The workshops on this page are part of an Entrepreneurship Research Skills Co-Curricular Record as recognized by the University of Toronto. They are offered 1 - 2 times a year and 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.

See upcoming workshops and register now

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.

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

Instructor: Carey Toane, Entrepreneurship Librarian, carey.toane@utoronto.ca

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

Instructor: Elizabeth O'Brien, Liaison Librarian, elizabeth.obrien@utoronto.ca

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

Instructor: Catherine Macgregor, Finance Learning Centre & Liaison Librarian, UofT Mississauga Library, cat.macgregor@utoronto.ca

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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. 

Instructor: TBC

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

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

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

Instructor: Michelle Spence, Engineering & Computer Science Librarian michelle.spence@utoronto.ca
 

Register for a workshop

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