{"id":6851,"date":"2018-04-16T06:54:38","date_gmt":"2018-04-16T10:54:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kerryhannon.com\/?p=6851"},"modified":"2018-04-16T06:54:39","modified_gmt":"2018-04-16T10:54:39","slug":"female-entrepreneurs-how-to-get-certified-as-a-woman-owned-business","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kerryhannon.com\/?p=6851","title":{"rendered":"Female Entrepreneurs: How to Get Certified as a Woman-Owned Business"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
<\/header>\n
\n
\n

\"\"<\/a>Getting certified as a woman-owned business takes grit and tenacity. But it can potentially help land women entrepreneurs more business opportunities and government contracts.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a grueling process,\u201d said Michele Burchfield, co-founder of Blume Honey Water, a Pittsburgh-based company, when describing getting her business certified by the\u00a0Women\u2019s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC)<\/a>, the largest certifier of women-owned businesses or women\u2019s business enterprises, in the U.S. \u201cBut we got through it just in time to put the logo on our label. And many companies, such as Target and Starbucks, have initiatives to work with WBENC-certified companies.\u201d<\/p>\n

Having the certification, Burchfield said, has helped Blume Honey Water ramp up sales and open doors at retailers and will do so in the future. Certification can also help women entrepreneurs tap resources offered by the group behind the insignia, including networking events and executive education programs.<\/p>\n

The Payoff For Getting Certified<\/h3>\n

The effort to get certified, while difficult, has the prospective to pay back the effort in spades. \u201cThe pros are increased visibility,\u201d said Donna M. De Carolis, dean of the Charles D. Close School of Entrepreneurship at Drexel University and a member of the editorial board of EIX, the Entrepreneurial and Innovation Exchange, a social media learning platform funded by the Schulze Family Foundation.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\u201cMost public corporations as well as local, state, and federal government purchasing agencies have programs for allotting a certain percentage of business to women-owned companies,\u201d said De Carolis.<\/p>\n

The U.S. government intentionaly looks for women-owned businesses to award specially-designated government contracts.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe federal government has a statutory goal of awarding 5 percent of eligible prime contracting dollars to women-owned small businesses,\u201d said\u00a0Carla Harris<\/a>, chair of the National Women\u2019s Business Council (NWBC), a nonpartisan federal group that advises the President, Congress and the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) on economic issues important to women business owners. \u201cSince the establishment of this goal in 1994, it wasn\u2019t until two years ago that it first met its goal \u2014 and it missed it in 2016.\u201d<\/p>\n

Large companies and government agencies will send out a request for proposal to submit business proposals and contracts through organizations like the\u00a0National Association of Women Business Owners (<\/a>NWBOC) and the WBENC. Then, certified companies receive an email blast about upcoming project opportunities.<\/p>\n

Who Qualifies for Certification<\/h3>\n

So who qualifies for women-owned certification and how do you get the designation?<\/p>\n

In general, women-owned businesses are ones at least 51 percent controlled by women who are U.S. citizens. A woman (or women) must manage the day-to-day operations and a woman must the hold the highest officer position in the business and work at the business full-time. A woman and a man can own the company jointly, but the woman must be the majority owner and demonstrate her management and control of the company.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019d like to apply for certification as a woman-owned business, have patience. De Carolis said it\u2019s a \u201clengthy application process, which in some instances can take up to a year.\u201d The WBENC\u2019s website says its processing time is generally 90 days from the date all documentation has been received.<\/p>\n

Another potential downside: \u201cSome women are worried about only being seen as a woman-run business, and not being taken as seriously as a man in the same industry,\u201d De Carolis said.<\/p>\n

I say: Get over it. There\u2019s no reason to pass up a marketplace that may have a vested interest in working with you.<\/p>\n

Admittedly, the sheer number of types of certification can make your head twirl. They range from self-certification to state certification. De Carolis\u2019 advice: \u201cInvestigate the type of certification you seek as it relates to your business and potential customers.\u201d<\/p>\n

4 Major Types of Women-Owned Business Certification<\/h3>\n

For the sake of simplicity, I am just going to mention four types of certification for women business owners:<\/p>\n

The\u00a0Small Business Administration<\/strong>\u00a0(SBA) offers the Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB)\u00a0designation<\/a>. It\u2019s best if you\u2019re aiming to score federal contracts. The SBA\u2019s process is pretty simple, De Carolis said.<\/p>\n

Disadvantaged Business Enterprise\u00a0<\/strong>certification<\/a>\u00a0or DBE, is a federal designation performed by the state and applies to contracts through the U.S. Department of Transportation. If federal money is involved for a Department of Transportation contract, the state must include women at a pre-determined level. This certification presumes certain groups are disadvantaged, including women, black Americans, Hispanic Americans, Native Americans, Asian-Pacific Americans, Subcontinent Asian-Pacific Americans or other minorities.<\/p>\n

Then there\u2019s the nonprofit\u00a0Women\u2019s Business Enterprise National Council<\/strong>\u00a0(WBENC) program to get\u00a0certified<\/a>. WBENC certification is accepted by more than 1,000 corporations, plus many federal, state and local government entities. WBENC is also an approved third-party certifier for the Women-Owned Small Business federal contracting program through the SBA.<\/p>\n

There are no size or length-of-time in business requirements here, but you\u2019ll need to pull together a wide range of paperwork and have an in-person interview to vet your company.<\/p>\n

\u201cCertification is the foundation of what we do,\u201d said Pamela Prince-Eason, WBENC president and CEO.\u00a0 \u201cWe view certification as a catalyst for business growth and a key stepping stone for women in building a successful business. It opens doors to new business opportunities and provides access to hundreds of potential corporate and government clients, as well as a network of thousands of fellow female entrepreneurs.\u201d<\/p>\n

The\u00a0National Woman Business Owners Corporation (NWBOC)\u00a0<\/strong>also has a national certification\u00a0program<\/a>. Its requirements are similar to those of WBENC. The group provides certified businesses with a mentoring program and training opportunities.<\/p>\n

Federal vs. State Certification<\/h3>\n

In addition to private third-party certifiers like the WBENC and NWBOC, several state and local agencies offer certification programs.<\/p>\n

Generally speaking, if you are looking to do business in the private sector, national certificates are the route to take. But if you are aiming to do business with, say, the local medical center in your town, you might check to see if there\u2019s a city agency that certifies women-owned businesses.<\/p>\n

Once you score the certification, broadcast the news far and wide. Showcase that you\u2019re are a certified women-owned enterprise on your website and in your marketing and promotional materials.<\/p>\n

Every little edge helps.<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\"\"<\/div>\n

By\u00a0Kerry Hannon\u00a0<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
Entrepreneurship Expert<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n
\n
Kerry Hannon has covered personal finance, retirement and careers for The New York Times, Forbes, Money, U.S. News & World Report and USA Today, among other publications. She is the author of a dozen books including\u00a0Money Confidence: Really Smart Financial Moves for Newly Single Women<\/em><\/a>,\u00a0\u00a0Great Jobs for Everyone 50+: Finding Work That Keeps You Happy<\/em>\u00a0and Healthy…and Pays the Bills<\/em><\/a>,\u00a0Getting the Job You Want After 50<\/a>,<\/em>\u00a0Love Your Job: The New Rules for Career Happiness\u00a0<\/a><\/em>and\u00a0What’s Next? Finding Your Passion and Your Dream Job in Your Forties, Fifties and Beyond<\/em><\/a>. Her website is\u00a0kerryhannon.com<\/a>. Follow her on Twitter\u00a0@kerryhannon<\/a>.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Next Avenue Editors Also Recommend:<\/h2>\n
\n