3 Women-Owned Business Certifications You Should Look Into
Most of us know firsthand that building visibility as a small business is hard. There are some tried-and-true options, of course—going to networking events, telling our friends and family, posting on social media. For a lot of us, that all fits under marketing...and it’s hard.
The good news, though, is that there are other available avenues to ensuring business success. One of the most sure-fire ways of bringing in steady business is working on certifications. By getting certain certifications, you can increase your access to new clients, while building a good rapport with the ones you already have.
As women entrepreneurs, we have additional options open to us—provided (in most cases) we own at least 51% of our businesses.
These certifications are designed to promote small business success and help large corporations find quality women-owned businesses to partner with. You also gain a community—one that offers training, mentorship programs, and access to women with similar goals.
What Are Certifications?
Certifications are official stamps of approval that your business can earn if it meets specific qualifications. For example, the apples in the grocery store’s organic section are USDA certified organic—this means the USDA investigated the apple provider and found that they were indeed producing organic apples. For the purposes of this article, your business is the apple!
Why Are Certifications Helpful?
Certifications open doors for you. They give you exclusive access to federal and big business bids you most likely wouldn’t acquire on your own. Getting certified helps keep your business (and employees) consistently busy.
Being a certified business also builds customer confidence. Just like you are more comfortable buying organic produce certified by the USDA, some customers are more comfortable doing business with you if they know you have earned a certification.
Certifications for the Federal and Non-Federal Sectors
Both the federal and the non-federal sectors have their own certifications and qualifications. The purpose for all of these certifications is the same: to increase corporate visibility of women-owned businesses!
Federal Certifications
There are 2 main federal certifications for women-owned businesses, and both are issued by the Small Business Association (SBA). They are the Women-Owned Small Business (WSOB) and Economically Disadvantaged Women-Owned Small Businesses (EDWOSB) Certifications.
Women-Owned Small Business Certification (WOSB)
WOSB gives women-owned businesses a chance to compete in fields where they are underrepresented. The SBA sets aside federal contracts for WOSB certified small businesses, increasing opportunity and decreasing competition. They also offer training and mentorship programs, where they give you tips and advice about how to manage and grow your business.
Here are the standards you have to meet to qualify for the WOSB certification:
Be a small business.
Be at least 51 percent owned and controlled by women who are U.S. citizens.
Have women manage day-to-day operations and also make long-term decisions.
Economically Disadvantaged Women-Owned Small Businesses (EDWOSB)
The EDWOSB gives you the same advantages as the WOSB—the difference lies in its qualifications. If your business’ total adjusted income for the last 3 years is under $350,000 this is the certification you should look into. Here are the qualifications for the EDWOSB:
Meet all the requirements of the women’s contracting program.
Be owned and controlled by one or more women, each with a personal net worth less than $750,000.
Be owned and controlled by one or more women, each with $350,000 or less in adjusted gross income averaged over the previous three years.
Be owned and controlled by one or more women, each $6 million or less in personal assets.
Non-Federal Certification
There is another well-known, non-federal certification that covers private and state-owned businesses. This certification is issued by the Women Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC).
The WBENC is the largest women-owned business in America, and their goal is to assist and advocate for fellow women business owners. This is a truly amazing group of women!
Women Business Enterprise Certification (WBE)
This certification opens business opportunities in the non-federal sector—think airlines, state-owned businesses, and private corporations. WBE businesses can connect directly with larger businesses and they have access to training, mentorship programs, and networking opportunities.
To become WBE certified, you have to:
Be at least 51% owned and controlled by women.
Show fiscal responsibility via tax returns, bank statements and business credit rating.
Have the capacity to succeed. The company’s principles must have a certain level of experience in the market they are going into. If your field requires licenses, it may be necessary that those licenses are held by the principles.
It’s All About the Visibility
These certifications are designed to benefit both women-owned businesses, and the corporations hiring them.
All corporations have a federally required goal to give at least 5% of their subcontracting work to women-owned businesses (some state jurisdictions have a higher goal percentage). These certifications increase the visibility of women-owned businesses so corporations can find quality partners who provide the services they need.
This is by no means charity—all these certifications do is open a door for you and your business. Once that door is open, it’s entirely up to you. If your product or service is high quality and you have an effective marketing strategy, you will prosper!
Learn More About How to Get Certified!
Interested in seeing if you qualify for some of these certifications? Here are links to the websites where you can qualify, then apply!
WOSB and EDWOSB Certifications: https://beta.certify.sba.gov
WBE Certification: https://www.wbenc.org/certification-process