How I Organized My Business Idea Using the B-I Triangle

I experienced a major paradigm shift in March 2006.  I was working on my second start-up and had millions of business ideas floating in my head.  And they were driving me absolutely crazy!  Opportunities had surrounded me and I could not decide which ones were for me. I was writing my vision on anything I could find – notepads, envelopes from creditors, post-it notes, you name it.  

Then I spotted an advertisement for Rich Dad’s Coaching.  I called to get more information, signed up and it turned out to be one of the best business experiences of my life.  It helped me to make sense of my business ideas using the B-I Triangle.  

I had read about the B-I triangle in Rich Dad’s Guide to Investing where Robert Kiyosaki explains the 7 Types of Investors, Cashflow Quadrant and the B-I Triangle.  And as my coach moved me through the program, I found that I needed to organize my entrepreneurial vision before it took over my life. Sometimes you have to show your business who’s boss…and for me, this was one of those times.

So I made what I call my B-I Triangle binder.  It helped to clarify the vision for my business so much, that I made two more binders for my other two businesses.  Here’s what I did:

1.  Bought a 1″ binder with a cover protector (to insert a cover page) and a pack of 8 dividers.

2.  Designed a cover page labeled “Business-Investor Triangle” with my business logo, slogan and trade dress on the front.

 

 

3.  Clearly labeled each separator using the parts of the B-I Triangle in the following order:

• Mission
• Team
• Leadership
• Cashflow
• Communications
• System
• Legal
• Product

4.  Placed my business ideas in each corresponding category (i.e. Sales, Marketing and Advertising ideas fall under Communications)

Whenever I need to get my hands on an idea, I now know exactly where to find it. I know how each idea applies to my overall entrepreneurial vision. Why? Because I organized my crazy business ideas.  And most importantly, the ideas are not swimming around in my head driving me insane.  I can organize my vision on the go.  And all of the information is in one place for the purpose of pulling together and updating my business plan.

Some people just throw their vision into an empty box – whether it be a crate, filing cabinet or the trash can.  (That usually happens right after they’ve given up on it…but that’s another subject…)  But there comes a time when you should organize your vision.  Just like I would use the Franklin-Covey Planning System to organize my personal schedule, I used the B-I Triangle to organize my out-of-the-box business ideas.  

For more information about the 8 parts of the B-I Triangle and the systems required to develop ideas from scratch, check out Rich Dad’s Guide to Investing.  The Financial Freedom Library also has great articles that describe the B-I Triangle in more depth.