This document outlines the development of a business model over 5 days for an almond milk coffee creamer company called Al's Almond Milk. The business model canvas is refined each day based on customer interviews and research. Initially focusing on direct online sales and local coffee shops, the company shifts to targeting busy working women aged 25-40 and selling through large physical retailers. Key lessons included changing the value proposition from local sourcing to convenience and health, and pivoting the sales channel from direct to established retail routes. The next steps involve further refining the customer segment and key partners, developing the product, and testing the brand strategy.

1. Al’s Almond Milk
Day 5
An almond-milk coffee creamer
dispenser designed for the health
conscious woman on the go.
Day 4 Total Customers Interviewed: 10
Weeklong Total Customers Interviewed: 54
Nnenne Okorafor, NYU Law 2015
Claire Jen, NYU Law 2015

2. Day 1: Business Model Canvas v.1
Key Partners Key Activities Value Proposition Customer
Relationships
Customer
Segments
Partners:
• Distributors
• Retailers
Suppliers:
• Local farmers of soy
and other product
materials
• Product
manufacturers
• Packaging
requirements
• Product development
and naming
• Building relationships
within the industry
• Partnership with
quality suppliers
• Packaging
development
• Create process for
management of
orders and
distribution
• Marketing and
branding of product
• All natural ingredients
and related health
benefits
• “Farm-to-table”
artisanal branding
• The same “industrial-chic”
feel as things like
Mast Brothers
Chocolate and the
return of the local
coffee shop
• An alternative for
consumers who are
lactose intolerant
• Develop a brand that
is consistent with a
growing “support
local” culture
• Build a reputation as a
consistent and timely
supplier of our
product with
manufacturers and
wholesale retalers
Individual Consumers
• Product conscious
• Health conscious
• Busy professionals
Wholesale Retailers
• Coffee shops
• CSAs
• All-natural/health
grocery stores
• Specialty product
stores
Key Resources Channel
Manufacturing
knowledge—someone
who can design the
product.
• Direct to consumer
• Small well-loved NY
coffee shops
Cost Structure Revenue Streams
• Ingredients
• Production facility
• Packaging inputs
• Delivery
• Product sales to individuals and wholesale retailers

3. Day 2: Business Model Canvas v.2
Key Partners Key Activities Value Proposition Customer
Relationships
Customer
Segments
Partners:
• Restaurant
Distributors
• Retailers
• Website
Developer for
individual online
ordering
Suppliers:
• Soy/almond
materials
• Packaging
requirements
• Product dev’t
• Partnership with
quality suppliers
• Packaging
development
• Create process for
management of
orders and dist.
• Marketing and
branding of
product
• Portability and
the ability to truly
carry “farm-to-table”
artisanal
branding around
with you
everywhere
• All natural
ingredients and
related health
benefits
• The same support
local feel as is
popular in NY
based milk
products within
the city
• Develop a brand
that is consistent
with a growing
“support local”
culture
Individual
Consumers
• Product conscious
• Health conscious
• Busy
professionals
Wholesale
Consumers
• Coffee shops
• Small NY
restaurants
• CSAs
• All-natural/health
grocery stores
• Specialty product
stores
Key Resources Channel
Manufacturing
knowledge—
someone who can
design the product.
• Direct to
consumer
• Small well-loved
NY restaurants
Cost Structure Revenue Streams
• Ingredients
• Product Sales
• Production facility
• Packaging inputs
• Delivery

4. Day 3: Business Model Canvas v.3
Key Partners Key Activities Value Proposition Customer
Relationships
Customer
Segments
Partners:
• Restaurants and
Grocery Stores
• Distributors,
Business/Corpora
te customers
• Retailers
• Website
Developer for
individual online
ordering
Suppliers:
• Soy/Almond
materials
• Packaging
requirements
• Product dev’t
• Partnership with
quality suppliers
• Packaging
development
• Create process for
management of
orders and dist.
• Marketing and
branding of
product
• Functional: The
ability to
conveniently have
a preferred coffee
creamer with you
at all times
• Social: The
appearance of
being “in the
know” about
health and
wellness
• Emotional: The
promotion of
personal/personn
el well being
• Develop a brand
that is consistent
with a growing
“healthy
professional”
culture
Ind’l Customer
• 25-45
• Single
• Female
• Busy working
professional
• Socially aware
(but not overly
engaged)
Business Customer
• Mid-large sized
corporate offices
• Currently offer
individual
creamers
[Retail Customers?]
Key Resources Channel
Manufacturing
knowledge—
someone who can
design the product.
• Direct to
consumer
• Small well-loved
NY restaurants
and grocery
stores
Cost Structure Revenue Streams
• Ingredients
• Product Sales
• Production facility
• Packaging inputs
• Delivery

