The VIAble Growth Model
VIAble Growth Model contributes to cost-effective solutions and at the same time addresses global challenges. The model helps you realise your ideas by inspiring and challenging you to integrate economic, social and environmental values. The goal is that you create value for others (and yourself) by satisfying a need that your customers or users have and at the same time creating a positive impact on the surroundings.
The background for the model
Today the world is facing major challenges and opportunities: resource scarcity, climate change, natural disasters, pollution, increasing inequality, population growth and increasing urbanisation. However, these challenges also provide new opportunities for entrepreneurs, including generat¬ing income. Opportunities could be new forms of ownership, products with more focus on design and quality, recycling of products (e.g. glass bottles with deposit) or reuse of products (e.g. reuse of raw materials in new products).
What can the model be used for and by whom?
You can use the VIAble Growth Model if you have a concrete project, a business, a start-up or an idea that should be developed in a public institution, organisation and private business, or an educational context. The model was originally developed for people who work with sustainable entrepreneurship either as part of their education or in the student incubators but has also proven highly useful for private businesses that need inspiration for developing innovative and sustainable solutions. At the same time, the VIAble Growth Model can also be used if you give sparring to students in a teaching context or when sparring with entrepre¬neurs for commercial business purposes.
The structure of the publication
First, you will be introduced to how the VIAble Growth Model is structured and how to use it. Then the individual questions included in the model will be elaborated on with explanations and examples. You will also find an explanation of the relation between the model and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals. After this, there is an introduction to the theory that the model is based on. The theory part is divided into four different sections focusing on the economy, society, environment (profit, people and planet) and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals. At the end of the publication, there is a section for lecturers, process consultants in the student incubators and consultants working under the Danish Board of Business Development who wish to use the model in connection with sparring, teaching and development. This section will include an introduction to different forms of sparring where the model is actively used and will present different cases illustrating how the model can be used.
How to use the model
VIAble Growth Model is visually struc¬tured like a flower with a central core surrounded by three layers, each representing the three aspects: People (the society), Planet (the environment) and Profit (the economy). The inner-circle (the yellow layer around the core) represents Profit, the middle circle (the red layer) represents People, and the outer circle (the green layer) represents Planet. The model is based on the nine building blocks in the Business Model Canvas (BMC). The nine areas are valued proposi¬tions target groups, target group rela¬tions, contact to target groups, income, activities, resources, key partners and costs.
The BMC has an economic focus, and the VIAble Growth Model has a triple focus. Therefore, there are eight questions about the economy, eight questions about society, and eight questions about the environment. In other words, the model includes 24 leaves with questions and with value proposition placed at the core of the model. The value proposition is placed at the core to underline the importance of understanding what value it is that your idea, project or business creates. To your idea, there must be a clear connection between the value you offer and your concept. The value proposition covers the economy, society and the environment.
For each of the three layers, there are questions related to economy, society and environment. Each question is placed on its leaf and should help you challenge and develop different elements of your idea, project or business in a more sustainable direction. When you answer the questions, the model will challenge you to consider both economic, social and environmental perspectives.
You are free to start at any place in the model, but it may be a good idea to start at the core of the model and consider the value proposition of the project or business. Subsequently, it is natural to look at the area “target groups” by answering the three questions relating to this area: Who is the customer? Who is social value created for? Who is environmental value created for? After having answered the three questions, it may be an advantage to move around in the model clockwise and consider one leaf or one area at a time.
At http://www.viablegrowth.dk/ you have access to the publication VIAble GrowthModel in a Danish and an English version. It is also possible to buy the book edition by sending an e-mail to Birgitte Woge Nielsen (bin@via.dk). The price is DKK 149,00.
Economy
The theoretical background of the VIAble Growth Model will be introduced based on the triple bottom line concept.
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Environment
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People
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