Create three alternate business models for your venture.

 

1. Subscription-Based Model 

• Description

• • AISHA offers subscription-based access to its comprehensive healthcare education platform, providing healthcare workers with essential knowledge, resources, and support to improve patient care and outcomes.
• Customer Segments:
  • Healthcare Facilities: Targeting primary healthcare units, clinics, and hospitals in underserved communities, where healthcare workers require access to quality education and training.
  • Healthcare Workers: Including nurses, clinical officers, and community health workers who seek ongoing professional development and support in their roles.
• Key Partners:
  • Nonprofit Organizations: Collaborating with local and international nonprofits working in healthcare, education, and technology sectors to amplify reach and impact.
  • Government Health Ministries: Partnering with government agencies to align initiatives with national healthcare priorities and regulations.
• Revenue Streams:
  • Subscription Fees: Generating revenue through recurring subscription fees paid by healthcare facilities or individual healthcare workers for access to AISHA’s platform.
  • Tiered Pricing: Offering different subscription tiers with varying levels of access and features to cater to the diverse needs and budgets of customers.
• Customer Relationship:
  • Continuous Support: Providing ongoing customer support, training, and updates to ensure that subscribers maximize the value of their subscription.
  • Community Engagement: Fostering a community of practice among subscribers, facilitating knowledge sharing, collaboration, and peer support.
• Channels:
  • Direct Sales: Utilizing direct sales channels to reach healthcare facilities and individual healthcare workers, offering personalized consultations and demonstrations to showcase the value of the subscription.
  • Online Platform: Leveraging AISHA’s website and digital marketing channels to promote subscription offerings and facilitate online sign-ups.
• Key Activities:
  • Content Development: Continuously curating and creating high-quality educational content, including lessons, tutorials, case studies, and reference materials, to enrich the subscription platform.
  • Platform Maintenance: Regularly updating and maintaining the subscription platform to ensure optimal performance, security, and user experience.
• Cost Structure:
  • Content Creation Costs: Investments in content development, including salaries for content creators, licensing fees for third-party resources, and production expenses.
  • Technology Infrastructure: Costs associated with maintaining and scaling the subscription platform, including hosting fees, software licenses, and IT support.
• Value Proposition:
  • Access to Comprehensive Education: Subscribers gain access to a comprehensive library of healthcare education resources, covering a wide range of topics and specialties, to enhance their knowledge and skills.
  • Convenience and Flexibility: Subscribers can access educational content anytime, anywhere, on any device, providing flexibility to fit learning into their busy schedules.
  • Professional Development Support: AISHA’s subscription service offers ongoing support and resources to help healthcare workers stay up-to-date with the latest developments in their field and advance their careers.

 

2. Social Impact Model:

• Description 
  • AISHA operates as a nonprofit social enterprise focused on leveraging technology to improve healthcare outcomes and access in underserved communities, particularly in Sierra Leone.
• Key Partners:
  • Nonprofit Organizations: Collaborates with local and international nonprofits working in healthcare, education, and technology sectors.
  • Government Agencies: Partners with government health ministries and agencies to implement programs and initiatives.
  • Technology Partners: Collaborates with technology companies to develop and deploy innovative solutions.
• Activities:
  • Technology Development: Designs and develops AISHA’s health education platform, including content creation, software development, and user experience design
  • Program Implementation: Executes projects and initiatives to deploy AISHA in primary healthcare units (PHUs) and train healthcare workers on its use.
  • Capacity Building: Provides training and support to healthcare workers and community members to enhance their digital literacy and healthcare knowledge.
• Resources
  • Technology Expertise: Employs a team of technologists, software developers, and healthcare experts to develop and maintain the AISHA platform.
  • Funding: Relies on grants, donations, and philanthropic support to finance its operations and programs.
  • Partnerships: Leverages partnerships with nonprofits, government agencies, and technology firms to amplify its impact and reach.
• Value Proposition:
  • Accessible Healthcare Education: Provides healthcare workers in PHUs with access to a digital health education platform, enabling them to improve their knowledge and skills.
  • Improved Health Outcomes: AISHA’s platform equips healthcare workers with evidence-based information and resources to deliver better care, leading to improved health outcomes for communities.
  • Scalable and Sustainable Solution: AISHA’s technology-driven approach allows for scalability and long-term sustainability, reaching remote and underserved areas with limited resources.
• Customer Relationship:
  • Collaborative Partnerships: Engages with partners and stakeholders in collaborative relationships to co-create and implement projects.
  • Community Engagement: Builds relationships with healthcare workers, community leaders, and beneficiaries to understand their needs and involve them in program design and implementation.
• Channels
  • Direct Outreach: Engages directly with healthcare facilities, government agencies, and community organizations through outreach efforts, events, and partnerships.
  • Digital Platforms: Utilizes its website, social media channels, and digital communication tools to disseminate information, share resources, and connect with stakeholders.
• Customer Segments:
  • Healthcare Workers: Targets frontline healthcare workers in PHUs, including nurses, clinical officers, and community health workers.
  • Community Members: Also targets community members who benefit indirectly from improved healthcare services and education provided by AISHA.
• Cost Structure:
  • Technology Development: Investments in software development, content creation, and platform maintenance.
  • Personnel Expenses: Costs associated with hiring and retaining skilled staff, including salaries, benefits, and training.
  • Overhead and Administrative Costs: Expenses related to office space, utilities, and administrative support.
• Revenue Streams:
  • Grants and Donations: Secures funding from foundations, governments, and individual donors to support its programs and operations.
  • Fee-for-Service Contracts: Generates revenue through fee-for-service contracts with healthcare organizations or government agencies for training and implementation services.
  • Partnerships and Collaborations: Explores opportunities for revenue-sharing partnerships with technology providers or healthcare organizations leveraging the AISHA platform.

