Modeling Your Business
Learn how to model different business structures using practical examples. Explore franchise operations, multinational corporations, MSPs, channel partners, and traditional businesses.
This guide provides practical examples of how to model different business structures using our billing system. Each scenario demonstrates the optimal configuration of billing modes, organization hierarchies, and resource management.
Franchise Business Model
Scenario
A restaurant franchise with 50 locations across the country. Each location is owned by an independent franchisee who needs separate billing, but all locations must operate within the same system for brand consistency and shared resources.
Recommended Configuration
Billing Mode: Pooled
Implementation
Setup Steps
- Create Workspace with Pooled billing mode
- Add Billing Accounts for each franchisee:
- Each franchisee creates their billing account
- They add their payment method
- They purchase subscriptions based on their needs
- Build Organization Hierarchy:
- Create regions as top-level organizations
- Add individual locations under appropriate regions
- Set resource limits per location if needed
- Resource Management:
- All location subscriptions pool together
- Any location can use available resources
- Usage tracking per location for internal reporting
Benefits
- Franchisees maintain financial independence
- Shared resource pool enables flexibility
- Central management of all locations
- Individual billing per franchisee
Multinational Corporation
Scenario
A technology company with subsidiaries in USA, Germany, and Japan. Each country operates independently with its own budget, currency, and compliance requirements. No resource sharing between countries.
Recommended Configuration
Billing Mode: Assigned
Implementation
Setup Steps
- Create Workspace with Assigned billing mode
- Establish Country Structure:
- Create top-level organization for each country
- Create billing account for each country entity
- Assign billing account to corresponding organization
- Configure Billing Accounts:
- Set appropriate currency for each account
- Add country-specific payment methods
- Purchase subscriptions based on local needs
- Build Department Structure:
- Create child organizations for departments
- Set resource limits per department
- Configure approval workflows as needed
Benefits
- Complete financial separation between countries
- Local currency billing and budgeting
- Compliance with regional regulations
- Clear cost center management
Managed Service Provider (MSP)
Scenario
An MSP managing IT services for 100+ clients. Each client needs separate billing and resource isolation. Some enterprise clients require multiple invoices for different departments.
Recommended Configuration
Billing Mode: Assigned
Implementation
Setup Steps
- Create Workspace with Assigned billing mode
- Onboard Standard Clients:
- Create organization for each client
- Create corresponding billing account
- Assign billing to organization
- Handle Enterprise Clients:
- Single organization with child departments
- Single billing account with multiple subscriptions
- Each subscription generates separate invoice line
- Resources pool within the billing account
Advanced Scenarios
Multiple Invoice Requirements
When a client needs more than 3 separate invoices (subscription limit):
- Create additional billing account for same client
- Use organization hierarchy to maintain unified structure
- Assign different departments to different billing accounts
Benefits
- Complete client isolation
- Flexible invoicing options
- Scalable client management
- Clear usage tracking per client
Channel Partner / Reseller Network
Scenario
A software vendor selling through a multi-tier partner channel. Need to track usage and manage resources through multiple levels of resellers down to end customers.
Recommended Configuration
Organization Hierarchy (Billing mode depends on commercial model)
Implementation
Setup Steps
- Design Channel Structure:
- Map out partner tiers and relationships
- Determine resource allocation strategy
- Plan for usage reporting needs
- Create Organization Hierarchy:
- Top-level: Master partners
- Mid-level: Regional partners
- Leaf-level: End customers
- Configure Resource Limits:
- Set limits at each partner level
- Limits cascade down the hierarchy
- Most restrictive limit applies
- Enable Usage Tracking:
- Direct usage at customer level
- Automatic aggregation up the tree
- Partner dashboards for visibility
Benefits
- Complete channel visibility
- Automated usage rollup
- Flexible resource allocation
- Partner-specific limits and controls
Traditional Business
Scenario
A mid-size company with 200 employees across Sales, Marketing, Engineering, and Operations. All departments share the same budget and resources.
Recommended Configuration
Billing Mode: Single
Implementation
Setup Steps
- Create Workspace with Single billing mode
- Set Up Billing:
- Create single billing account
- Add payment method
- Purchase subscription for total needs
- Create Departments:
- Create organizations for each department
- Optionally set departmental limits
- All draw from same resource pool
Benefits
- Simple, unified billing
- Flexible resource sharing
- Easy to manage
- Single invoice for accounting
Key Considerations
Choosing the Right Model
-
Financial Structure
- Unified budget → Single or Pooled mode
- Separate budgets → Assigned mode
-
Resource Sharing
- Full sharing → Single mode
- Controlled sharing → Pooled mode
- No sharing → Assigned mode
-
Compliance Requirements
- Strict separation → Assigned mode
- Audit trails → Any mode with proper hierarchy
-
Scalability
- Plan for growth in organization structure
- Consider future billing requirements
- Design hierarchy for long-term needs
What’s Next?
- Deep dive into Organization Hierarchies
- Learn about Subscriptions and Invoicing
- Review System Limitations for planning