Entrepreneurship

Introduction to Entrepreneurship

Historically, approximately 50% of HBS graduates become entrepreneurs by the time they are 15 years out of school. Half of this number have started two or more businesses. Most graduates wait until they have a high potential idea they are truly passionate about. Often, such ideas come through in-depth experience in a market and exposure to unsatisfied customer needs – experience that may be tough to get within the bounds of a full-time educational experience.

Nevertheless – whether by dint of past experience, summer internship or just good fortune, there are usually at least 100 potential new ventures being explored in any given year.

What follows is a list of resources and activities targeted at students actively exploring starting – or buying – your own business.

Web Resources

Free:

• The Kauffman Foundation Promotes entrepreneurial success at all levels, from elementary school students to high-growth entrepreneurs. The Foundation's entrepreneurship website is devoted to this topic and provides more information about programs and resources in this arena.
• Foundation for Enterprise Development Site for fostering innovative science and technology entrepreneurs includes small business resource lists, news and other guidance for entrepreneurs.
• Edward Lowe Foundation The Edward Lowe Foundation supports and provides information resources and educational opportunities for entrepreneurs.
• Business Owners Toolkit: Total Know-how for Small Business Provides a guide on starting, planning, financing and hiring for small business as well as tools, checklists, forms and timelines that new business owners can incorporate into planning their business strategies.
• Entrepreneuring: The Ten Commandments This book presents ten basic principles for starting and growing a business; the book can be downloaded free of charge.
• US Small Business Administration The Office of Advocacy is the voice for small business in the Federal Government and the source for small business statistics. This Research Resources guide is designed as a portal to direct faculty, students, and researchers to small business data and research.

Articles

Free:

• "Natural-Born Entrepreneur - Lessons of a Serial Entrepreneur" Excerpted with permission from "Natural­Born Entrepreneur," in Harvard Business Review. Vol.79, No. 8, September 2001, Dan Bricklin describes four lessons that he learned along the way to becoming a serial entrepreneur.
• "A Litmus Test for Entrepreneurs" Excerpted with permission from "A Test for the Fainthearted," in Harvard Business Review. Vol. 80, No. 5, May 2002, this article describes 5 questions that an entrepreneur should consider before embarking on a new venture.
• "Want to be an Entrepreneur? (Part I)" Excerpted with permission from the article "Who Wants to be an Entrepreneur," in Harvard Magazine. March-April 2001, this article presents insights from faculty and alumni involved in entrepreneurial research and ventures.
• "Who wants to be an Entrepreneur? (Part II)" Excerpted with permission from Harvard Magazine, March-April 2001, this article presents insights from faculty and alumni involved in entrepreneurial research and ventures.
• "Growing Fast and Smart" Business Insight, June 15, 2007. A list of five questions that entrepreneurs must consider before establishing a new venture.
• "Andy Grove: Lessons from an American Role Model"

Login Required:

• "The Questions Every Entrepreneur Must Answer" HU PIN Harvard Business Review, Nov./Dec. 1996, Vol. 74, Issue 6, p120-130. Amir Bhide defines and describes the three questions that entrepreneurs need to consider while developing a new business idea.
• "A Test for the Fainthearted" HU PIN Harvard Business Review, May 2002, Vol. 80, Issue 5, p122-127. Walter Kuemmerle defines the qualities that will lead an entrepreneur to success.
• "Skill vs. Luck in Entrepreneurship and Venture Capital: Evidence from Serial Entrepreneurs" HU PIN NBER Working Paper Series, No.12592, October 2006. This research examines serial entrepreneurs, who received funding from venture capitalists, to determine if luck or skill played a greater role in the success of a new business.

Journals

Free:

• Entrepreneur.com In addition to the online versions of Entrepreneur's publications Entrepreneur Magazine, Business Start-Ups, Home Office, and Entrepreneur International, the Web site includes a guide to raising money, a franchise database, tips on sales and marketing, a software guide and more.
• FSB: Fortune Small Business The online version of Fourtune Small Business provides access to articles, audio and video focused on defining and developing small business opportunities. Access to archived articles is available to current Harvard affiliates.
• Inc Magazine Inc.com provides access to news, blogs, videos and a calendar of events directed at entrepreneurs. Access to archived articles is available to current Harvard affiliates.
• Wall Street Journal: Small Business News Features articles by columnists advising how to start and run a business.

Login Required:

• International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior & Research HU PIN Covers the impact and contributions entrepreneurship and small businesses make in society and economics.
• Journal of Business Venturing HU PIN Covers international entrepreneurship, new business development, and innovation.
• Journal of Small Business Management HU PIN Covers topics such as new venture creation, exporting, management practices, and legal issues.
• Business Source Complete Database HBS Intranet Covers all aspect of entrepreneurship. Provides articles, research reports and industry profiles from various journals and conference proceedings.

