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Free Networking Canvas

Your business relationship strategy on one page

Six blocks about what you bring to your network and what you are looking for in it. Fill it in right here, ask for an AI suggestion if you get stuck, and download the board as an image for LinkedIn or as a PDF.

6 blocksNo sign-upImage and PDFSaved to your profile with an account
Fill in my canvas

The board

What I offer

Who it is for

The result I deliver

What I am looking for

Who I can refer

Key partners

Three blocks about your offer, three about your network.

Fill in your Networking Canvas

One or two sentences per block are enough. Start with the offer; what you write here appears in the image and the PDF exactly as it is.

0 of 6 blocks filled in

Your product or service, in one sentence with no jargon.

The ideal customer: industry, size, region and who makes the buying decision.

What changes for customers after they buy from you.

Customers, suppliers, partners, sales representatives or investors, and the profile of each one.

Who your contacts are usually useful to: what makes you valuable to your network.

One per line or separated by commas.

Who already refers you, who complements your offer and who serves the same customer without competing.

A 1200 by 900 pixel image, with your company name front and center.

The Who it is for and What I am looking for blocks are the picture of who is worth talking to. When you save it to your profile, the canvas is stored with your company, and the items in Who I can refer go into the list of people you can introduce, which the round's matchmaking already reads. The ideal customer saved to your profile (with the Ideal Customer Profile Builder or in My company) also counts.

Take your canvas to a business round: the first one is on us

Your company's first business round is on us, with just your CNPJ (Brazilian company tax ID). Choose an open round and enter the CNPJ on its page.

Choose my first round

What the Networking Canvas is

The Networking Canvas is a one-page board to organize your business relationship strategy. In six blocks, it answers what anyone in your network needs to know to do business with you or to refer you: what you offer, who it is for, what result you deliver, what you are looking for, who you can be useful to and who you already work with.

In business-to-business sales, a lot starts with a conversation or a referral. People who can say in a few words what they do and what they are looking for are remembered; people who talk about a bit of everything are forgotten by the time the event ends. The canvas forces you to make choices, and that is what makes it useful.

Once filled in, it works as a script for your 60-second pitch, for your company profile, for your introduction at a business round and for asking customers and partners for referrals. And it fits in an image you can post or send in a message.

How it differs from the Business Model Canvas

The Business Model Canvas, created by Alexander Osterwalder with Yves Pigneur and presented in the book Business Model Generation, describes the whole business model in nine blocks: customer segments, value proposition, channels, customer relationships, revenue streams, key resources, key activities, key partnerships and cost structure. In Brazil it became widely known through courses and support materials for entrepreneurs, such as those from Sebrae, the national small business support agency.

The Networking Canvas does not replace that board. It only looks outward and at people: what you bring to your network and what you are looking for in it. That is why it has a block the Business Model Canvas does not have, Who I can refer, and leaves costs and revenue aside. Use the first to think through the business and the second to act in your next conversation.

Central question
Business Model Canvas: How the company creates, delivers and captures value
Networking Canvas: Who to talk to and what to say and ask for
Blocks
Business Model Canvas: Nine
Networking Canvas: Six
Costs and revenue
Business Model Canvas: Part of the board
Networking Canvas: Left out
Referrals
Business Model Canvas: Appear under key partnerships
Networking Canvas: Have two blocks: who I can refer and key partners
Where to use it
Business Model Canvas: Business planning
Networking Canvas: Pitch, company profile, business rounds and events

How to fill in each block

Start with the first three, which are about your offer, and only then move on to your network. Write for someone who does not know your industry.

  1. What I offer

    Your product or service, in one sentence with no jargon.

    Write it the way you would explain it over coffee to someone from another industry. Say what you deliver and on what terms: "custom corrugated boxes, from 500 units" says more than "packaging solutions".

  2. Who it is for

    The ideal customer: industry, size, region and who makes the buying decision.

    Describe the company that gets the most out of what you sell: the industry, the size, where it is and who signs the order inside it. The more specific you are, the easier it is for someone to think of a name when they hear it.

  3. The result I deliver

    What changes for customers after they buy from you.

    Talk about the effect, not the task. Instead of listing the service, tell what the customer stops suffering or starts gaining. Do not make up numbers: one concrete gain, stated clearly, is more convincing.

  4. What I am looking for

    Customers, suppliers, partners, sales representatives or investors, and the profile of each one.

    Split what you are looking for by type and describe each one in a few words. A network is not only customers: a better supplier, a sales representative in a new region or a partner that complements your offer also bring business.

  5. Who I can refer

    Who your contacts are usually useful to: what makes you valuable to your network.

    List the kinds of companies or professionals you know well and would recommend without hesitation. Write one per line or separate them with commas. This is the block that shows you also give referrals, and do not only ask for them.

  6. Key partners

    Who already refers you, who complements your offer and who serves the same customer without competing.

    Think of who talks to your customer before or after you. State each partner's role, not just the name: who refers, who complements, who shares the same buyer without fighting for the same order.

Common mistakes when filling it in

An offer full of jargon

"Integrated solutions for your business" says nothing. If the sentence could fit any company, rewrite it with what you actually deliver.

Who it is for: everyone

Whoever serves everyone is remembered by no one. Choose a focus, even if you keep serving whoever shows up outside it.

Looking only for customers

Suppliers, sales representatives and partners also bring business. A What I am looking for block with a single type wastes half your conversations.

Leaving Who I can refer blank

Networking is a two-way street. People who cannot say who they can be useful to tend to ask for more than they offer, and others notice.

