Feat Of Clay

Making business plans more visual isn't a new idea. Graphics have long been used to convey corporate strategies, and a few consultants have relied on drawing abstract images to help distill insights. Decades ago, L. Ron Hubbard used clay modeling as an aid in teaching his philosophy of Scientology.

Ward got the idea to make business plans out of clay two years ago while debating the need for written business plans with a workshop full of construction company owners. Ward finally suggested they might be more comfortable literally building a plan rather than writing one. "That sprung it," he recalls. "I realized I could tap into my art background to explore the way a business looks."

He hit on modeling clay as the medium to use because of its malleability, reflecting the diverse needs of young businesses. Trial runs got a good response, and Ward began offering workshops for around $1,200 per person.

Although Ward has worked with a team from one large utility company, he says it's primarily small-business owners who are drawn to the idea. "Only the most adventurous people are doing it," he explains.

Another explanation might be that entrepreneurs have difficulty with the traditional way of modeling business activities. "Most business plan models can't contain the kind of wild spirits entrepreneurs have," Ward says. "So they don't make plans; instead, they wing it."

This article was originally published in the November 1998 print edition of Entrepreneur with the headline: Feat Of Clay.