Liana Banyan Business Plan
A Worker-Owned Innovation Ecosystem
Document Version: 1.0
Date Prepared: October 2025
Last Updated: January 2026
Status: Ready for Implementation
“If you have nothing to hide, hide nothing.”
Why Publish This?
Most startups guard their business plans jealously. We’re publishing ours because:
- Our competitive advantage is structural — you can’t copy worker ownership by reading about it
- Transparency builds trust — members can verify every number
- The model should spread — if someone else builds this in their community, that’s a win
- We have nothing to hide — this is exactly what we’re doing
Executive Summary
The Opportunity
The global manufacturing and creative services industries face a fundamental inefficiency: skilled workers bear all the risk of project-based work while venture-backed platforms capture all the equity upside. Liana Banyan fundamentally restructures this dynamic by creating a worker-owned cooperative where contribution directly translates to ownership.
The Key Numbers
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Break-even point | 500 members |
| Profitable at | 1,000 members |
| Profit at 1,000 | $420,000/year (52% margin) |
| Profit at 10,000 | $21.4M/year (87% margin) |
| LTV per member | $207,005 |
| Acquisition cost | $50 (organic) |
| LTV:CAC ratio | 4,140:1 |
Our Solution
Liana Banyan is a four-portal ecosystem that connects:
- Creators & Inventors seeking to commercialize intellectual property
- Skilled Craftspeople delivering manufacturing and creative services
- Project Backers funding innovative products through wave-based pricing
- Non-Profit Initiatives leveraging member resources for social impact
Financial Projections
Year 1: Foundation Phase
Active Members: 1,000
Projects Launched: 50
Average Project Value: $50,000
Revenue Sources
| Source | Calculation | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Membership Stakes | 1,000 × $5 | $5,000 |
| Guild Stakes | 200 × $500 avg | $100,000 |
| Marketplace Commissions | $2.5M × 20% | $500,000 |
| Node Revenue Shares | $1M × 20% | $200,000 |
| Total Revenue | $805,000 |
Operating Costs
| Category | Amount |
|---|---|
| Platform Development | $150,000 |
| Marketing & Acquisition | $100,000 |
| Legal & Compliance | $50,000 |
| Gas & Blockchain | $10,000 |
| Admin & Support | $75,000 |
| Total Costs | $385,000 |
Net Income Year 1: $420,000
Margin: 52%
Year 2: Growth Phase
Active Members: 5,000
Projects Launched: 200
Average Project Value: $75,000
| Revenue Sources | Amount |
|---|---|
| Membership Stakes | $20,000 |
| Guild Stakes | $1,800,000 |
| Marketplace Commissions | $3,000,000 |
| Node Revenue Shares | $1,600,000 |
| B2B Contracts | $500,000 |
| Total Revenue | $6,920,000 |
| Operating Costs | Amount |
|---|---|
| Platform Development | $300,000 |
| Marketing & Acquisition | $500,000 |
| Legal & Compliance | $100,000 |
| Gas & Blockchain | $50,000 |
| Admin & Support | $250,000 |
| Total Costs | $1,200,000 |
Net Income Year 2: $5,720,000
Margin: 83%
Year 3: Scale Phase
Active Members: 10,000
Projects Launched: 500
Average Project Value: $100,000
| Revenue Sources | Amount |
|---|---|
| Membership Stakes | $25,000 |
| Guild Stakes | $7,500,000 |
| Marketplace Commissions | $10,000,000 |
| Node Revenue Shares | $5,000,000 |
| B2B Contracts | $2,000,000 |
| Total Revenue | $24,525,000 |
| Operating Costs | Amount |
|---|---|
| Platform Development | $500,000 |
| Marketing & Acquisition | $1,500,000 |
| Legal & Compliance | $200,000 |
| Gas & Blockchain | $150,000 |
| Admin & Support | $750,000 |
| Total Costs | $3,100,000 |
Net Income Year 3: $21,425,000
Margin: 87%
Years 4-5: Maturity Phase
| Year | Revenue | Net Income | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year 4 | $60M | $52M | 87% |
| Year 5 | $120M | $104M | 87% |
Unit Economics
Per Member (Lifetime Value)
| Component | Value |
|---|---|
| Membership Stake | $5 (one-time) |
| Guild Stakes | $7,000 avg (Journeyman full progression) |
| Project Participation | 20 projects × $50k avg × 20% commission = $200,000 |
| Total LTV | $207,005 |
Acquisition Cost: $50 (organic community building)
LTV:CAC Ratio: 4,140:1
Per Project
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Average Project Value | $75,000 |
| Platform Commission | $15,000 (20%) |
| Payment Processing | -$2,250 (3%) |
| Net Revenue | $12,750 |
| Platform Costs | $230 (gas + support) |
| Net Profit per Project | $12,520 |
| Margin | 83% |
The Local Economics Proof
Why 1,000 Members Matters
Any community with 1,000 engaged members becomes economically self-sustaining.
