The Standard Model for Business

A structured framework for how organisations are built, scaled, governed and assured.

It shows how every part of a business fits together, helping leaders see the whole system and manage complexity with clarity.

A colorful chart depicting the stages of a business process, starting with 'Start' and progressing through 'Stabilise,' 'Grow,' and 'Assure,' with categories such as product development, business development, communications, research, risk management, customer service, operations, legal, partnerships, ethics, environment, social governance, and internal audit.
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Why this model exists

Modern organisations are complex systems, yet most professionals are trained within functions, not across the enterprise.

They develop deep expertise in one area, while the organisation itself is managed as a collection of separate parts. This creates structural blind spots:

  • Decisions do not align across functions

  • Strategy and execution drift apart

  • Complexity grows faster than coordination

Senior leadership requires a system-level perspective.

The most effective executives understand how the organisation fits together, how its functions depend on one another and how the whole system must evolve as it scales. Yet this perspective is rarely taught.

The Standard Model for Business closes that gap.

It defines the core architecture of the enterprise and shows how its functions connect across five stages: Start, Stabilise, Grow, Govern and Assure.

Across organisations of every size and sector, the same challenge appears: talented professionals working within businesses they were never taught to understand as a whole.

This model exists to make the whole business visible and understandable.

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Who is it for?

The Standard Model for Business is designed for people who want to understand how organisations really work.

It is especially valuable for those moving beyond a single function and learning to think across the whole enterprise.

Professionals

Ambitious managers and specialists who want to understand the whole organisation, broaden their perspective and prepare for senior leadership.

Entrepreneurs

Founders and business owners who want to build stronger structures, scalable systems and the capabilities needed for sustainable growth.

Executives

Senior leaders responsible for aligning strategy, performance, people, governance and risk across the enterprise.

The Model gives each audience a common language for understanding the organisation as one interconnected system.

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The Model

A colorful diagram illustrating a process from 'Start' to 'Assure', with key steps such as 'Product Development', 'Business Development', 'Communications', 'Research & Development', 'Risk Management', and other stages involved in governance, operations, human resources, legal, finance, procurement, administration, ethics, and internal audit.
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The five stages show how a company develops over time. Together, they provide a clear map of how a business is built, scaled, governed and assured.

Start

Turn an idea into a real business by creating a product or service, finding customers and proving demand.

Stabilise

Build the people, systems and processes needed to create consistency and support sustainable growth.

Grow

Expand products, services and markets while maintaining focus, discipline and control.

Govern

Introduce the oversight, structure and accountability needed to protect performance as the business becomes more complex.

Assure

Give stakeholders confidence that the business is effective, responsible and built to last.

How to read the model

The model is structured across five stages of organisational maturity:

  • Start: building the foundation

  • Stabilise: creating operational consistency

  • Grow: scaling capability and performance

  • Govern: strengthening control and oversight

  • Assure: providing independent confidence

Each stage introduces new capabilities, while increasing the complexity of the system.

Flowchart diagram showing a progression from start to core of business. The starting point is labeled "Start" with an array of boxes representing core business areas such as PD, BD, CS, O, etc., arranged in rows that expand outward. The diagram is accompanied by text on the right stating, "The top left is Start. This is the core of every business, revenue generation." The boxes are color-coded or outlined to distinguish core from other elements.
A diagram illustrating a business stabilization model with core, surrounding, and protection functions, including labeled blocks for various business components.
A grid of interconnected colored squares with abbreviations and a large number 3 on the left, accompanied by text that says, 'Expand the core business and stabilising functions with grow functions'.
Diagram illustrating the core functions of government, showcasing categories such as policy development, business regulation, economic management, and ensuring the growth of governing functions. The diagram emphasizes maintaining the core and sustaining core business and governance.
A colorful infographic with a large purple number 5 and the word 'Assure' in bold purple text, followed by smaller purple text that says 'Sustain the business.' To the right, there's a matrix of colored Squares with abbreviations representing different business functions, accompanied by the text 'Provide Assurance to stakeholders across a business functions' in purple.

