Research Guides: MGSB22 Entrepreneurship / MGSD24 New Venture Creation &amp; Planning: Entrepreneurship Workshops

Welcome

The workshops on this page are part of an Entrepreneurship Research Skills Co-Curricular Record as recognized by the University of Toronto. They are open to all U of T students, faculty, and staff. A valid UTORid is required to access library databases. Registration is required.

These online workshops are organized into introductory and in-depth levels. See descriptions below for more information. All other related workshops are detailed in the navigation sidebar on the left side.

If you have a question about a workshop, please contact Entrepreneurship Librarian Carey Toane (carey.toane@utoronto.ca) or the instructor listed in the workshop description.

Introductory sessions

Launchpad: Campus Resources for U of T Startups

Orientation to campus resources for those with startups or interested in startups, including accelerators, courses and programs, library resources, commercialization, funding opportunities, and community resources.

You will leave with:

knowledge of how the university supports student and faculty startups through space, training, and mentorship
an understanding of campus accelerators, pitch competitions, and funding opportunities
additional library workshops available to further support and boost your entrepreneurship journey
a guide of where to go to find more information at U of T, around Toronto, and the broader startup ecosystem

When: September 19, 2024, 1-2 p.m. ET
Location: Online via Zoom (participants will receive a link prior to session start)
Instructor: Carey Toane, Entrepreneurship Librarian, carey.toane@utoronto.ca

Register now

Introduction to Industry Research

Open to participants from all backgrounds and disciplines, this workshop introduces you to existing sources of industry information such as market research reports and trade journals, as well as provides strategies to help you do your own analysis and estimations.

In this session you will:

Become familiar with a range of sources of industry information
Learn to read a market research report in five minutes
Explore models for DIY industry analysis
Take away tools and frameworks for synthesizing and analyzing your industry

When: October 3, 2024, 1-2 pm ET
Location: Online via Zoom (participants will receive a link prior to session start)
Instructor: Elizabeth O'Brien, Liaison Librarian, elizabeth.obrien@utoronto.ca

Register now

Company and Competitor Research

For participants of all disciplines interested in learning more about researching companies and finding competitor information. Includes an overview of subscription databases and publicly available resources for company research.

You’ll learn how to:

Evaluate different types of company information and understand the differences between public and private companies
Find both direct and indirect competitor information
Practice finding company documents and reports

When: October 22, 2024, 12-1 pm ET
Location: Online via Zoom (participants will receive a link prior to session start)
Instructor: Catherine Macgregor, Finance Learning Centre & Liaison Librarian, UofT Mississauga Library, cat.macgregor@utoronto.ca

Registration coming soon

In-depth sessions

Data Resources for Entrepreneurs

Preparing a business pitch and developing a business idea requires you to have data on your target market. You need data to inform decisions on your business plan, data on your competitors, and if you want to be innovative in your industry you need data to tell you a story on performance and opportunity. Data literacy for entrepreneurs is essential.

This session will help you:

identify your data needs, and find relevant data using specialized library resources.

Following this session you will be able to:

Describe types of data in order to understand why you need data to inform your business idea.
Identify your information need and find the data that best addresses your startup research question.

When: TBC
Location: Online via Zoom (participants will receive a link prior to session start)
Instructor: Mariana Jardim, Liaison Librarian

Primary Market Research Strategies and Tools

How do you know if you have a winning product/service concept? This workshop will introduce you to market research methods, techniques, and tools that are relevant in a startup environment and help you to gather relevant information that could impact your innovation. This hands-on workshop will focus on primary research as the key to uncovering customer insights and unmet needs.

You will:

Learn fundamentals of market research strategies and methods such as customer interviews and surveys
Identify the relationship between your research and your idea
Avoid common pitfalls during the market research process

When: TBA
Location: Online via Zoom (participants will receive a link prior to session start)
Instructor: Carey Toane, Entrepreneurship Librarian, Gerstein Science Information Centre (carey.toane@utoronto.ca)

Researching your Business Model Canvas

Working on a business idea? The Business Model Canvas is an alternative to a long, wordy business plan used by startups around the world. It's a great way to summarize all the key elements of your product or service in a single page. It’s also a great tool to make sense of exactly what information you will need for your business planning – and how to find it at the library.

In this session, you will:

Understand which free and proprietary library databases are the best fit for your canvas
Develop search strategies that will save you time and eliminate frustration, and
Get market, industry, or competitor information you can use for your startup or small business venture

When: TBA
Location: Online via Zoom (registrants will receive a link prior to the session start)
Instructor: Carey Toane, Entrepreneurship Librarian, Gerstein Science Information Centre (carey.toane@utoronto.ca)

Resources for Patents Research

Find out what makes your technology unique and who else holds patents in your space. This basic DIY patent searching workshop includes an introduction to open web databases for patent searching, an overview of classification systems, and examples of prior art searches.

You will learn:

How to read a patent document quickly and efficiently
The advantages and limitations of various online patent resources
Strategies to build effective searches using keywords and classifications

When: TBA
Where: Online via Zoom (registrants will receive a link prior to the session start)
Instructor: Michelle Spence, Engineering & Computer Science Librarian michelle.spence@utoronto.ca

Campus and Community Learning Opportunities

The opportunities below are not part of the co-curricular record.

Entrepreneurship Open Learning Series by The BRIDGE
The Entrepreneurship Open Learning Series includes five training modules that teach you core management principles to help perfect your business plans and pitches. It is open to all students, staff, faculty, alumni, and local and international community of emerging entrepreneurs.
U of T IP Education Program
The IP Education Program is an accessible free, online training program designed to equip students, faculty and staff with a broad foundation in intellectual property. Registration open on a rolling basis. If you are an entrepreneur, researcher or student, register now to learn about your IP rights, why they matter, and how IP strategies can be applied in business.
MaRS Entrepreneurship 101
This is a five-week online course that offers mentorship from experts, and all the tools you need to launch your startup. You will get over 30 video lessons from Canada’s top entrepreneurs, 5 hours of learning per module, and access to templates, frameworks and practical activities to help you build a high-growth company. The cost to register is $35. Course fees are waived if you are a member of a Regional Innovation Centre.
Entrepreneurship at U of T Engineering
U of T Engineering fosters an ecosystem for entrepreneurs including programs for entrepreneurship certificate & Engineering Business minor, fabrication facilities at the Myhal Centre, the myPatent series, and incubators such as the Entrepreneurship Hatchery.
Startup School at Toronto Metropolitan University
Startup School provides free and open to all fundamental entrepreneurial education to aspiring and emerging entrepreneurs.
Business Inc. at Toronto Public Library
An eight-week program that supports you to prepare/update your business plan,
access a business advisor and other valuable resources, and network with other entrepreneurs. The cost is $150 + HST per participant.
Udacity course: How to Build a Startup by Steve Blank
This is a one-month free course that introduces the basics of the famous Customer Development Process. The recommendation is that you join the class with at least a rough idea of a business model for a startup you would like to work on throughout this class.

MGSB22 Entrepreneurship / MGSD24 New Venture Creation & Planning

Entrepreneurship Librarian

Public Services Librarian

Reference and Instruction Librarian

Management & Economics, Entrepreneurship & Co-op Liaison Librarian, UTSC