Member Resources

Programs > 2006-2007

SLA WCC and CASLIS present:

Making the Business Case

Come learn about how to make a convincing business case for just about anything while you meet and mingle with colleagues from SLA and CASLIS!

PRESENTATION: Making the Business Case

Whether it's a request to attend a conference, the acquisition of a new online service, or plans to join a consortium, library staff are more and more expected to be able to produce a "business case" for the proposed expenditure or effort.

Speaker Maggie Weaver will take us through the research necessary to construct a business case, including cost benefits and finding local champions for the cause; suggestions for structuring an effective request for funding, either in writing or orally; and tips for the actual words used - focus on the goals of your organization and speaking the language of your audience.

Participants will:

• Understand how to research costs associated with a project
• Understand the importance of quantifying benefits or returns appropriate to their organization
• Understand how to present concisely the benefits of change or innovation, including financial impacts
• Be more likely to submit successful proposals to their management
• Take home a list of resources for building a business case in various situations

SPEAKER: Maggie Weaver

Maggie Weaver has worked with business information for 30 years, undertaking competitive and market research for the chemical industry, management consulting firms and small businesses. For 6 years she managed the Canadian office of Dialog, the world's largest online business service before the advent of the Internet. She established Intellisearch, the fee-based research service of the Toronto Reference Library. She is the compiler of the Canadian B2B Research Sourcebook, published by CLA in 2001, and she teaches courses on market research for entrepreneurs. Among other activities, Maggie is the Secretary of the Canada-Ontario Export Forum, an alliance of government partners who offer export services to Canadian companies, National Secretary of CASLIS, and Chair of the B2B Committee of the Market Research & Intelligence Association.

REGISTRATION:

• $25 for SLA and CASLIS members
• $31.25 for non-member

Thanks to our program sponsor Micromedia ProQuest