The City of Toronto and its partners offer year-round learning opportunities for entrepreneurs and small business owners, from regularly scheduled seminars to large networking events to on-demand online training modules.
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How to Embed Circular Economy Practices in Small Businesses

This webinar provides an overview of how small businesses can embed circular economy practices into their strategic planning and operations. This webinar is sponsored by Desjardins.

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How to Write a Business Plan (Workshop Series)

This three-week online series helps early-stage entrepreneurs craft their business plans.

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Insurance for Small Business

Learn about insurance and how to ensure you have the right coverage for your small business needs.

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Mental Health for Small Business: Where, Why and How

From finding balance as you start out on your own to discovering how to incorporate best practices to encourage mental health and wellness for your employees, learn more about why mental health and wellness are critical to small business development and how to apply best practices.

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The Co-Op Model 101

Learn more about the unique benefits of co-operatives and their shared ownership model. Sponsored by Desjardins, this webinar will help you determine whether the co-op model might be a good fit, understand the basics of getting started and provide resources and support to help you on your co-operative journey.

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Social Media for Your Business

Learn the ropes of building an engaging and profitable social media presence for your business, from choosing the right social media platforms, to best practices for engagement, to growing your social media community using both organic and paid strategies.

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The Importance of Paid Advertising in a Digital Space

Advertising in the digital space can be complicated, especially with different ad formats, multiple platforms, budgeting, and running your own business. If you are not sure where to begin, or are confused on what kind of ad to run, this session is for you! In this webinar, the Digital Service Squad from Toronto shares key insights into Google Ads, Facebook Ads and Instagram Ads.

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What is Visual Merchandising?

Learn more about visual merchandising – from what it is to how it can help your retail business and improve your business performance in any physical selling spaces.

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eCommerce 101: What, Why and How

More consumers than ever before are turning to online shopping for greater convenience, safety and variety. In this webinar, you will learn the basic steps to set up an online store.

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Optimizing for Search Engines – Understanding SEO Basics

Often you hear about needing to optimize for search engines or SEO. But what is it, and how does it impact your digital presence? In this webinar, the Digital Service Squad explains search engine optimization and the best tactics you as a business can use towards increasing your ranking in the search engine result pages.

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Web Presence 101: Ensuring Your Foundation Is Set

Your customers are on the web. Having a strategy for your online presence allows you to market your small business online so customers can easily find you. Learn how to build the foundation for your business’s web presence.

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Accounting for Non-Profits: Understanding Financial Statements

Learn about the responsibilities of a non-profit board member in relation to the organizational finances and familiarize yourself with the financial statements of non-profit organizations.

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Balancing Your Balance Sheet

Learn healthy balance sheet basics and how to create your own balance sheet for your small business.

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Financial Survival for Entrepreneurs

Learn how to identify the key numbers to understand and monitor to manage the growth and expansion of your small business, as well as learning tactics for seeking out financing and effective tax strategies.

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Financing Your Technology Business

Sponsored by Desjardins, this webinar provides an understanding of financial key concepts for small businesses in the tech sector. Learn how to raise funding or extend your existing financial runway with expert financial advice.

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Getting Money: What Lenders and Investors Want

Learn how a bank or investor will evaluate your small business. Get your financial statements and business plans in order to present yourself appealingly to lenders and investors.

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Growth and Expansion: How to Best Grow Your Business

Determine when business expansion makes sense. Learn how to project growth and expansion for your small business, as well as knowing how to react when unexpected growth occurs.

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Maximizing Your Business: How to Manage Your Cash

Learn how to review and change your cash management practices, including how to spend less cash to operate the business.

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T1 General Small Business Tax Literacy

Presented by Canada Revenue Agency, this webinar is geared toward small unincorporated businesses and helps participants understand their tax obligations and provides them with the resources needed to navigate the tax system.

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T2 Corporation Tax Literacy

Presented by Canada Revenue Agency, this webinar is offered to owners of small corporations who need help in understanding their tax obligations. Learn the basic principles and resources needed to navigate the tax system.

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The Money Side of Business: Tools and Techniques to Manage Your Finances

Empower yourself by learning how to use financial management tools to evaluate business and make informed financial decisions for your small business.

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Understanding Financial Statements for Small Business Owners

Learn how to review and understand financial statements for small businesses, as well as how to ask informed questions of financial professionals.

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Why Financial Ratios Matter: How to Know if You’re Turning a Profit

Learn how to calculate key financial ratios and understand the meaning of the calculations. Interpret the results to become better managers of your small business.