Listing partners without a role

A list of names does not help anyone act. Say what each partner does for you and what you do for them: refer, complement or share the customer.

Filling it in and shelving it

The canvas is worth something when you use it: in your pitch, on your company profile, before a business round. Review it when your offer or your customer changes.

Completed Networking Canvas examples

Three fictional companies, from three industries, with all six blocks filled in. Notice that each one chooses a customer, says who decides and lists partners with a clear role.

Embalagens Serra Azul

Manufacturing: packaging manufacturer (fictional example)

What I offer

We make custom corrugated cardboard boxes, in batches from 500 units, with scheduled delivery.

Who it is for

Food, cosmetics and auto parts manufacturers with 20 to 200 employees in the states of Rio Grande do Sul and Santa Catarina. The purchasing or logistics manager decides.

The result I deliver

Less damage in transit and cheaper freight, because the box is the exact size of the product. Customers stop buying off-the-shelf boxes that are too big or too tight.

What I am looking for

Customers: manufacturers that ship fragile products every week. Sales representatives who already visit factories in the interior of Rio Grande do Sul. A recycled paper supplier with reliable delivery.

Who I can refer

  • Carriers serving the Serra Gaúcha region
  • Label and tag printers
  • Tape and stretch film suppliers
  • Logistics and warehousing consultants

Key partners

Label printers, who serve the same customer without competing. Carriers that recommend us when cargo arrives crushed. A packaging design studio that refers clients who need to produce.

See the annotated example: packaging manufacturer

Ipê Contabilidade

Accounting: accounting firm (fictional example)

What I offer

Accounting for small manufacturers, with the month closed by the 10th and a one-page report the owner understands.

Who it is for

Small manufacturers and distributors with 10 to 49 employees in the state of Santa Catarina. The owner decides, and today makes decisions without up-to-date numbers.

The result I deliver

Every month the owner knows how much profit was made, how much tax is owed and how much can be withdrawn. No more finding cash problems only when the money runs out.

What I am looking for

Customers: growing manufacturers that feel their accounting has fallen behind. Partners: tax lawyers and management consultants. A management system that is easy to recommend to clients.

Who I can refer

  • Banks and credit unions
  • Employment lawyers
  • Business insurance brokers
  • Digital certificate providers

Key partners

Tax lawyers, who serve the same client with a different service. Financial management consultants, who complement our report. A credit union that refers companies applying for credit without organized financial statements.

See the annotated example: accounting firm

Prontuá Sistemas

Technology: software for clinics (fictional example)

What I offer

A scheduling, patient records and insurance billing system for clinics, set up in two weeks, with phone support.

Who it is for

Medical and dental clinics with 5 to 40 professionals in Southeast Brazil that still use spreadsheets or separate systems. The managing partner or the clinic manager decides.

The result I deliver

Fewer patient no-shows thanks to automatic confirmation and fewer insurance claim denials, because the claim form is right the first time. The front desk stops typing the same data twice.

What I am looking for

Customers: clinics that are expanding. Sales representatives who already sell to the healthcare sector. Partnerships with accountants who serve clinics and hear the same complaint from their clients.

Who I can refer

  • Accountants specialized in healthcare
  • Dental equipment suppliers
  • Marketing agencies for clinics
  • Medical waste disposal companies

Key partners

Accountants for clinics, who recommend the system when billing gets stuck. Equipment distributors, who serve the same customer. A telephony company that integrates the call center.

See the annotated example: software for clinics

More examples by industry

Example: packaging manufacturerExample: accounting firmExample: software for clinicsExample: coffee roasterExample: installer for commercial projects

Frequently asked questions

What is the Networking Canvas?

It is a one-page board with six blocks about your business relationship strategy: what you offer, who it is for, the result you deliver, what you are looking for, who you can refer and who your key partners are. It helps you organize what to say and what to ask for in any business conversation.

How is it different from the Business Model Canvas?

The Business Model Canvas describes the whole business model in nine blocks, including costs and revenue. The Networking Canvas only looks outward: what you bring to your network and what you are looking for in it. One does not replace the other; you can use both.

Do I need to sign up to use it?

No. You fill it in, download the image and print it without signing up, and the draft is kept only in this browser. With a free account and your company registered, you can save the canvas to your company profile.

Can I download the completed canvas?

Yes. The Download image button creates a 1200 by 900 pixel PNG, good for posting on LinkedIn or sending in a message. The Print or save as PDF button opens your browser's print dialog, where you can choose to save it as a PDF.

What happens to what I type?

Without an account, the text stays only in your browser. If you ask for an AI suggestion for a block, what you have already written goes to the artificial intelligence service that writes the suggestion, and it is not stored. With an account, the canvas only goes to the server when you click Save to profile.

What is the Who I can refer block for?

It shows what makes you useful to your network: the kinds of companies and professionals you know and would recommend. People who give referrals usually get referred back. When you save it to your profile, the short items in this block go into the list of people you can introduce.

How does the canvas help in business rounds?

Before the round, it organizes what to present and what to ask for in each short conversation. Saved to your profile, the canvas stays with your company, and the items in Who I can refer go into the list that the round's matchmaking already reads to suggest conversations.

How often should I update the canvas?

Whenever your offer, your ideal customer or what you are looking for changes, and in any case before a business round or an important event. A quick review every six months is usually enough.

With your canvas ready, all that is missing is the conversation

In an online business round you have several short meetings with companies suggested by what each one offers and is looking for. Your company's first round is on us, with just your CNPJ (Brazilian company tax ID).

Choose my first roundHow it works

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