5. Day 4: Business Model Canvas v.4
Key Partners Key Activities Value Proposition Customer
Relationships
Customer
Segments
Partners:
• Physical Retailers
(start with one,
like Whole Foods)
Business/Corpora
te customers
• Website
Developer for
individual online
ordering
Suppliers:
• Almond materials
• Packaging
requirements
• Product dev’t
• Partnership with
quality suppliers
• Packaging
development
• Create process for
management of
orders and dist.
• Marketing and
branding of
product
• Functional: The
portable ability to
have a preferred
coffee creamer
suiting your taste
palate, chosen by
people like you
• Social: The
appearance of
being “in the
know” about
health and
wellness
• Emotional: The
promotion of
personalwell
being
• Develop a brand
that is consistent
with a growing
“healthy
professional”
culture
Ind’l Customer
• 25-45
• Single
• Female
• Busy working
professional
• Socially aware
(but not overly
engaged)
• Lactose Intolerant
Business Customer
• Mid-large sized
corporate offices
• Currently offer
individual
creamers
• Retail Customers
Key Resources Channel
Manufacturing
knowledge—
someone who can
design the product.
• Direct
• Established Retail
Routes
Cost Structure Revenue Streams
• Ingredients
• Product Sales
• Production facility
• Packaging inputs
• Delivery
• Direct to Consumer
• Indirect through Online Retailers
• Wholesale to Physical Retailers

6. Day 5: Business Model Canvas v.5
Key Partners Key Activities Value Proposition Customer
Relationships
Customer
Segments
Partners:
• Large Physical
Retailers (start
with one, like
Whole Foods)
• Vendors, trade
shows, etc that
service physical
retailers
• Website
Developer for
individual online
ordering
Suppliers:
• Almond materials
• Packaging
requirements
• Product and
packaging dev’t
• Manufacturing/di
stribution
• Branding:
Develop and
market a brand
that is consistent
with a growing
“healthy
professional”
culture
• Functional: The
portable ability to
have a preferred
coffee creamer
suiting your taste
palate, chosen by
people like you
• Social: The
appearance of
being “in the
know” about
health and
wellness
• Emotional: The
promotion of
personal well
being
• Sampling and
sponsorship at
key events and
tradeshows
• Online/Social:
relationships with
bloggers and
websites, use of
instagram, twitter
• Relationships
with frequently
used Retailers and
Service Providers
Ind’l Customer
• 25-40
• Single
• Female
• Busy working
professional
• Socially aware
(but not overly
engaged)
• Health conscious
• Lactose Intolerant
[Vendors and
Tradeshows, initially,
until they become
Key Partners]
Key Resources Channel
Manufacturing
knowledge—
someone who can
design the product.
• Direct
• Established Retail
Routes
Cost Structure Revenue Streams
• Ingredients/Packaging inputs
• Product Sales
• Production facility
• Distribution process
• Marketing/branding
• Direct to Consumer (limited)
• Indirect through Online Retailers
• Wholesale to Physical Retailers (main stream)

7. What We Learned – Our Customer
Day 5
Initial Customer
Archetype
Current Customer
Archetype
• Local NYC coffee shop
• The type of coffee shop that
carries Mast Brother’s Chocolate
• Customers and stores that value
very highly organic, locally
sources, sustainable products
• Customers are very social, health,
and product conscious
• Young busy professional women
between 25-40
• Who exercises regularly and is
health conscious, but not overly
concerned
•Wants the appearance of doing
something good for herself and the
environment
• Is invested in social media and is
influenced by her favorite bloggers
Kicker: We learned that coffee it’s not cost effective for coffees shops to carry
individual creamers and that the consumer that is very social and environmentally
conscious is too concerned about waste to use single-serve products.

8. What We Learned – Our Value Proposition
Day 5
Initial Value Proposition
Current Value
Proposition
• All natural and organic
ingredients that were locally
sourced and sustainably
produced
• Health benefits of avoiding dairy
products
• Artisanal “farm-to-table”
branding
• The return of the local, cozy but
chic coffee shop
• An alternative for consumers
who are lactose intolerant
• A healthier convenient
alternative to dairy-based
creamers
• The ability to carry your creamer
of choice so that you have your
ideal cup of coffee every time
• The appearance of being on the
cutting edge of health and
wellness
• Fitting in with your social circle
Kicker: After changing our customer we also changed our value proposition. The
busy young professional woman cares less about whether the product is locally
sourced and is more focused on convenience, health benefits, and branding.

9. What We Learned – Our Channel
Day 5
Initial Focus:
Online Direct Sales
Customers interviews
revealed a preference
for in-store purchases
Result: Interviews with
retailers about how
products get on the
shelf
Current Channels
• Established retail routes
• Develop strong
branding and attractive
packaging
• Develop relationships
with vendors
• Develop relationships
with trade shows
•Direct Sales
• Online sales through
established sites
• Company website
sales

10. Next Steps…
Customer Segment
• Further refine our
customer segment to
discover our “early
evangelists”
archetype.
• Further explore
whether this
customer segment is
best reached
through larger
retailers (Whole
Foods, harder to
reach), or if specialty
retailers are a better
first step.
Key Partners
• Interview Vendors,
Trade Shows, etc to
determine how these
groups select
products.
• Interview buyers at
large retailers (will
require more
legwork than
walking into the
store…) to determine
what motivates them
in product selection.
Key Activities
• Develop product
recipe and
packaging.
• Test if
brand/packaging/st
ory is compelling
and attractive to our
customer segment
and potential retail
buyers.
• Refine Get Strategy
to reflect our new
knowledge of how
products get on the
shelves.