I’m pleased to announce that Web Savvy Marketing is now a WBE certified web agency. WSM was formally certified as a Women Business Enterprise (WBE) by the National Women Business Owners Corporation.
NWBOC was the first national certifier of Women Business Enterprises. Over 700 public and private sector individuals participated in establishing the Standards and Procedures of this rigid certification review.
The Reason WBE Certification is Important
For Web Savvy becoming WBE certified provides expanded marketing opportunities because it connects our web design agency with corporations who seek a diverse supplier base. While I’ve never been one to play the “female card” I did moved forward with certification because I knew it would be a benefit to our website design clients.
Many purchasing departments within large corporations and government agencies have programs for allotting a certain percentage of business to women-owned companies. These purchase departments seek minority suppliers because it allows the organization to receive tax breaks for procuring materials and tax incentives for purchasing services from minority suppliers.
A Little About the WBE Certification Process
Certification programs like NWBOC provide a structured review process for ensuring women-owned businesses are truly female owned and have women in core leadership roles.
Specific criteria for becoming WBE certified includes key elements such as:
- A woman must own 51 percent of the business to qualify for certification.
- A woman must hold the highest position at the company and be active in daily management and the strategic direction of the company.
- A woman must also be a U.S. citizen.
- The business should be at least six months old.
The certification process is not for the faint at heart. I spent multiple month preparing applications, digging out paperwork, and being interviewed. Is all of this paperwork really necessary? Yes it is, because the process ensures women business owners adhere to national standards and best-in-class practices.
The outcome of the process is a formal certificate that is renewed annually. Our NWBOC certificate number is CNC13499. In addition, we maintain the following procurement registrations:
- DUNS # 021036580
- NAICS Code 541613 Marketing consulting services
- NAICS Code 541430 Graphic design services
- NAICS Code 541511 Custom computer programming services
Want to Become WBE Certified?
If you are interested in obtaining your own minority certification, you can learn more at one of the following sources:
- National Women Business Owners Corporation
- Women’s Business Enterprise National Council
- US Small Business Administration
- Inc.com: How to Become a Certified Woman-Owned Business
I’d highly suggest you purchase the DIY kit from NWBOC. It will be a great resource for helping guide you through the process. It helped save me a lot of time and allowed me to dig through my paperwork to find all the necessary documents.
Congratulations, Rebecca! It sounds like a rigorous process, glad you are WBE certified.
John it was much more than I realized going in. Without the kit (a three inch binder) I would have lost it!
Kuddos for completing that application process and living to tell about it!
Thanks Katie. The good news is it did point out a few pieces of paper I was missing. For that I was thankful.