Small Town (10,000 population)
- 10% membership = 1,000 members
- $420,000 annual profit staying local
- $2.5M+ in local economic activity
- Jobs for local makers, cooks, drivers, crafters
Urban Neighborhood (15,000 residents)
- 7% membership = 1,050 members
- Profitable local node
- Money circulates internally before leaving
Professional Network (Any Industry)
- 1,000 accountants, or engineers, or designers
- Industry becomes the locality
- Shared resources, bulk purchasing, collaborative projects
Capital Requirements
Year 1 Operating Budget: $385,000
Sources (Self-Funded)
| Source | Amount |
|---|---|
| Membership stakes | $5,000 |
| Guild stakes | $100,000 |
| Early marketplace commissions | $280,000 |
| Gap | $0 |
No External Funding Required.
Why We Don’t Need VC Money
- Wave pricing eliminates need for production capital
- Guild stakes create perpetual investment fund
- High margins from marketplace commissions
- Minimal fixed costs (platform-based business model)
Market Opportunity
Total Addressable Market
| Market | Size |
|---|---|
| Global Manufacturing | $2.3 trillion |
| Global Creative Services | $1.1 trillion |
| Total | $3.4 trillion |
Target Segment
| Segment | Size |
|---|---|
| Independent contractors & makers (US) | 15M professionals |
| Independent contractors (Global) | 50M+ professionals |
| Small manufacturing businesses (US) | 300K businesses |
| Active crowdfunding creators | 2M+ creators |
Why We Win
- Only platform offering equity participation
- Only platform with skill verification (HexIsle)
- Only platform with flexible IP control (three tiers)
- Only platform owned by members, not VCs
The 20% Model
Where Does the 20% Go?
| Allocation | Percentage | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Operations | 10% | Hosting, tools, support |
| R&D | 5% | New features, improvements |
| Reserves | 5% | Rainy day fund, expansion |
Compare to Competitors
| Platform | Take Rate |
|---|---|
| Amazon | 15-40% |
| Etsy | 15-20% |
| DoorDash | 15-30% |
| Uber | 25-30% |
| Upwork | 20% |
| Liana Banyan | 20% |
Same rate, but the 20% stays with members, not VCs.
Conclusion
This is not a startup seeking venture capital.
This is a cooperative owned by its members, funded by its operations, and governed by its participants.
We are building the alternative to extractive platforms, one project and one member at a time.
The numbers work. The model is proven (Costco, cooperative banks, credit unions). The only question is: how fast can we grow?
At 1,000 members: profitable.
At 10,000 members: $21M+ profit.
At 100,000 members: world-changing.
Download the Full Document
For the complete 1,050-line business plan with all appendices:
📄 Download Full Business Plan (PDF)
🏰 FOR THE KEEP! ⚔️
“Help Each Other Help Ourselves”