One of the best ways to prepare for starting your own business is to understand how similar, successful businesses operate. Sometimes they will be your direct competitors, but often they’ll be distant enough so that there’s no overlap.

It’s both easy and legitimate to learn what other businesses are doing by talking openly with the owners or managers of those businesses. Why not get a head start by learning from others’ mistakes or successes?

Beyond that, there is an enormous amount of information freely available online about competitors from business websites, trade associations, and government records.

In this free workshop, you’ll learn how to find owners and managers who will be happy to talk with you. You’ll learn what to ask them, and what online sources you can use. And we’ll wrap up by reviewing how you can use what you learn when you start your own business.

This workshop is sponsored by SCORE Boston and will be presented by SCORE mentor Mike Sandman. Mike Sandman was a managing partner at Fuld & Company, a global consulting firm that helped clients understand their competitors’ capabilities and intentions. He is a Fellow of the Society of Competitive Intelligence Professionals. Mike has taught at the University of California-Irvine and presented workshops at Harvard, Columbia and BU business schools.