Research Guides: Entrepreneurship & Business Planning: Learn More About Starting a Business

Starting a Business

How to Start a Startup (By Sam Altman)
In 2014, Sam Altman (President of Y Combinator) taught a course at Stanford called “How to Start a Start-Up,” which offers students an introduction to the key lessons taught to YC companies.
In addition to Altman, other lectureres include: Dustin Moskovitz (Facebook co-founder), Peter Thiel (PayPal co-founder), Marc Andreessen (Netscape creator/general partner of Andreessen Horowitz), Marissa Mayer (Yahoo CEO), Reid Hoffman (LinkedIn co-founder), and Ron Conway (Silicon Valley super angel).
Altman’s site also features a recommended reading list, plus a set of additional resources.
How to Build a Startup: The Lean LaunchPad (Udacity)
In an introduction to the basics of the famous Customer Development Process, Steve Blank provides insight into the key steps needed to build a successful startup.
Startup How-To Guides
From Entrepreneur magazine

LinkedIn Learning This link opens in a new window
LinkedIn Learning offers online instructional videos and tutorials on small business and entrepreneurship topics including marketing, finance, and freelancing.
NOTE: Sign in with your Duck ID. A LinkedIn account is not required but is necessary to make full use of the personalization options. See https://hr.uoregon.edu/programs-services/learning-and-development/linkedin-learning/linkedin-learning-create-your-account.

Business Law

Emerging Companies Guide by Alan S. Gutterman; Robert L. Brown (Editor)
Call Number: KF1355 .E46 2020 (Jacqua law Library)
ISBN: 1641055448
Publication Date: 2020
A comprehensive, handy resource of key legal and business aspects of forming, organizing, operating and developing emerging/growth-oriented businesses.
Book of Business and Legal Forms for Startups by Karen Thomas; Entrepreneur Press Staff
Call Number: KF1355.A65 T48 2011 (Jacqua Law Library)
ISBN: 9781599183893
Publication Date: 2011
Assembled by a team of more than fifteen attorneys whose legal specialties apply to practically all aspects of starting, operating, and maintaining a business, this valuable resource delivers not only the necessary forms to launch a business, but everything from hiring and firing, conducting business online, to franchising.
Legal Guide for Starting and Running a Small Business by Fred S. Steingold
Call Number: KF1659 .S745 2015 (Jacqua Law Library)
ISBN: 9781413321401
Publication Date: 2015
Legal Guide for Starting & Running a Small Business clearly explains the how to: raise start-up money pick the right business structure get licenses and permits negotiate a favorable lease protect yourself with the right insurance create binding contracts hire, fire, and manage employees cope with financial problems protect your personal assets save on business taxes The 14th edition is completely updated with the latest business tax rules and numbers, including options for deducting expenses for the business use of your home.

Business Writing

Creating a Powerful Executive Summary
From Harvard Business Working Knowledge, If you think a proposal's executive summary is really a summary, you're missing the point. Here are six tips for turning your blah conclusions into an effective, well-substantiated pitch.

HBR Guide to Better Business Writing by Bryan A. Garner
Call Number: HF5718.3 .G37 2012 (Portland Library)
ISBN: 142218403X
Publication Date: 2013
The HBR Guide to Better Business Writing, by Bryan Garner, gives you tools to express your ideas clearly and persuasively so clients, colleagues, stakeholders, and partners will get behind them. This book will help you:
• Push past writer’s block
• Grab—and keep—readers’ attention
• Earn credibility with tough audiences
• Trim the fat from your writing
• Strike the right tone
• Brush up on grammar, punctuation, and usage
The AMA Handbook of Business Writing by Kevin Wilson; Jennifer Wauson
Call Number: ebook
ISBN: 081441589X
Publication Date: 2010
The authors' step-by-step instructions begin with an overview of the writing process, from preparation and research right through to final review and publication. Sample documents show you how your pieces should look and read, and close to 300 individual entries cover key points of grammar, style and spelling, and present strategies for writing more clearly, avoiding bias, eliminating cliches, and much more.