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Canvas Workbook  ·  WE Grow Cohort 2 2026

Your canvas.
Build it with intention.

Workshop 1 gave you the foundation. Now the real work begins. This is your self-guided companion as you develop your growthsprint. canvas between workshops.

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Your journey starts Now
Programme WE Grow Cohort 2

Workshop 1 gave you the foundation. You have your Purpose, your Vision, and your Single Strategic Objective. That is the starting point. What comes next is where most businesses stall — translating direction into a canvas that is honest, specific, and built on real evidence rather than comfortable assumptions.

Use this workbook as your guide through the growthsprint. canvas. Work through it stage by stage. Do not skip zones. Do not leave anything half-finished. The quality of your canvas will reflect the quality of the thinking you do here.

How this workbook works
Stage One — Targets (Zones 1-3)
Review and sharpen what you captured in Workshop 1. Your Purpose, Vision, and SSO must be clear, committed statements. If they have drifted or feel uncertain, fix them now before you build anything on top of them.
Stage Two — External (Zones 4-6)
This is where most businesses do the least rigorous work. Your Value Proposition, Customers, and Market zones must go beyond observation. Every zone needs Analysis, Action, and Risk — not just notes.
The standard expected
You are not filling in a form. You are building a strategy. If a zone only has bullet points and no actions or risks, it is not complete. Hold yourself to a higher standard than comfortable.
Stage One

Your Targets — Lock Them Down

You set your Targets in Workshop 1. Before you build anything else on your canvas, go back and interrogate them. Are they still honest? Are they still specific? A vague Purpose or a weak SSO will undermine everything you build on top. Sharpen what needs sharpening and update your canvas before moving on.

Zone 1
Purpose & Vision
01

A short, confident statement of why your business exists and where it is headed. Two to three sentences at most.

Model examples
We exist to help people feel stronger and more confident in their bodies. Our vision is to be the most trusted women's fitness community in the north of Ireland within three years.
We exist to bring the natural flavours of the west of Ireland to tables across the world. Our vision is to become Ireland's most recognised artisan sea salt brand in export markets by 2029.
We exist to give small businesses access to expert marketing they can actually afford and act on. Our vision is to be the go-to marketing partner for growth-stage businesses across the island of Ireland.
What it should not look like We want to grow our business, serve our customers well, and be the best in our industry. This is too vague — it tells nobody, including you, where you are actually going.
Your Purpose & Vision
Zone 2
Single Strategic Objective
02

One sentence. Specific. Measurable. Time-bound. This is the one objective that, if achieved, makes everything else easier or less relevant. Not a theme. Not a list. One direction.

Model examples
Grow online retail revenue to £80,000 by March 2027 by expanding into three new stockist partnerships and launching a direct-to-consumer gift range.
Secure 12 retained monthly clients by December 2026 to establish a sustainable recurring revenue base for the business.
Launch a structured group programme by September 2026 and enrol 20 paying participants in the first cohort.
Grow the corporate wellness contract pipeline to £150,000 by June 2027 through targeted outreach to HR leads in mid-sized companies.
What it should not look like Grow the business, improve our marketing, and build the team. This is three objectives, not one. Pick the one that drives everything else and commit to it.
Your SSO
Zone 3
Business Outcomes
03

Two to three measurable results that tell you your SSO has been achieved. These sit beneath the SSO — they are the evidence of success, not separate goals alongside it.

Model examples — linked to the retained clients SSO
Monthly recurring revenue increases from its current level to £9,000 by month 10.
Client retention rate of 85% or above maintained throughout the year.
A second team member or contractor appointed to support delivery by month 6.
Model examples — linked to the group programme SSO
First cohort fully enrolled with 20 paying participants by October 2026.
Programme generates £18,000 in revenue in its first full run.
Net Promoter Score of 8 or above collected from cohort participants at close.
The key test If someone reads your outcomes and cannot identify your SSO from them, they are not aligned tightly enough. Go back and tighten the connection.
Your Business Outcomes
Stage Two

Your External Environment — No Shortcuts

This is the section that separates businesses who grow from businesses who stay stuck. Your Value Proposition, Customers, and Market zones are not boxes to tick — they are the strategic core of your canvas. Take your time here. Do the research. Have the honest conversations. Challenge your assumptions. Every zone must have full Analysis, Action, and Risk completed before you move on.

Zone 4
Value Proposition
04

What makes you the obvious choice for your ideal customer. Not what you do — why they choose you over anyone else, and what they actually experience as a result.

Prompt questions
What is the single most compelling reason your ideal customer chooses you?
What do your customers say about you that you could never say about yourself?
What would your best customer lose if you disappeared tomorrow?
Template 1 — Full version
For [target customer] who [primary need or pain point], our [product/service] is a [category] that [key benefit or solution]. Unlike [alternative or competitor], our [product/service] [key differentiator].
Template 2 — Short version
We help [target customer] do [what you do] by doing [how you do it differently].
Model examples
For women in their 30s and 40s who have put their own fitness on hold for too long, our small group training is a women-only coaching programme that fits around real life and actually gets results. Unlike large gym memberships or generic online plans, our programme is built around accountability, community, and coaching that adapts to where you are.
Short version: We help busy women get strong and consistent by coaching them in a small, supportive environment designed entirely around them.
For food lovers and speciality retailers who want ingredients with genuine provenance and story, our sea salt is a hand-harvested artisan product that brings the flavour and heritage of the Atlantic coast to every table. Unlike mass-produced alternatives, our salt is traceable, sustainable, and carries a story your customers will want to tell.
Short version: We help chefs and food retailers offer something genuinely special by putting the wild Atlantic coast in every pinch.
For growing SMEs who need strategic marketing direction but cannot justify a full agency retainer, our service is a part-time marketing leadership offer that delivers clarity, consistency, and commercial results. Unlike freelancers who execute tasks or agencies who run campaigns, we embed into your business and think like a member of your team.
Short version: We help small businesses grow with confidence by giving them the strategic marketing direction of a senior hire without the full-time cost.
Apply the Analysis, Action, Risk method
Analysis

Is your value proposition clearly differentiated, or does it sound like your competitors? What evidence do you have that customers choose you for the reason you think they do?