 

3. White glove Service (Commission) 

• Description
  • AISHA offers a personalized, high-touch service to healthcare facilities, providing tailored healthcare education solutions to meet their specific needs and challenges.
• Customer Segments
  • Healthcare Facilities: Targeting hospitals, clinics, and primary healthcare units seeking customized healthcare education and training solutions for their staff.
  • Healthcare Workers: Including nurses, clinical officers, and community health workers who require personalized support and guidance in their professional development.
• Key Partners
  • Healthcare Associations: Partnering with local and national healthcare associations to access their member networks and offer exclusive benefits and discounts.
  • Medical Equipment Suppliers: Collaborating with suppliers of medical equipment and supplies to offer bundled packages that include AISHA’s education services.
• Revenue Streams:
  • Commission Fees: Generating revenue through commissions earned on the sale of AISHA’s education services to healthcare facilities, based on a percentage of the total transaction value.
  • Subscription Upgrades: Offering premium subscription packages with additional features and support services, which command higher commission rates.
• Customer Relationship:
  • Personalized Consultations: Providing one-on-one consultations with healthcare facility administrators to assess their needs, customize education solutions, and address any concerns.
  • Ongoing Support: Offering dedicated customer support and account management services to ensure that healthcare facilities receive the highest level of service throughout their engagement with AISHA.
• Channels:
  • Direct Sales Team: Deploying a dedicated sales team to engage directly with healthcare facilities, build relationships, and pitch AISHA’s education services.
  • Referral Program: Implementing a referral program that incentivizes existing customers, partners, and satisfied users to refer new healthcare facilities to AISHA’s white glove service.
• Key Activities:
  • Needs Assessment: Conducting thorough needs assessments with healthcare facilities to identify gaps in education and training, as well as opportunities for improvement.
  • Solution Design: Collaborating with healthcare facility administrators to design customized education solutions that align with their goals, budget, and resources.
• Cost Structure:
  • Sales and Marketing Expenses: Investments in sales team salaries, commissions, marketing campaigns, and promotional materials to acquire new customers and drive revenue growth.
  • Customer Support: Allocating resources to customer support staff, training programs, and helpdesk infrastructure to deliver exceptional service to healthcare facility clients.
• Value Proposition:
  • Tailored Solutions: AISHA’s white glove service offers healthcare facilities personalized solutions that address their specific education and training needs, ensuring maximum impact and effectiveness.
  • Expert Guidance: Healthcare facilities benefit from expert guidance and support throughout the implementation process, from needs assessment to solution design and ongoing support.
  • Partnership Opportunities: AISHA’s commission-based model incentivizes healthcare facilities to partner with AISHA, fostering long-term relationships and mutual success.

 

Complete the table comparing the three models and discussing differences on the basis of:

• Revenue Model; Cost Structure; Clearer Path to Next Steps; Clear First Customer; Risk Profile; Partnerships; Ability to Execute

 

	Subscription-Based Model	Social Impact Model	White Glove Service (Commission)
Revenue Model	Subscription Fees	Grants and Donations	Commission Fees
Cost Structure	Content Creation Costs, Technology Infrastructure	Technology Development, Personnel Expenses, Overhead and Administrative Costs	Sales and Marketing Expenses, Customer Support
Clearer Path to Next Steps	Clear path through subscription tiers and value-added features	Programmatic approach with defined milestones and outcomes	Direct engagement with sales team and referral program
Clear First Customer	Healthcare facilities or individual healthcare workers seeking quality education and training	Healthcare facilities in underserved communities seeking tailored solutions	Healthcare facilities seeking personalized education solutions
Risk Profile	Moderate	Moderate	Moderate-High
Partnerships	Nonprofit Organizations, Government Health Ministries	Nonprofit Organizations, Government Agencies, Technology Partners	Healthcare Associations, Medical Equipment Suppliers
Ability to Execute	Moderate	Moderate	Not really feasible

 

Identify two SPECIFIC funding sources for the design phase of your project and two SPECIFIC funding sources for the dissemination (implementation / distribution / commercialization) phase of your project. For each funding source, explain why this is a good fit for your project, and what SPECIFIC aspect of your project might the funding source support.

