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Resources for Small Business Owners

If you are starting a new design firm, the following books and websites can provide information to you:

Architect's Essentials of Starting a Design Firm, by Peter Piven and Bradford Perkins. (Published by John Wiley and Sons, Inc., 2003.)

Business Law for Landscape Architects, edited by William E. Beery. (Published by Pearson Custom Publishing, 2002.)

The Professional Practice of Landscape Architecture by Walter Rogers. (Published by John Wiley and Sons, Inc., 1997.)

Ready, Set, Practice by Bruce G. Sharky. (Published by John Wiley and Sons, Inc., 1994.)

U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA)

and the SBA's Small Business Startup Guide.

SCORE (Service Corps of Retired Executives), “Counselors to America’s Small Business,” is a nonprofit association offering free business counseling by volunteers.

If you want to develop an established design business or explore new approaches to managing your practice, these resources may be of interest:

Business Law for Landscape Architects, edited by William E. Beery. (Published by Pearson Custom Publishing, 2002.)

Total Quality Project Management for the Design Firm, by Frank A. Stasiowski, AIA and David Burnstein, PE. (Published by John Wiley and Sons, Inc., 1994.)

Value Pricing for the Design Firm, by Frank A. Stasiowski. (Published by John Wiley and Sons, Inc., 1994.)

Project Management for Small Design Firms, by Howard G. Birnberg. (Published by McGraw Hill, Inc., 1992.)

Staying Small Successfully: A Guide for Architects, Engineers, and Design Professionals, by Frank A. Stasiowski, AIA. (Published by John Wiley and Sons, Inc., 1991.)

To offer feedback regarding the resources listed, or to suggest additional resources to add to this list, please contact the ASLA Professional Practice Library.