Action

How are you actively communicating your value proposition? Where does it need to show up more consistently — on your website, in conversations, in proposals?

Risk

What assumptions are you making about what your customers value? When did you last test those assumptions with a real customer conversation?

Your Value Proposition
Zone 5
Customers
05

A clear, specific description of your ideal customer — not a broad category. Then an honest account of the problems they are carrying and how you solve them.

Prompt questions
Who is your ideal customer? Describe them as a person, not a market segment.
What are the top two or three challenges or frustrations they are carrying right now?
How does what you offer genuinely solve those problems — not just address them, but resolve them?
Model examples
Our ideal customer is a woman in her 30s to 50s who has put her own health on hold for years. She is busy, slightly overwhelmed, and has tried generic gym memberships that never stuck. She needs something that fits around her life and makes her feel like herself again. We solve this by offering small group training with flexible scheduling in a non-intimidating environment built specifically for women.
Our ideal customer is a couple navigating fertility challenges who feel overwhelmed by clinical options and disconnected from their own bodies. They are looking for a natural, evidence-informed approach that puts them back in control. We solve this by combining acupuncture, nutritional support, and ongoing coaching into a joined-up programme rather than isolated treatments.
Our ideal customer is a growing SME owner who knows they need better marketing but does not have the budget for a full agency or the time to manage a junior hire. Their biggest frustration is inconsistency — lots of activity but no clear direction or results. We solve this by acting as a part-time marketing director: strategic, commercially focused, and accountable.
Apply the Analysis, Action, Risk method
Analysis

How well do you truly know your ideal customer right now? Are you serving the customer you want, or the customer you have ended up with?

Action

What specific steps are you taking to deepen your understanding of your customer — feedback, conversations, data? How are you using what you learn?

Risk

Are you too dependent on a narrow customer base? What happens to your business if your ideal customer's behaviour or circumstances change?

Your Customers
Zone 6
Market
06

A clear-eyed view of your competitive landscape, the opportunities opening up, and the threats you are navigating. Analysis and actions — not just observations.

Prompt questions
Who are your main competitors and what are they doing well?
Where are the real opportunities in your market right now?
What are the most significant threats or external pressures you are facing?
Model examples
Our main competitors are larger national suppliers who compete on price and volume. They do speed and scale well but they do not offer the personal relationship or specialist knowledge we bring. The opportunity we see is in the growing demand for premium, locally sourced products — customers are increasingly willing to pay more for provenance and story. The biggest threat is rising production costs and the squeeze on discretionary consumer spending, which means we need to protect our margins while clearly communicating our premium value.
Our main competitors are freelance consultants and large generalist agencies — we sit between the two. Freelancers are cheaper but lack strategic depth; agencies are stronger on strategy but far more expensive and less agile. The opportunity is with businesses coming out of accelerator and enterprise programmes who have momentum but no ongoing strategic support. The threat is market saturation in the broader consulting space and clients who undervalue strategy until something goes wrong.
Apply the Analysis, Action, Risk method
Analysis

Where do you genuinely sit in your market? Are you competing on price, quality, specialism, or relationship — and is that a deliberate choice?

Action

What specific actions are you taking to capitalise on the opportunities you have identified? Who is responsible and by when?

Risk

What external factors outside your control could disrupt your market in the next 12 to 18 months? How prepared are you?

Your Market
Before you submit your canvas Every zone in the external environment must have all three layers completed — Analysis, Action, and Risk. If you have observations but no actions, go back. If you have actions but no risks identified, go back. Arriving with a half-completed canvas means half a session for you.
Stage Three

What Is Actually Happening Right Now

Ongoing reflection — revisit this regularly

Your current activity — be honest about it.

This is not a one-off exercise. Come back to this section regularly and update it. What you are working on will shift. What is working will change. The businesses that arrive at each workshop with real momentum are the ones who kept this section current rather than writing it once and forgetting it.

What two to three key initiatives are you currently pursuing to grow your business?
What is working and showing early signs of traction?
Where are you hitting friction or finding it harder than expected?
What have you learned recently that has changed how you think about your strategy?
Stage Four — Keep This Front of Mind

What are you building toward?

Keep this question visible — return to it every few weeks and ask yourself honestly whether your actions are moving you toward the answer.

What does a strong, complete, honest canvas look like for your business — and what will it have taken to get there?

Write your answer now. Update it as your thinking evolves. Bring it to your next workshop as evidence of how far you have come.

Work through this on your growthsprint. canvas over the coming weeks. Your canvas should be a living document — update it as your thinking develops. The goal is a complete, fully evidenced canvas ready for your next workshop.

growthsprint.
WE Grow Cohort 2