A Web 2.0 focused resource site for entrepreneurs, Virtual Handshake provides links to industry blogs, wikis, and discussion groups. Links to informative social networking sites, software (freeware), and other virtual communities can also be found, as is a comprehensive directory of other online networking/social software companies.

The social innovation eXchange (SIX) is a network that has been set up by a group of organizations to help build the emerging field of social innovation. They believe that many of the big problems that the world faces - from climate change to the care needs of an aging population - will only be solved by experiment, enterprise and innovation, and that innovation needs to tap into the creativity of every part of civil society, business and the public sector.

If you are starting out as a social entrepreneur or re-vamping your company, this book is for you. It holds insights on how to think like an entrepreneur, how to start an enterprise as a business not a charity. This book will teach you how successful social entrepreneurs: * Focus on community wants and needs * Match those with core competencies to provide the quality services * Assess risk and gauge opportunity * Develop new project ideas and test their feasibility * Write a business plan * Project finances in the plan * Tap into new sources of funding * Develop the idea of social entrepreneurship throughout the organization * Make sure that mission, not money, is the bottom line

This Toronto based incorporation brings entrepreneurs, public and private companies, investors, non-profit organizations, academia, professionals, and government to promote the social value of innovation. SEC has an Advisory Board, a large global networking of business partners, a news feed, and a personal business model, to be found at http://www.seconsortium.com. Social individuals with business and management skills are welcomed to join the team.

Rotman NeXus provides a variety of services to non-profit and social enterprise businesses. In addition to providing organizational help including budgeting, market research, and operational design, Rotman NeXus calculates the social and economic impacts of projects for a small fee. Roman NeXus is staffed by University of Toronto's second year Joseph L. Rotman School of Management top-tier MBA students.

A Netherlands publication, Ode's claim to fame is profiling interesting individuals and innovators before they are known globally (such as Patch Adams and Deepak Chopra) and making alternative media mainstream. Since 1995, Ode's goal has been to promote social, economic, and environmental ideas that change the world for the better. Available in Dutch and English, Ode publishes novel ideas, profiles interesting individuals that are making a change today, makes for a great social networking tool, and reports on people, culture, science and health, responsible business, and environment.

A Canadian Federally Registered Charitable Organization since 1999, Homeland Int., Inc. seeks to provide housing and better-quality-of-living services to global communities. The non-profit organization seeks entrepreneurs, lawyers, mentors, philanthropists, corporate leaders, and others. These individuals and companies can donate their time, commitment, collective knowledge, management resources, and other skills towards assisting communities with social implementation strategies and many other community-building projects.

Entrepreneurship, leadership, international, fellowship, and community are the "five pillars" that make up this local organization. Entrepreneurs are teamed up with young successful professionals (ages 18-40) to make a difference in the GTA. Both sides learn invaluable leadership lessons and networking, as well as project management, marketing, fundraising and other useful business skills.

"The Centre for Social Innovation is a place-based hub of ideas, people, services and strategies. In partnership with Urbanspace Property Group, they provide 18,000 square feet of shared workspace in downtown Toronto. The Centre for Social Innovation is home to a community of nonprofits, charities, social enterprises, artists, green businesses, and individual innovators. Working together, they lower costs, create synergies, and spark new ideas for advancing their shared interests. The Centre for Social Innovation explores new ideas in collaboration, social entrepreneurship and systems change. These interests guide their work. Their website only offers a subscription to their email newsletter, Social Innovator's Update. Join to receive information on news and events in this space."

Canadian Policy Research Networks is a non-profit, charitable policy think tank based in Ottawa. Their products are freely available on their site. From two CPRN 2004 roundtable discussions come: * The report that stressed the importance of a relationship between a business and social development (Fostering Social Innovation) and * The report that defined "social innovation" and established priorities of action for years to come ( The Future of Social Innovation)

The Sunday Edition of the CBC Radio Show has posted a podcast of their interview with Nobel Peace Prize-winning economist Muhammad Yunus. About Muhammad Yunus: After the great famine of 1974 the Grameen Bank of Bangladesh was founded by Muhammad Yunus. This bank was the first in an innovative approach to moneylending now known as "micro-banking". The Grameen Bank makes loans to the poor, and functions as both a business and a social development program (CBC, The Sunday Edition).

Ashoka "strives to shape a global, entrepreneurial, competitive citizen sector: one that allows social entrepreneurs to thrive and enables the world's citizens to think and act as changemakers." Ashoka supports social entrepreneurship, promotes group entrepreneurship, and builds infrastructure for the sector. Fields of work include environment, health, human rights, economic development, education, and civil engagement.

