Business Models 101: Your Company's Master Plan for Making Money

mintroco
Nov 8, 2025
3 min read

Welcome to Business Models Week(s)! Grab your coffee (or wine, no judgment) and let's talk about something your kid probably should understand before they're 25 and signing their life away to a gym membership.

Okay, So What Even IS a Business Model?

Here's the thing: Every company—from Apple to your neighborhood pizza place—has a master plan for how they make money. That plan? That's their business model.

It's not just what they sell. It's how they sell it, who they sell it to, and why anyone should care.

Think of it like this: Your kid's lemonade stand isn't just selling lemonade. They're deciding:

How much to charge (50 cents? $2?)
Where to set up (corner with foot traffic or your driveway?)
What to offer (just lemonade or cookies too?)
Whether to give free samples or make people pay upfront

That's a business model. Just... way cuter and with worse profit margins.

Why Should Your Kid Know This?

Because here's what nobody tells them: The world is FULL of businesses trying to get their money (or yours). And if they don't understand how companies make money, they're going to keep wondering:

Why is Netflix $15.99/month but YouTube is free?
Why does my favorite game cost nothing to download but $20 for a new skin?
Why does the printer cost $50 but the ink costs $80?
How does Instagram make billions if I've never paid them a cent?

Understanding business models = understanding how the world actually works.

Plus, if your kid ever wants to start their own business (dog walking, babysitting, selling friendship bracelets on Etsy), they need to know there's more than one way to make money.

The Next Two Weeks: 13 Business Models

Over the next two weeks, we're breaking down 13 different business models—the ones that basically run the world.

We're talking:

The retailer model (Target, Walmart—buy low, sell high)
The subscription model (Netflix, Spotify—hook 'em with monthly payments)
The freemium model (LinkedIn, Fortnite—free forever unless you want the good stuff)
The razor blade model (HP printers—cheap hardware, expensive refills)
And 9 more that'll make your kid go, "OHHH, that's how they do it."

Each day we'll focus on one model, give you real-world examples your kid actually knows, and include a fun worksheet to bring it all together.

Here's What You Can Expect

Each day we'll answer:

What is this business model?
Which companies use it? (Ones your kid actually interacts with)
Why does it work?
How could YOUR kid use this model?

By the end of these two weeks, your kid will:

✅ Understand how their favorite companies make money

✅ Be able to spot business models in the wild (yes, this becomes a game)

✅ Have the tools to design their own business—using whichever model makes the most sense

Why This Matters (Real Talk)

Look, we're not saying your 12-year-old needs to launch a startup tomorrow. But we ARE saying that business literacy is life literacy.

Your kid is going to:

Buy things (duh)
Work for companies (probably)
Maybe START a company (you never know)
Navigate a world where everyone's got a business model designed to get their attention and their dollars

The earlier they understand how this stuff works, the smarter they'll be with money, careers, and life decisions.

Plus, it's honestly kind of fun. Once you start seeing business models everywhere, you can't unsee them. (Sorry in advance for ruining your Target runs.)

Let's Do This

Tomorrow we're kicking off with the Retailer Model—because it's probably the one your kid interacts with most. Think Target, Walmart, GameStop, your local bookstore.

Your homework tonight? Ask your kid: "How do you think Target makes money?"

Their answer will probably be "They sell stuff."

Cool. We're going to show them there's way more to it than that.

Let's go. 🚀

P.S. — Don't forget to download tomorrow's worksheet! We're breaking down retail markup and profit margins in a way that'll make your kid go, "Wait, they make HOW MUCH on that toy?!"