Custom business simulations for leadership development
Built from the ground up around your business, your industry and your strategy. Most programs don’t need custom, but when yours does, we’ll build it with you.
Built around your business, not someone else’s
A custom simulation models your company, your strategy and the decisions your leaders actually face. Participants run it, see the results and connect what they learn straight back to their jobs. Every session is facilitated by a former executive who has run a P&L, so the debrief sounds like your business, not a classroom.
When a custom business simulation is the right call
Custom makes sense when no existing simulation can model what your leaders need to practice. The most common reasons:
You’re preparing leaders for a specific transformation or a new strategy.
Your business model or industry economics don’t fit a generic company.
You want participants to practice the exact trade-offs in your strategy.
Your leadership model needs to show up in the decisions, not just the debrief.
If none of those apply, a tailored simulation will usually do the job for far less, and we’ll tell you so.
Built around your leadership model or values
In a custom simulation, your leadership model lives inside a simulation of your own business and strategy, not a generic company. Participants practice your competencies through the decisions they’ll actually face and see how those decisions affect the results. Along the way, they:
Connect your leadership competencies to business performance
See how each competency shows up in the numbers
Think about business acumen and leadership together
Practice leading, not just learn about it
Workshops and debriefs tie every round back to your model, so managers leave knowing how their leadership affects the business.
What people say
Do you really need a business simulation?
A free ebook to help you decide whether you need a business simulation, how to use one well, and how to stay in control of the project. It covers simulation size and focus, model management, keeping control and choosing a provider.
Free to download, no email required.
Talk through your program
No pitch, just an honest read on what fits.
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Why Use Simulation Studios:
Built and facilitated by a former executive who has run a P&L outside the training industry
500+ simulations built or tailored since 2003
Trusted by Fortune 500 companies for more than 20 years
No sales quotas, and we’ll tell you if you don’t need simulation
Client relationships that last 10+ years
References available on request
Business simulation FAQs
What is a business simulation?
A business simulation is a hands-on exercise in which a team runs a simulated company over several rounds, each representing a year, and sees the financial results of its decisions. Teams make the calls a leadership team makes, such as pricing, investment and trade-offs between functions. After each round, a facilitator walks them through what happened and why.
Ready-to-go, tailored or custom: which do I need?
Most programs don’t need custom. A ready-to-go simulation fits into an existing program with minimal setup, and a tailored simulation adapts a proven engine to your leadership model, terminology and content. A custom build starts from scratch and makes sense only when nothing existing can do the job. We’ll tell you which one fits, including when the answer is not to use a simulation at all.
How much does a business simulation cost?
It ranges widely. The biggest cost driver is the underlying financial model: whether a proven one can be adapted or a new one has to be built. After that come the number of learning objectives and how facilitation is handled. Graphics rarely drive the price. For real numbers and the questions to ask any provider, read What a Business Simulation Actually Costs.
Do business simulations have to be computer-based?
No. Paper-based simulations are often the best value. They cost less, adapt more easily, and keep attention on the decisions instead of the screen. We build both and will recommend whichever fits your program and budget.
Who facilitates the simulation?
Every session is facilitated by a former executive who has run a P&L outside the training industry, the same person who builds the simulation. There are no junior facilitators and no hand-offs. If you’d like your own team involved, we encourage and support co-facilitation.
Five tips for using a business simulation in leadership development
Question whether you need one. A simulation isn’t the right tool for every program. It earns its place when people need to practice making decisions and see the consequences. If the goal is mostly sharing knowledge, a strong workshop may do the job for less.
Keep it simple. Three learning objectives is about the ceiling. Write them down before any design starts. Every objective you add makes the model more complex, the build longer and the learning harder to follow.
Put most of your budget into great training content. The simulation supports your program; it doesn’t replace it. Money spent on strong content goes further than money spent on graphics and features.
Don’t skimp on facilitation. The learning happens in the debrief, and facilitating it well takes real skill and experience. If your own team will run it, co-facilitate the first sessions with someone who has done it before.
Be wary of anyone who says you need custom. Most programs don’t. A provider who leads with a custom build may be solving their problem, not yours