Books & ebooks

• New Business Ventures and the Entrepreneur The Stamps Reading Room, Baker Library | Bloomberg Center, HD62.5 .S75 2007 McGraw-Hill, 2007. Textbook that traces the entrepreneurial process from the initial idea through business operations to harvest and includes case studies.
• The Entrepreneurial Mindset: Strategies for Continuously Creating Opportunity in an Age of Uncertainty Baker Library Stacks, Baker Library | Bloomberg Center, HB615 .M3735 2000 Michael J. Roberts, Howard H. Stevenson, William A. Sahlman, Paul Marshall, and Richard G. Hamermesh, eds. Harvard Business School Press, 2000. This textbook presents strategies for continuously creating opportunity in an age of uncertainty.
• Small Business Sourcebook The Stamps Reading Room, Baker Library | Bloomberg Center, Ref HD 2346.U5 S66 Gale Research, published annually. Contains descriptions of associations, information resources, trade shows, franchises, business opportunities, and government agencies related to small businesses arranged by industry category. Also lists general small business information sources.
• Harvard Business Review on Entrepreneurship Baker Library Stacks, Baker Library | Bloomberg Center, HD 62.5 H3738 1999 Harvard Business School Press, 1999. This book contains 8 articles written by faculty at HBS, Wharton and USC; entrepreneurs and consultants.
• The Entrepreneurial Venture: Readings Baker Library Stacks, Baker Library | Bloomberg Center, HD62.5 .E56 1999 Harvard Business School Press, 1999. Part 1 focuses on "Entrepreneurship- What Is It" and includes the readings "A Perspective on Entrepreneurship", Entrepreneurship Reconsidered: The Team as Hero", and "The Road Well Traveled."
• Roadmap to Entrepreneurial Success: Powerful Strategies for Building a High-Profit Business Baker Library Stacks, Baker Library | Bloomberg Center, HD 62.5 P66 2004 American Management Association, 2004. This book provides strategies for building a new business. The appendixes include a business plan outline, a checklist for supporting documents and a primer on how to prepare financials for your business
• HOLLIS Catalog Provides more books on all aspects of entrepreneurship within the 90+ libraries at Harvard University

Cases & Teaching Notes

For Purchase:

• A Perspective on Entrepreneurship Note
• R&R Case

Emerging Opportunities

Web Resources

Free:

• Industry Research A guide by the Baker Library Services of Harvard Business School, listing selected resources that focus on industry overviews, news, trends, analysis and associations.
• Entrepreneur.com Provides rich information on topics such as business ideas, franchises & opportunities, as well as list of Hot 100: The Fastest Growing Businesses in America (2008).

Blogs

Free:

• Forbes List: Best Small Business Blogs A Forbes Magazine list of the top 10 small business blogs- includes Small Business Trends, Entrepreneurial Mind and Fresh Inc.

Articles

Free:

• "Spot the Latest Trends" Entrepreneur's StartUps, February 2007. An article that provides insight on how to identify trends that can become future business opportunities.
• "International Issues in Entrepreneurship" Small Business Economics, June 2008, Vol. 31, Issue 1, p1-3. This article investigates the recent increase in private and public funding of entrepreneurial ventures.
• "A Half-Century of Teaching Entrepreneurship"

Login Required:

• "A Look Ahead" Entrepreneur, January 2008, Vol. 36 Issue 1, p19-20. A look at the trends in entrepreneurship.
• "Shining Stars" Entrepreneur, May 2008, Vol. 36, Issue 5, p67-68A. List of the Top 100 Entrepreneurial companies (and the people who run them) in the US (2008).
• "Premium Power" Management Today, January 2008, p36-49. A list of the Top 100 Entrepreneurs (and the businesses they run) in the UK (2008).
• "Foundations for Growth: How to Identify and Build Disruptive New Businesses" HU PIN MIT Sloan Management Review, Spring 2002, Vol. 43 Issue 3, p22-31. The authors provide advice on how to identify new disruptive business opportunities.

Books & ebooks

• Encyclopedia of Emerging Industries The Stamps Reading Room, Baker Library | Bloomberg Center, Ref HD/2324/.E528 Gale. Published annually. This collection of essays spotlight new industries. Each essay includes an industry snapshot, background, pioneers, industry leaders and current research and technology.
• Small Business Profiles: A Guide to Today's Top Opportunities for Entrepreneurs. The Stamps Reading Room, Baker Library | Bloomberg Center, Ref HD2346.U5 S65 Gale. Published annually. A two-volume set of general business and specific topic profiles, state listings, and federal assistance available for small companies based primarily in the U.S. and Canada.