An Ondo City-based not-for-profit organisation, The Thrivers Trybe, has unveiled the “Business Footing Framework” (BFF), a simplified business planning model designed to help aspiring and existing entrepreneurs develop clear, practical and sustainable business strategies.
The framework was introduced at a workshop organised by the group on Friday, October 23, 2026, at the University of Medical Sciences (UNIMED), Ondo, with aspiring entrepreneurs, established business owners and other stakeholders in attendance.
Speaking at the workshop, the Founder of the Thrivers Trybe, Mr. Iyanuoluwa Joseph Akinnusi, explained that the Business Footing Framework was developed as a practical alternative to the traditional Business Model Canvas (BMC), which he noted could appear too abstract for entrepreneurs, particularly those without formal business education.
According to him, the framework, introduced in his book, Built on Rock, provides a straightforward approach to business planning by focusing on three fundamental questions: What, Why and How.
Akinnusi explained that the WHAT pillar establishes a business’s identity by defining its sector, subsector, niche, products or services, and name. The WHY pillar examines the motivation behind the business, its purpose and the promise it makes to customers, while the HOW pillar addresses execution, including location, operating arrangements, target customers, competitors, strategic partners, revenue sources, start-up requirements and marketing channels.
He said the framework was designed to make business planning more accessible, conversational and action-oriented, enabling entrepreneurs to understand their business ideas and translate them into workable strategies.
“The Business Footing Framework reduces business clarity to three honest questions: What are you building, why are you building it, and how will you make it work? Answer those well, and everything else – strategy, positioning and planning – has something solid to stand on,” Akinnusi explained.
The founder also disclosed that the framework provides the conceptual foundation for VenThrive, an artificial intelligence-powered business platform designed to guide entrepreneurs through the process of developing their business profiles.
He explained that, through the platform, users respond to questions about their business identity, purpose and operational model, while the AI system generates relevant follow-up questions based on their responses, similar to the approach of a business consultant.
According to him, once the process is completed, the platform can synthesise the information into a comprehensive business profile, incorporating competitive landscape and market-size analyses, SWOT analysis, go-to-market strategy, and revenue and cost models.
Akinnusi noted that the framework goes beyond conventional business planning by connecting entrepreneurs’ ideas and reflections to practical outputs that can support decision-making, business development and growth.
The keynote address at the workshop was delivered by Amanda Spinney, who addressed participants as part of the programme’s engagement with entrepreneurs and other stakeholders.
The workshop provided a platform for participants to explore practical approaches to entrepreneurship and consider how structured business planning, supported by emerging technologies, could help transform business ideas into viable ventures.
Through the unveiling of the Business Footing Framework, the Thrivers Trybe seeks to promote a more accessible approach to entrepreneurship, placing business identity, purpose and execution at the centre of efforts to build enterprises on a solid foundation.