Start

A diagram showing five stages of business development: Start, Stabilise, Grow, Assure, Govern. Each stage includes specific focus areas such as product development, business development, communications, research, risk management, legal, partnerships, ethics, finance, human resources, information technology, logistics, environment, social governance, procurement, administration, quality, health, safety, corporate governance, internal audit.

The Start stage turns an idea into a working business.

Product development: creativity within constraints

  • Business development: aligning ideas with market demand

  • Customer service: ensuring customers succeed

  • Operations: turning vision into reality at scale

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Product Development

Diagram showing a product development process with steps including Ideation, Product Management, Product Launch, and product development stages.

A business exists to create something customers will pay for.

Product development defines, builds and brings that offering to market.

  • Ideation: identifying the problem and shaping the concept

  • Design & engineering: developing the product or service

  • Product management: aligning features, priorities and delivery

  • Product launch: introducing the offering to the market

Business Development

Graphic of the periodic table featuring business-related terms, including 'Business Development', 'Sales', 'Marketing', 'Brand & Positioning', 'Vision, Mission & Strategy'.

Business development connects the offering to the market and drives growth.

  • Sales: converting demand into revenue

  • Marketing: generating awareness and interest

  • Brand & positioning: shaping how the business is perceived

  • Vision, mission & strategy: defining direction and guiding execution

Customer Service

Diagram of customer service and relationship management topics including customer service, complaints, resolution, customer relationship management, retention, and loyalty, represented with interconnected blocks.

Customer service sustains the business by turning customers into long-term relationships.

  • Customer service centre: managing day-to-day customer interactions

  • Complaint resolution: addressing issues and restoring confidence

  • Customer relationship management: maintaining and strengthening relationships

  • Retention & loyalty: encouraging repeat engagement and long-term value

Operations

Diagram with orange outlined boxes on a black background, labeled with terms related to business operations and management such as Operations, Production, Support Services, Supply Chain Management, and Project Management.

Operations deliver what the business promises.

  • Production: creating the product or delivering the service

  • Support services: enabling day-to-day operations to function effectively

  • Project management: coordinating initiatives and change

  • Supply chain management: managing inputs, logistics and delivery

Stabilise

The Stabilise stage establishes structure, consistency and control.

  • Finance: managing capital, performance and financial discipline

  • Human resources: building capability, structure and culture

  • Information technology: enabling systems, data and connectivity

  • Legal: ensuring compliance and protecting the organisation

  • Communications: aligning messaging internally and externally

A graphical chart illustrating the stages of project or development process, with steps labeled 'Start', 'Stabilise', 'Grow', and 'Assure', each containing relevant subcategories.
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Finance

Diagram of a financial services company logo with the letter 'F' and interconnected boxes labeled Accounting & Tax, Financial Reporting, Financial Planning & Analysis, and Treasury.

Finance provides structure, discipline and visibility across the business.

  • Accounting & tax: maintaining accurate records and regulatory compliance

  • Financial reporting: providing a clear view of performance and position

  • Financial planning & analysis: supporting decision-making through forecasting and insight

  • Treasury: managing cash, funding and financial risk

Human Resources (HR)

A digital infographic with a black background featuring interconnected blue outlined boxes containing text related to human resource management, such as HR, Talent Management, Employee Relations, Compensation & Benefits, Policies & Compliance, and Human Resources.

Human resources builds capability, structure and culture across the organisation.

  • Talent management: attracting, developing and retaining people

  • Employee relations: managing relationships and workplace dynamics

  • Compensation & benefits: rewarding performance and aligning incentives

  • Policies & compliance: establishing standards and ensuring legal compliance

Information Technology (IT)

Overlay of interconnected squares with blue outlines containing words related to information technology, such as 'IT', 'Infrastructure Management', 'IT Support', 'Cyber Defence', and 'Data & AI' on a black background.

Information technology enables systems, data and security across the organisation.

  • Infrastructure management: maintaining core systems and platforms

  • IT support: ensuring reliability and day-to-day performance

  • IT strategy, data & AI: using technology and data to drive efficiency and insight

  • Cyber defence: protecting the organisation from digital threats

Legal

Diagram of legal, contract management, dispute resolution, intellectual property, and regulatory affairs concepts in blue outlines.

