Steven D. Strauss is an American author, columnist, and lawyer,[2] who has been referred to as “America’s leading small business expert.”[3][4] He is the author of eighteen books and was a senior columnist for USA Today for more than twenty years.

[5][6] Strauss has written regular columns about business and entrepreneurship for Inc.[7][8][9] and The Motley Fool.

[citation needed] His father ran a chain of carpet stores in the Southern California area.

[11] Strauss received his bachelor's degree in political science from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) in 1981, before becoming a Coro fellow.

[15] Strauss has since made numerous television and radio appearances to discuss business and the law.