differential that would make a costumer do a purchase there . Application To solve the problem I contacted two friends of mine that were also studying management and we started to design ideas on how to transform a business that was not being profitable into one that could actually bring benefits to the owner . We started to have regular meetings in order to come up with ideas on what could be done in his case . We later realized that we were actually providing a consulting service to him even if that was n’t the main goal . We used some tools that we learned in the university , and that were also commented during this Design thinking of innovation course , like brainstorming , visualization of the problem , but mainly the mind mapping tool . We decided that in order to make the business successful we would need to change the hole concept of it , so we decided to use the mind mapping tool during our meetings to try to figure out the needs of the consumers in town . With this tool , we started visualizing that the store was located near to the biggest university of the city , so the main clients that went through there were young adults from 18 to 25 years old . We also figured out that they were into cheap and healthy food , like organic and vegetarian diets and we could also map that there were n’t many stores in town that had it ’s products and services directed to this segment of the market . Insight & Approach We decided to transform the little market into an organic and vegetarian burguer shop , so after some weeks of planning we decided to start testing recipes and makes some advertising in the internet . It was not hard to adapt the structure of the little market into a restaurant , it already had tables a small kitchen , shelves and places to expose products . In no time with the correct idea and some social media marketing the store was full of clients . Not a month later me and my friends came to an agreement with the owner to buy out the place , which is still opened today , being remarked as one of the best vegetarian food places in town . The application of the mind mapping tool during this case , helped us to organize the flow of ideas during the meetings and have insights on how to solve the problem . It made more clear the understanding of which segment to approach and which public we were dealing with , making it simpler to analyze the information that we collected and to present our ideas in a more tangible way . Using design thinking tools like this one , makes the problem easier to visualize , creating space to a better discussion of the ideas and developing better strategies on how to approach this problem . The design thinking tools are a great way to approach innovations and to assist in solving a large amount of life problems in general . It helped a lot to construct new ideas and to organize the ones we had and I would use them again for sure while facing similar issues in the future .