Entrepreneurs Publish New Business Primer

The Harvard Entrepreneurs' Club Guide to Starting Your Own Business aims to help college students realize their dreams. For one Harvard senior, this realization came with the book itself.

The guide, the brainchild of Poonam Sharma '99, includes information for prospective entrepreneurs about business plans, legal issues, marketing strategies and other topics.

Sharma, one of the club's directors, edited and co-authored the book, which was featured in Sunday's New York Times.

Besides Sharma--who wrote the introduction and two chapters--club members Steven N. Chang '01, Ngina Duckett '00, Anthony Perrault '97, Carsten Schwarting '01, Greg Y. Tseng '01 and John E. Turlais '96-'99 each wrote a chapter.

John Wiley & Sons, the publisher, is marketing the book in the U.S. and Canada at both mainstream and university bookstores. Sharma has scheduled a book signing at the Coop in early April.

Sharma said college students have unique technological knowledge and creativity that often goes unharnessed because they think they lack the resources or experience to start a company. The book aims to show students that it is possible for them to make a go of it in the business world, she said.

"There's a tendency, at this age, to trivialize our aspirations," she said. "People think a lack of experience should keep us from achieving our dreams."

Sharma said before her guide, entrepreneurial advice publications existed for almost every imaginable demographic--except college students.

"Until now, you didn't have a piece of literature that said, 'Anybody can do it," Sharma says.

The club was instrumental in aiding her with the book, Sharma said. Besides providing enthusiastic support, the club provided $200 for initial production costs so Sharma could send proposals to 53 publishers.

Sharma said she will donate royalties from the book, including the $15,000 advance, to the club so it can continue to support its members' ventures.

The club, which claims a membership of 300 undergraduates and alums, holds weekly meetings, lectures and workshops and aims to serve as a resource for members to develop their own ideas.

Duckett, the club's president, said the guide urges students not to take no for an answer.

"It encourages college students to blaze new trails," she said.

Sharma said many students today have loftier aspirations than their parents did, and are not content to work for somebody else.

"It's our new American dream," she said. "It's not about a house, 2.5 kids and a couple of cars. We want to own the business."