• Design
  •  IEEE – the world’s largest technical professional organization dedicated to advancing technology for the benefit of humanity.
    • Software Development and funding for buying resources 
  • USNSF (SCH) – Smart health and biomedical research in the era of artificial intelligence and advanced data science 
    • Software development 
• Dissemination
  • GAVI 
    • Use of the AISHA platform 
  • Health Tech without Borders 
    • Use of the AISHA platform, to reach a larger audience 
  • Project Hope 
    • Use of the AISHA platform 

 

Identify five specific partnerships that you need to forge to advance your project forward with the ultimate goal of positively impacting at least one million people. Describe exactly how that partnership might help you achieve scale and why that entity might be willing to work with you.

• Government Health Ministries:
  • Partnership Description: Collaborating with government health ministries in target countries to integrate the AISHA platform into existing healthcare systems.
  • How it Helps Achieve Scale: Government endorsement and integration can provide widespread access to AISHA across public healthcare facilities, reaching millions of healthcare workers and patients.
  • Why They Might Work with You: Governments aim to improve healthcare delivery and outcomes for their citizens. By partnering with AISHA, they can leverage innovative technology to enhance the capacity of their healthcare workforce and improve overall healthcare quality.
• Global Health Organizations (e.g., WHO, UNICEF):
  • Partnership Description: Forming partnerships with global health organizations to advocate for the adoption of AISHA as a standardized healthcare education platform.
  • How it Helps Achieve Scale: Global health organizations have extensive networks and influence in the healthcare sector, which can facilitate the widespread adoption and implementation of AISHA in multiple countries.
  • Why They Might Work with You: These organizations are committed to improving global health outcomes and are always seeking innovative solutions to address healthcare challenges. By partnering with AISHA, they can support capacity-building efforts and contribute to better healthcare delivery.
  • Telecommunication Companies:
  • Partnership Description: Partnering with telecommunication companies to provide subsidized or free access to the AISHA platform via mobile networks.
  • How it Helps Achieve Scale: Leveraging mobile networks enables AISHA to reach remote and underserved areas where internet access may be limited. This expands the reach of the platform to millions of healthcare workers and communities.
  • Why They Might Work with You: Telecommunication companies are increasingly investing in initiatives that promote social impact and digital inclusion. Partnering with AISHA aligns with their corporate social responsibility goals and allows them to contribute to improving healthcare access and outcomes.
• Technology Companies (e.g., Amazon, Google):
  • Partnership Description: Collaborating with technology companies to enhance the functionality and accessibility of the AISHA platform, leveraging their expertise in AI, cloud computing, and digital solutions.
  • How it Helps Achieve Scale: Integrating advanced technologies can enhance the effectiveness and scalability of the AISHA platform, making it more attractive to users and facilitating its adoption on a larger scale.
  • Why They Might Work with You: Technology companies are interested in initiatives that leverage their technology for social good. Partnering with AISHA allows them to showcase the potential impact of their technology in improving healthcare outcomes and supporting community development.
• Local Healthcare NGOs and Community Organizations:
  • Partnership Description: Collaborating with local healthcare NGOs and community organizations to facilitate the implementation and adoption of AISHA at the grassroots level.
  • How it Helps Achieve Scale: Local organizations have deep knowledge of community needs and dynamics, enabling targeted outreach and engagement to ensure the effective deployment of AISHA in diverse settings.
  • Why They Might Work with You: Local organizations are committed to addressing healthcare disparities and empowering communities. Partnering with AISHA provides them with a valuable tool to enhance healthcare delivery and education, aligning with their mission to improve health outcomes at the local level. 

From the social enterprises we reviewed today, or others you have studied, identify ten extremely specific strategies that you can leverage for your project. The strategies can be about the technology, the business model, access to capital, customer education, messaging, thought leadership, etc.

