One of the best ways to prepare for starting your own business is to understand how similar 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 they’re doing by talking openly with the owners and managers of those businesses. 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, and what to ask them. A reference librarian will tell you how to get started using online sources. And we’ll wrap up by reviewing how you can use what you learn when you start your own business.

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