PPB December 2015

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specifically from categorized businesses
such as minority, limited income and, of
course, women-owned. So a company that is
not WBE certified may be overlooked sim-
ply because of an agency’s budgetary
requirements.
First Things First
The main prerequisite for WBE certifi-
cation is that the business must be at least
51 percent owned, controlled and operated
by a woman or a group of women. This pre-
vents a female figurehead from acting as the
face of a predominately male-owned com-
pany. Once majority control has been veri-
fied, there are a few ways the company can
go about becoming certified. Many local
agencies offer programs for certification, but
their process can be overwhelming, confus-
ing and generally discouraging. As an alter-
native, third-party companies have been
launched to make obtaining certification a
simple and easy choice.
The Women’s Business Enterprise
National Council, or WBENC, is the ulti-
mate tool for any woman thinking of earn-
ing the WBE certification. Established in
1997, it is the largest third-party endorser of
women-owned businesses. With 14 regional
partners across the U.S., WBENC is able to
provide businesswomen with a multitude of
networking options and help them maintain
more effective relationships with their
clients. Outside the U.S., certification is pro-
vided by its alliance partner, WEConnect
International.
Getting to the benefits of certification
requires a bit of paperwork. Susan Cates,
WBENC’s certification and WBENCLink
manager, isn’t shy about letting potential
applicants know the number of forms
required for certification, but she says the
surplus of paperwork makes it more difficult
to falsify information. Once the required
documents are submitted and reviewed, and
if the application is approved, a representa-
tive from WBENC visits the business to
ensure that it’s woman-owned. A represen-
tative from WBENC interviews the
owner(s) to make sure they can walk the
walk and talk the talk, Cates says.
Let’s Talk Benefits
While having the WBENC can guaran-
tee women business owners plenty of net-
working opportunities, it doesn’t guarantee
success. Teresa Gonzalez, CAS, owner of Stay
Visible, an iPROMOTEu affiliate in New
Fairfield, Connecticut and a certified WBE,
acknowledges the preparation required.
“You really have to be prepared and
committed to doing the work. It does pay
off in the long run but you have to have
repetitive interactions,” she says, referring to
the networking prospects provided by
WBENC’s regional partners. Another draw
for Gonzalez was the comfort of having a
national backer that provided the closeness
of a local agency. The organization’s ability
to provide resources at a local level through
networking events and prospective-buyer
introductions is what impressed her the
most, she says.
Through these networking opportuni-
ties, 12,500 certified women lean on each
other for support and guidance, and have
access to a database of potential buyers. But
simply accessing a database isn’t what sets
WBENC apart from other certifiers; it’s
their MatchMaking series. Women are able
to participate in one-on-on meetings with
WBENC corporate members as well those
in charge of purchasing for a number of fed-
eral, state and local government agencies.
These relationships are crucial to those who
know how to use them. Gonzalez says she
has realized the potential of these
MatchMaking sessions. “The more I devel-
oped the relationships, the more opportuni-
ties I ended up hearing about,” she says,
adding that those relationships often evolved
into customers.
60 • PPB • DECEMBER 2015 THINK
Many local agencies offer programs for certification, but their process can be
overwhelming, confusing and generally discouraging. As an alternative, third-
party companies have been launched to make obtaining certification a simple
and easy choice. “
”
A Step-By-Step Summary Of
The Certification Process
1. A business entity submits an
application, along with the neces-
sary supporting documentation, a
notarized sworn affidavit and the
non-refundable processing fee.
2. Each regional partner organiza-
tion has a trained review commit-
tee that meets on a monthly
basis. Once the applicant’s file is
complete (meaning all documen-
tation pertinent to the business
and legal structure has been
received), the application packet
is reviewed by the committee.
3. An on-site visit is conducted at a
predetermined time with the
majority woman business owner.
4. At a subsequent committee meet-
ing following the site visit, a final
determination is made regarding
the applicant’s eligibility.
o If certification is granted, the
company’s owner and
assigned contact will receive
an automated email notifica-
tion telling them they have
been certified and may access
their certificate online.
o A formal letter is mailed to the
owner if certification is denied.
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