• Partnership with Local NGOs and Community Organizations
  • Collaborate with local nonprofits and community organizations to gain insights into community needs, access to target beneficiaries, and credibility within the local context.
• Technology Adaptation for Low-Connectivity Environments
  • Develop technology solutions optimized for low-connectivity settings, ensuring that users in remote or underserved areas can access and benefit from the platform even with limited internet access.
• Community-Based Training and Capacity Building:
  • Implement community-based training programs to empower local healthcare workers and community members with the skills and knowledge needed to utilize the AISHA platform effectively and sustainably.
• User-Centric Design and Iterative Feedback Loops:
  • Employ user-centric design principles and iterate based on feedback from end-users, continuously improving the platform’s usability, relevance, and effectiveness in addressing user needs.
• Localized Content and Culturally Relevant Messaging:
  • Develop localized content and messaging tailored to the cultural, linguistic, and contextual nuances of the target communities, ensuring that the platform resonates with and meets the specific needs of diverse user groups.
  • In the case of community health workers in Sierra Leone, making it more conversational/ being able to talk in Krio would allow us to be able to better cater towards the target audience 
• Hybrid Business Model with Diverse Revenue Streams:
  • Adopt a hybrid business model that combines nonprofit and for-profit elements, leveraging diverse revenue streams such as grants, donations, fee-for-service contracts, and partnerships to ensure financial sustainability and scalability.
• Impact Measurement and Reporting Framework:
  • Establish robust impact measurement and reporting frameworks to track key performance indicators, demonstrate social impact, and communicate outcomes effectively to stakeholders, donors, and investors.
• Strategic Thought Leadership and Advocacy:
  • Position the organization as a thought leader in the intersection of technology and social impact, advocating for policy changes, resource allocation, and systemic reforms to address healthcare disparities and promote equitable access to healthcare services.
• Access to Impact Investment and Social Venture Capital:
  • Explore opportunities to access impact investment and social venture capital funding from mission-aligned investors who prioritize both financial returns and social impact, enabling the organization to scale its operations and reach.
• Community-Led Marketing and Awareness Campaigns:
  • Launch community-led marketing and awareness campaigns to promote the platform, build trust, and drive adoption among target communities, leveraging local influencers, community leaders, and grassroots networks to amplify messaging and engagement.

 

Create a first draft of your business model using the business model canvas. Please be as specific as possible and explain why you picked those specific approaches for each of the building blocks.

 

1. Key Partnerships: NGOs, government branches, local community organizations, and distribution partners were chosen as key partners because they have existing networks, resources, and influence in Sierra Leone. Partnering with them allows access to a wider audience, facilitates community outreach, and enhances credibility and trust in the project.
2. Key Activities: Developing and updating the AISHA platform, creating educational content, conducting training sessions, and advertising were chosen as key activities because they directly contribute to the core objectives of the project. These activities focus on building and improving the platform, educating healthcare workers, and promoting awareness and adoption of the service.
3. Key Resources: Developers, content creators, data, brand reputation, and distribution channels were identified as key resources because they are essential for the successful implementation and operation of the project. These resources provide the necessary expertise, content, infrastructure, and reach to deliver the service effectively.
4. Value Propositions: Quick and accurate medical responses, an expansive collection of medical knowledge, enhanced medical capabilities, and early illness recognition were chosen as value propositions because they address critical needs and pain points in the healthcare system in Sierra Leone. These value propositions offer tangible benefits and outcomes that resonate with the target audience.
5. Customer Relationships: Collaboration with larger organizations, local partnerships, and social media engagement were selected to build and maintain customer relationships. These approaches enable ongoing communication, support, and engagement with stakeholders, fostering trust, loyalty, and community involvement.
6. Channels: Workshops, local partnerships, and social media were chosen as channels to reach and engage with the target audience because they provide effective means of communication, education, and promotion. These channels leverage existing networks, local knowledge, and digital platforms to maximize outreach and impact.
7. Customer Segments: Healthcare workers, government officials, NGOs, and potential investors were identified as key customer segments based on their roles, influence, and involvement in the healthcare sector in Sierra Leone. Targeting these segments allows for tailored solutions and effective engagement with stakeholders.
8. Cost Structure: Costs associated with internet access, marketing, distribution, device procurement, and staff hiring were considered based on their relevance and necessity for project implementation. These costs reflect the operational and investment requirements of the project while ensuring financial sustainability and resource allocation.
9. Revenue Streams: Government subsidies, donations, and fee-for-service consultations were chosen as revenue streams based on their alignment with the project’s goals, local context, and potential sources of funding. These revenue streams provide diverse income sources while maintaining affordability and accessibility for the target population. 

Create a set of 2-4 slides to articulate your business model in a presentation. Come prepared to describe your business model in the next class.

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1us9yNJk8qXhFMCGhFOhIKfPLr079ZwKDUunJd-lq5wE/edit?usp=sharing

Develop a slide deck (using the template provided on Coursesite) to describe the purpose, operations, and business model of the assigned social venture, which you presented in class.

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1niVcnUnLBO6w0TbZQPOiHmGUay34Pij5MiJg97bV8QQ/edit?usp=sharing