Legal protects the organisation and enables it to operate with confidence.

  • Contract management: structuring and governing agreements

  • Dispute resolution: managing conflicts and legal claims

  • Intellectual property management: protecting proprietary assets

  • Regulatory affairs: ensuring compliance across jurisdictions

Communications

A graphic with digital communication icons and text, including 'Co' and words like 'External Communications,' 'Internal Communications,' 'DSMG', and 'Digital & Social Media,' outlined in blue on a black background.

Communications shapes how the organisation is understood internally and externally.

  • External communications: engaging customers, investors and the wider market

  • Internal communications: aligning employees around a shared direction

  • Digital & social media: managing online presence and engagement

  • Communication strategy & governance: ensuring consistency, control and messaging discipline

Grow

The Grow stage scales the organisation’s capability, reach and performance.

  • Research & development: expanding and improving products and services

  • Partnerships: extending capability and access through external relationships

  • Logistics: enabling efficient distribution and delivery at scale

Flow chart illustrating stages of project development from start to govern, including steps like product development, business development, communications, research and development, risk management, customer service, operations, legal, ethics, quality, health, safety, environment, administration, internal audit, and corporate governance.
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Research & Development (R&D)

Green and black graphic representing the software development lifecycle with the words Research, Prototyping, Validation, Commercialisation, and Development.

Research & development expands and evolves the organisation’s offering.

  • Research: exploring opportunities and emerging needs

  • Prototyping: developing and testing new concepts

  • Validation: assessing viability and market fit

  • Commercialisation: bringing innovations to market

Partnerships

Graphic design of green and black labeled squares and rectangles with words related to partnerships, strategic alliances, mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures, and operational partnerships.

Partnerships extend capability, access and scale beyond the organisation.

  • Strategic partnerships: aligning with external organisations for mutual advantage

  • Mergers & acquisitions: expanding capability through integration

  • Joint ventures: collaborating to pursue shared opportunities

  • Operational partnerships: supporting delivery through suppliers and distributors

Logistics

A graphic with green outlines and text on a black background, depicting elements related to logistics, including inbound and outbound logistics, warehousing, distribution, and management.

Logistics enables the efficient flow of products, services and resources at scale.

  • Inbound & outbound logistics: managing the movement of inputs and finished goods

  • Returns management: handling product returns and reverse flows

  • Warehousing & internal logistics: storing and managing inventory and internal movement

  • Distribution: delivering products and services to customers

Govern

The Govern stage establishes oversight, discipline and control across the organisation.

  • Procurement: managing external spend and supplier relationships

  • Administration: supporting organisational coordination and control

  • Quality, Health, Safety and Environment (QHSE): ensuring standards, safety and operational integrity

  • Corporate governance: providing structure, accountability and oversight at leadership level

Flowchart or diagram with labeled steps and categories, including 'Start,' 'Stabilise,' 'Grow,' 'Assure,' with subcategories like Product Development, Business Development, Communications, and Risk Management, and additional labeled sections such as Customer Service, Operations, Legal, Partnerships, Ethics and Compliance, Human Resources, Information Technology, Logistics, Environment, Social, Governance, Finance, Procurement, Administration, Quality, Health, Safety, Environmental, Corporate Governance, Internal Audit.
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Procurement

Graphic illustrating procurement software interface with labeled sections: Procurement, Sourcing, Contracting & Negotiation, Procure to Pay, Supplier Relationship Management.

Procurement secures the resources required to operate efficiently and at scale.

  • Sourcing: identifying and selecting suppliers

  • Contracting & negotiation: agreeing terms, pricing and conditions

  • Procure to pay: managing the end-to-end purchasing process

  • Supplier relationship management: maintaining performance and continuity

Quality, Health, Safety, Environment (QHSE)

Graphic design with text mentioning QHSE, quality, health, safety, environment, management systems, and certification.

QHSE establishes standards, safeguards people and ensures regulatory compliance.