Created by the International Business Center at Michigan State University, globalEDGE is a knowledge web-portal that connects professionals worldwide to global business activities. The site offers: * Global Resources - more than 5,000 online resources * Country Insights - a wealth of information on all countries * Industry Profiles - in-depth analysis of selected industries * News & Views - latest issues in international business * Academy - extensive research and teaching resources * Diagnostic Tools - decision-support tools for managers * globalEDGE Network - connect with 33,399 registered users globalEdge offers a wide range of information and knowledge. Partnership opportunities are also available for international growth of businesses.

From University of North Carolina (Charlotte)'s J.Murrey Atkins Library comes VIBES (Virtual International Business & Economic Sources), a portal with more than 3,500 current links to free English Internet resources on international business and economic information. On VIBES one can find Comprehensive, Regional, or National information on world countries. Links to Patents, Emerging Markets, Economic Country Information, statistics, and other websites can also be found, as well as full-text research reports and tables and graphs.

"The United States spends more on health care-related research and development than any other country. In 2003, it was estimated that the Federal government alone spent over $26 billion. Pharmaceutical companies, device manufacturers and other private companies invested over $10 billion more. At its best, the American health care system is capable of delivering care unsurpassed anywhere else in the world. Yet, a 1999 Institute of Medicine study estimated that as many as 98,000 Americans die each year from hospital related medical errors. A recent study by the Rand Corporation (a non-profit think tank) concluded that less than 50 percent of encounters with doctors and hospitals resulted in optimal, evidence-based treatment. Studies show that as many as 42 million Americans - almost 15 percent of the population - lack health care insurance. Surveys reveal that patients do not feel they have adequate information about their conditions, and that their experience with health care ranks below that of most other sectors, in fact below that of the post office. In the aggregate, the country is spending nearly $2 trillion on health care, and yet the nation's health care system does not meet acceptable thresholds for safety, quality, access or cost. In 2005, VHA Health Foundation's board of directors sought to better understand the reasons behind this paradox. The foundation commissioned Larry Keeley and his associates at Doblin Inc. to apply the rigorous analytical methods that are used in their evaluation of other American industries and companies. The project set out to discover when, where and how innovation was taking place in health care. It also sought to identify organizations that were developing model innovation processes, and to explore where opportunities for successful innovation might lay."

The IT Forum Exchange Network (ITFX) has launched its first microsite, Unified Communication in Canada, designed to stimulate informed discussion of Unified Communications and its role in enhancing the competitiveness of Canadian private and public sector enterprises. UC in Canada's Unified Communications discussion area will be featured on "forum pages" across the network. Visit the Unified Communication in Canada Website. About ITFX: Leading trade publishers and other technology thought leaders have created ITFX with the intention of establishing a national problem-solving dialogue on key IT issues. Issues which are within their discussion forums include; Green IT, Unified Communications and Investment and Go-to-Market activity linking portals operated by leading trade publications, IT industry associations and social media sites.

The Regional FactBase contains a wealth of information about the Toronto Region; its resourceful institutions, booming industries, and all-round prominence on the international stage. Data files, fact sheets, reports, links and other resources are available for you to view and download. TRRA welcomes questions or comments about any of the materials in the Regional FactBase.

An in-depth review of the private equity market in Canada. This fifth installment in the series, produced in conjunction with McKinsey & Company, provides a fact-based perspective of the key trends shaping the Canadian private equity market Volume 1: produced by Goodman and Carr LLP, provides an in-depth review of key market facts. It describes the main characteristics of Canada's private equity market, the preferences of its participants, and the market activity over the past year.

The US Commercial Service provides an excellent and free-for-use International Market Research search tool for 18 global industries. Global market research reports, country commercial guides, and best market reports can be accessed via search by industry, sector, region, country, keyword, or type of report. Older archived records can also be retrieved. The site offers search tips for finding market reports, as well as e-alerts.

IDC is a global provider of market intelligence, advisory services, and events for the information technology, telecommunications, and consumer technology markets. Technology advice can be searched by industry (energy, financial, health, life sciences, manufacturing, and other), or by country/region. The Canadian site provides geographical, business, communications, consumer, web, health, manufacturing, financial and other market reports. For the full list go here. The site also requires a subscription (free) to access most full-text documents - some reports may still require payment.