6 New Whiteboard Templates for Business Planning

Editor's note: Aha! Notebooks (referenced here as Aha! Create) has been split into Aha! Knowledge and Aha! Whiteboards.

You know how important it is to have a clear grasp of the business, the market, and your customers. These are vital areas to understand before you move forward with a launch or new go-to-market strategy. Using a template to outline your strategy and break down core assumptions helps you gather the most important details before taking action. Today's release allows you to do just this — all within an Aha! whiteboard.

Use the new business planning templates to think through your early-stage plans and chart a course for success.

The new whiteboard templates include the following options: Business model, Lean canvas, SWOT, Porter's 5 forces, Segment profile, and 10Ps marketing matrix. Choose the one you want in the Strategize section of the template library, then quickly tailor it to your needs. Crafted by Aha! experts, each template includes best practices and a compelling example — so you can focus your energy on where to take your business next for success.

When you are ready, share your whiteboard with others to push your thinking. Work together in real time to validate the assumptions you are making about your business and align on the best path. Once you are ready to move forward boldly, consider using a sophisticated strategic planning tool like Aha! Roadmaps. You can build out your strategy and carry your plans through to implementation.

Take a closer look at the new whiteboard templates:

Define your business approach

The Business model and Lean canvas templates are perfect for modeling your high-level strategy. In the example below, we are using the business model template to think through the go-to-market approach for a fictitious application called Fredwin Cycling. See how we capture who our target customers are and the value our solution provides — all in one view. You can also use the Lean canvas template to assess the viability of an idea before moving ahead.

Analyze internal and external forces

Evaluate key factors that influence the success of your business. Use the SWOT template to assess your strengths and opportunities against weaknesses and threats. The Porter's 5 forces model provides a useful framework for assessing external factors specifically — buyer power, alternative solutions, existing competitors, new rivals, and partner leverage. Here, we are using the outcome of our SWOT analysis to determine where to invest going forward.

Understand your customers

Identify who your target customers are and the best way to reach and engage them. The Segment profile template is perfect for determining who you want to serve and how to tailor your product and marketing strategies to meet their needs. Then build out a holistic go-to-market strategy using the 10Ps marketing matrix template (shown in the example below) to capture the essential elements of your approach.

Save time by capturing the key details in a single view — so you can start visualizing your big plans and move forward with confidence.

After you have a clear snapshot of your business or product, share your findings with your team. Using a framework like the above examples makes it easier to share your logic and garner support for your plans. Of course, do not forget to update your model as you collect feedback from teammates and learn more about the needs of your customers. This is how you can continuously shape your vision and deliver the most value.

Get started with Aha! Create for free

Aha! Create is the best way to organize thoughts, whiteboard concepts, and collaborate with the team. Start using your new digital notebook for free with the Aha! Create Basic plan. If you are interested in creating notes and whiteboards and structured plans, sign up for a free 30-day trial of Aha! Roadmaps. Join a live demo to see why more than 700,000 product builders trust our software to build lovable products and be happy doing it.