  • Quality management: maintaining standards across products and services

  • Health & Safety management: protecting people and workplace safety

  • Environmental management: managing environmental impact and responsibility

  • Management systems & certification: embedding standards and formal assurance

Administration

Diagram with blocks representing different administrative and management functions, including 'Administration,' 'Office Management,' 'Documents & Record Management,' 'Employee & Executive Support,' and 'Facilities & Services.'

Administration enables coordination, consistency and day-to-day operational control.

  • Office management: organising and maintaining the working environment

  • Documents & records management: managing information, documentation and access

  • Employee & executive support: supporting individuals and leadership operations

  • Facilities & services: managing physical infrastructure and workplace services

Corporate Governance

Graphic icon with interconnected squares labeled 'Board,' 'Subcommittees,' 'Policies & Frameworks,' 'Roles & Responsibilities,' and 'PFIR.' A large calendar icon with the text 'CGE Corporate Governance' appears on the left.

Corporate governance aligns leadership decisions with structure, accountability and oversight.

  • Board: providing direction, oversight and challenge

  • Subcommittees: focusing on key areas such as audit, risk and remuneration

  • Policies & frameworks: establishing rules, standards and governance structures

  • Roles & responsibilities: defining accountability across leadership and the organisation

Assure

The Assure stage provides independent confidence over how the organisation is managed.

  • Risk management: identifying, assessing and managing uncertainty

  • Ethics & compliance (E&C): ensuring conduct aligns with laws and standards

  • Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG): addressing broader stakeholder expectations

  • Internal audit: providing independent assurance over governance, risk and control

Flowchart illustrating a process starting with 'Start' and ending with 'Govern'. The steps include Product Development, Business Development, Communications, Research & Development, Customer Service, Operations, Legal, Partnerships, Finance, Human Resources, Information Technology, Logistics, Procurement, Administration, Quality, Health, Safety, Environment, and Corporate Governance. The final step becomes 'Assure' and then 'Internal Audit', with specific focus on Risk Management, Ethics & Compliance, and Environment, Social, Governance.
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Risk Management

A graphic illustration of interconnected purple squares with text related to risk management, including terms like Risk, Risk Culture, Risk Committee, Risk Management, Risk Assessment, Risk Reporting.

Risk management identifies, assesses and manages uncertainty across the organisation.

  • Risk culture: embedding awareness and accountability in decision-making

  • Risk committee: providing oversight and challenge at leadership level

  • Risk assessment: identifying, analysing and prioritising risks

  • Risk reporting: communicating risk exposure and mitigation

Ethics & Compliance

A graphic with purple outlines and text on a black background displaying keywords related to ethics, compliance, and regulatory standards, including 'E&C Ethics & Compliance,' 'Regulatory Compliance,' 'Code of Conduct,' 'Compliance Monitoring,' and 'Reporting.'

Ethics & compliance establishes standards of conduct and ensures adherence to laws and regulations.

  • Regulatory compliance: meeting legal and regulatory requirements

  • Code of conduct: defining expected behaviours and standards

  • Compliance monitoring: assessing adherence across the organisation

  • Compliance reporting: communicating compliance status and issues

Environment, Social, and Governance (ESG)

Graphic with the acronym ESG in large purple letters, surrounded by various related terms like 'Sustainability & Environmental Impact,' 'ESG Data Analytics,' 'Stakeholder Engagement,' 'ESG Reporting,' and 'Environment, Social, Governance' in purple text on a black background.

ESG addresses the organisation’s impact on stakeholders, society and the environment.

  • Sustainability & environmental impact: managing environmental footprint and resource use

  • ESG data & analytics: measuring and analysing ESG performance

  • Stakeholder engagement: engaging with investors, customers and wider stakeholders

  • ESG reporting: disclosing ESG performance and commitments

Internal Audit

A graphic with the words 'Internal Audit' in large purple letters and smaller text including 'Independence & Objectivity,' 'Audit Committee,' 'Aligned Assurance,' and 'Engagements.'

Internal audit provides independent assurance over governance, risk and control.

