About Business Model Institute

The Business Model Institute was created to help small-to-mid-sized businesses assess and improve their business models through a structured, proven process.

After working with thousands of business owners, author and entrepreneur Jim Muehlhausen asked himself, “Why does the hard work and talent of some business people fail to equate to business success?”  At the same time, he asked, “Why do some not-so-talented and not-so-hard-working business people create very successful businesses?”

If you believe the traditional business press, you believe that your leadership ability, your marketing ability, or your hard work is what will lead to success.  You have been duped.  None of the traits, characteristics, or tactics described in the traditional business press matter…unless…

You have an excellent business model.

The brutal truth is

Great leader + average business model = average business

But

Average leader + great business model = great business

You can’t outsmart a bad business model.

Mr. Muehlhausen then began extensive research on business modeling, assessing business models, and, most importantly, improving business models –  he found virtually nothing.

There were no objective criteria for gauging the quality of a business model.  Venture capitalists and bankers had been judging business models for years, but on subjective, gut impressions.  Muehlhausen saw the need for a scientific, objective approach to improving an existing business model.

Muehlhausen pulled experience from the 4000+ one-on-one meetings he has held with business owners.  He then studied everything available on business models and created the Business Model Evaluator.  This twenty-eight question assessment gauges a business model into  eight key areas.  Many iterations of this Evaluator have led to a complex, parabolic scoring system from 0 — 1040 points.

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