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Incubators: How Business in the Streets Can Help Your Business

Learn about incubators, like Business in the Streets (BITS), and what they can do for small business owners and entrepreneurs (ages 18 to 34).

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Incubators: How Canada’s Music Incubator Can Help Your Business

Learn about incubators, like Canada’s Music Incubator (CMI), and what they can do for your small business in the music industry.

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Incubators: How Venturepark Labs Can Help Your Business

Learn about incubators, like Venturepark Labs, and what they can do for your small business in the food industry.

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AODA for Small Business

This webinar covers an overview of Ontario’s regulated accessibility standards requirements for small businesses with less than 20 employees, under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 (AODA). Learn what you can do to make your small business AODA-compliant and accessible and how that can benefit you.

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Getting Started with Intellectual Property (IP): Why is IP Important?

This webinar introduces you to trademarks, patents, trade secrets, industrial designs and copyright, and explain how protecting your creations through IP rights can give you an advantage over your competition.

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How to Do Business with the City of Toronto

This webinar provides key information about how to do business with the City of Toronto. Learn about the City’s procurement process, unpack how to register to access opportunities and discover the City’s Social Procurement program for diverse suppliers.

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Service Canada: Free Hiring Platform & Other Supports for Small Businesses

Learn how to access Service Canada to enroll in various programs, services, and the basics of Human Resources for businesses in any sizes.

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Service Canada: Hiring Incentives and Assistance

Learn how to access Service Canada to enroll in various programs, services, and the basics of Human Resources for businesses in any sizes.

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Service Canada: Overview of Employment Insurance

Learn how to access Service Canada to enroll in various programs, services, and the basics of Human Resources for businesses in any sizes.

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Service Canada: Public Pensions for Disability and Retirement

Learn how to access Service Canada to enroll in various programs, services, and the basics of Human Resources for businesses in any sizes.

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Service Canada: Support Measures for Businesses in Labour Adjustment

Learn how to access Service Canada to enroll in various programs, services, and the basics of Human Resources for businesses in any sizes.

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WSIB: Laws & Regulations for Small Businesses

Learn from a Workplace Safety and Insurance Board consultant about how to keep your workplace healthy and safe, and in compliance with health and safety laws.

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Barcodes and Beyond: What You Need to be Market-Ready for Import & Export

This webinar is aimed at small business owners who are getting their products ready for market. This session will help you prepare, whether selling your product locally or trading on an international scale.

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Exporting 101 with the New Exporters to Border States program

Looking to export to the United States but not sure where to start? The New Exporters to Border States (NEBS) program is a cross-border program designed to help Ontario businesses get their goods and services across the border. Join this webinar to learn how to enter and expand into the US market today.

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First Steps in Exporting: From Starting Out to Getting a Buyer

Are you ready to export? The First Steps in Exporting program helps companies that are new to exporting familiarize themselves with key steps in growing their international sales in the U.S. and beyond. Join this webinar to learn how to get started.

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What the Trade Commissioner Service Can Do For You

For more than 120 years, the Canadian Trade Commissioner Service has helped organizations of all sizes grow to operate internationally. This presentation will help you prepare for international business and finding global opportunities.

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The “Starting Your Business 101” webinar series consists of 10 modules with supporting worksheets and checklists that are focused on answering the basics of starting a business. The modules include:

Module 1.   Self-Assessment

Module 2.   Business Research

Module 3.   Business Structure

Module 4.   Government Regulations

Module 5.   Business Planning

Module 6.   Financing for Small Business

Module 7.   Market Research

Module 8.   Marketing and Sales

Module 9.   Intellectual Property

Module 10. Insurance

Access to the learning modules is free but registration is required. Complete the online registration form to get started.

The Business Fundamentals Online Training Program provides a series of 10 modules with supporting worksheets that are focused on helping entrepreneurs develop a detailed business and operating plan for their new venture. The modules include:

Module 1.   Business Plan

Module 2.   Market Research to Test the Viability of Your Idea

Module 3.   Marketing Your Small Business

Module 4.   Business Legal Requirements

Module 5.   Costing and Pricing

Module 6.   Selling Skills for Small Business

Module 7.   Cash Flow Forecast

Module 8.   Income Statement

Module 9.   Employing and Managing Staff

Module 10. Secrets to Success in Your Own Business

Access to the learning modules is free but registration is required. Complete the online registration form to get started.