Making a Way on Your Own: MBA Programs with an Entrepreneurship Focus

Many people think of entrepreneurship as just a brilliant idea, enough time, and a garage full of tools to make it all come together. The reality, however, is that most small businesses struggle to get off the ground. US Bureau of Labor statistics show that 66 percent of small businesses are still up and running after 2 years; after 4 years, this drops to 44 percent. That means that less than half make it past four years. Perhaps you are wondering whether an MBA will improve your chances of becoming a mogul. The Wire enthusiasts will remember Stringer Bell taking classes to learn business fundamentals and apply them to his growing (yet illegal) enterprise. In the same way, aspiring entrepreneurs with a bright idea can use the basics of business administration to set the foundation for a strong and long-lasting venture. But don't expect an MBA to give you all the answers. "From an educational perspective, entrepreneurship is very much an applied discipline," says Emily Gohn Cieri, managing director of Wharton Entrepreneurship Programs at the University of Pennsylvania. "You have to do it to understand it. You can't just sit and study it." John Asmussen agrees. After attending Copenhagen Business School, Asmussen grew a company, Vaimala Ltd., which provides business-to-business services between Europe and China. What was missing from his business school experience that could have helped in his entrepreneurial activities later on? "It would've been great to meet real people who'd stepped off the beaten track and simply done it by living out the dream," says Asmussen.