EMBA and entrepreneurs and small business

Not all students in the Foster Executive MBA Program work for large corporations. Our curriculum, format and structure also benefits small businesses and entrepreneurs who want to increase their business acumen, leadership skills and  learn to think more strategically. Entrepreneurs and small business owners in the Executive MBA Program also report a major return on investment.

If you are an entrepreneur, an Executive MBA provides comprehensive business knowledge and the skills to:

• Develop innovative and entrepreneurial solutions
• Look at business opportunities in a new way
• Learn to think beyond personal experience and skills

What a business owner says about EMBA

Cheryl Peterson
Class of 2009
Owner/President
Pacific NW Commodities, Inc. – Gig Harbor

Running a small business, I oversee all of the responsibilities from filing quarterly taxes, recordkeeping, and planning future strategy such as deciding when to grow and if to diversify.  I now have more tools in determining the future of my company.

When I joined the EMB Program I had been running my own business for 14 years.  I felt my skills were “rusty” and I was missing the stimulation of having colleagues to learn from and share information.  I wanted two things from the program:  first, to obtain the skills and resources to continue running a profitable business; and second, to feel more secure in knowing I could re-enter the workforce if necessary and be competitive. I chose the North America Program because it was easier for me to dedicate five days a month in one block rather than being in and out of town every week for the regional program.  Also, the North America program allowed me to feel like I still had “a life” three weeks out of the month to plan in advance for travel, meetings and home responsibilities. You really cannot prepare for the intensity of the program.  You simply have to dive in and know that you will arrive at the other end in twenty two months. I started the EMBA thinking I would simply fit the program into my life.  In reality, I had to fit my life into the program.

Background: Cheryl’s company is a wholesale commodities business that specializes in the industry of liquid fats and oils. As a small business owner, she oversees all facets of operation from safety and quality control to contract negotiation and practical accounting. Cheryl has a BA in Political Science from the University of Puget Sound.