A living business: the role of idea to opportunity map on business performance when mediated with business model

Purpose This paper involves the integration of business ideas and opportunities and business models (BMs) towards improved performance of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) leading to the concept of a living business. Design/methodology/approach A cross-sectional design with a multiple linear regression model was applied, and a five-point Likert scale was employed to address growth and profit among 180 SMEs in Dodoma Region. Findings Results reveal that SMEs relying solely on the Idea to Opportunity (I2O) Map showed no significant performance (p > 0.05). However, those incorporating a BM significantly improved performance (p < 0.05). Research limitations/implications Integration of I2O Map and BMs improves the performance of SMEs than the current operations. Originality/value This study contributes to research on the integration of business ideas, opportunities and BMs in entrepreneurship.