  • Independence & objectivity: maintaining impartiality and credibility

  • Audit committee: providing oversight and governance of the function

  • Aligned assurance: coordinating assurance activities across the organisation

  • Audit engagements: assessing controls and identifying improvement areas

Financing

Financing aligns ambition with the capital required to achieve it.

  • Capital sources: securing funding from investors, lenders and markets

  • Ownership & structure: balancing control, dilution and financial structure

  • Capital allocation: deploying funds to support strategy and growth

  • Investor expectations: meeting requirements for performance, discipline and control

A colorful diagram illustrating the stages and components of a startup investment process. It includes steps like Start, Stabilize, Grow, and Assure, with sections labeled seed funding, Series A&B, Series C&D, initial public offering, and debt. Various abbreviations and color-coded stages are shown, such as PD, BD, CS, L, PT, EC, ESG, Series A&B, Series C&D, and IPO.

Financing evolves as the organisation progresses through each stage of the model.

  • Start: seed funding: supporting early development and initial traction

  • Stabilise: Series A&B: building structure, teams and operational capability

  • Grow: Series C&D: scaling markets, products and reach

  • Govern: debt financing: structuring capital to support control and efficiency

  • Assure: IPO: entering public markets with full transparency and accountability

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Start: Seed Funding

Flowchart with five steps labeled: Start, Stabilise, Grow, Assure, Govern. Each step contains subcategories, such as Seed Funding, CoRD, R&D, HR, Finance, HR, IT, Legal, Partnerships, Ethics & Compliance, Procurement, Administration, Quality, Health, Safety, Environment, Corporate Governance, Internal Audit.

Seed funding enables early development and initial validation.

  • Capital: supporting early-stage development and experimentation

  • Validation: testing the viability of the idea

  • Uncertainty: operating with limited information and high risk

  • Progress: establishing early traction and direction

Stabilise: Series A&B

Flowchart illustrating phases of brand series A&B in business development process, with steps Start, Stabilise, Grow, and Assure. Includes stages like Product Development, Business Development, Research & Development, Risk Management, Customer Service, Operations, Partnerships, Ethics & Compliance, Procurement, Administration, Logistics, Social Governance, and Internal Audit.

Series A&B establish structure, discipline and repeatability.

  • Evidence: demonstrating product-market fit and customer traction

  • Structure: building teams, systems and operational foundations

  • Repeatability: delivering consistent performance across the business

  • Discipline: operating with control and scalable processes

Grow: Series C&D

Flowchart of business development stages from start to assurance, including categories like product development, business development, communications, customer service, operations, legal, human resources, information technology, finance, administration, quality and safety, environmental, social, corporate governance, and internal audit.

Series C&D enable scaled growth, expansion and strategic positioning.

  • Scale: expanding markets, products and geographic reach

  • Capability: strengthening leadership, systems and organisational depth

  • Momentum: sustaining growth with consistency and control

  • Readiness: preparing for strategic events such as acquisitions or IPO

Govern: Debt

Flowchart with five stages labeled Start, Stabilise, Grow, Assure, and Govern, each containing related process steps.

Debt financing introduces leverage as a structured tool for efficiency and control.

  • Leverage: using borrowed capital to support growth and investment

  • Structure: aligning debt with predictable performance and cash flow

  • Discipline: operating within defined financial obligations and constraints

  • Control: financing growth without diluting ownership

Assure: Initial Public Offering (IPO)

A flowchart diagram showing stages of product development. Starting with 'Start' and proceeding through phases labeled 'Product Development', 'Business Development', 'Communications', 'Research & Development', 'Customer Service', 'Operations', 'Legal', 'Partnerships', and ending with 'Assure' and 'Initial Public Offering'. The diagram includes sections for 'Finance', 'Human Resources', 'Information Technology', and 'Logistics'. The right side shows a purple box titled 'Initial Public Offering'. The bottom left corner has the word 'Govern'.

An IPO introduces the organisation to public markets under full transparency and scrutiny.

  • Capital: raising funds through public market participation

  • Transparency: meeting elevated standards of disclosure and reporting

  • Discipline: operating with consistency, control and market accountability

  • Governance: demonstrating maturity across leadership, culture and systems