WOMEN BUSINESS OWNERS: GET WBENC CERTIFIED NOW
Have you considered becoming certified as a Woman Owned Business?
It’s a terrific way to promote your company to major corporations and government contracts that are actively seeking to conduct business with a woman owned enterprise!
The best certifying organization in the US is WBENC – Women’s Business Enterprise National Council.
Since 1997 they have been the governing body certifying that a business is truly woman owned.
WBENC certifies for both the corporate and the government marketplace, and they provide opportunities for both to come together and do business.
These marketplaces are seeking to incorporate women owned businesses into their supply chains, and WBENC has you front and center to take advantage of these opportunities.
Through procurement conferences, MatchMaker Series, their annual National Conference & Business Fair and more… WBENC works to promote women entrepreneurs’ access to corporate contract opportunities by helping connect corporate purchasing officials with certified woman-owned businesses..
Whether your business is manufacturing, construction, electronics, robotics, goods and services… there are growth and revenue opportunities you’re missing by not becoming certified as a woman owned business.
The WBENC Application
To insure the business is in fact owned, operated and controlled by a woman, a 3rd party certification is necessary.
Yup… that means lots of documents are needed to support the application process (click here to see the list!).
If you’re like me, when you see an application filled with document requests and info, you say “Oh Yeah… I’ve got this!” You’ll have the application filled out and submitted within days.
However, if you’re like many of my clients… when you see this list of documents, you’re saying “Oh Hell No!” … and you run the other way!
If that’s the case, please hire me to get this done for you. I promise it will be much easier and a whole lot more fun!
I fill out the application… help you obtain the required documents… introduce you to your regional WBENC contact… and, depending on your schedule, we’ll complete and submit the application within a week.
Here are a few testimonials from clients:
Ande is one of the most delightful people that I have had the pleasure to work with. She helped me get organized to apply for a certification; she was so patient in allowing me to take on a few tasks at a time rather than overwhelming me with tasks all at once. Together, we got the job done successfully and within a short period of time. She is very knowledgeable and competent. I would highly recommend Ande for any business entrepreneur who needs help and support.” ~ Cathy Vee, Founder/President, HB Staffing
“I highly recommend Ande Lyons for support through the WBENC application process. Ande is a master at streamlining the process, so it seems possible to complete. She is with you every step of the way cheering you on and making the process fun! Her timely responses to all your questions allows you to continue your process without delay. I wish I had her by my side everyday for all my projects.” ~Marcie Braddock, Director of Operations Naomi Beard & Associates, Inc.
I’m so grateful for Cathy and Marcie’s kind feedback, and I’m thrilled they applied to WBENC!
How do I know so much about certification?
One of my earlier companies was a food manufacturing business. Knowing how hard it was to get on the shelves of groceries stores…. And how hard it was to keep margins in the food business… I reached out to WBENC for certification.
Even before I had my first customer… I went through the application process from my home office. And here’s what happened:
My product was picked up by hospitals and major corporations around the country. In less than 24 months of launching, my products were carried in 27 states and the margins I maintained were much higher than if I had been on retail shelves.
In fact, through the well-known food service company Sodexho, my product was picked up at Dana Farber Cancer Institute in Boston where it was distributed for free among chemo patients because of its high protein and carb components and because the patients loved the taste.
This never would have happened if I hadn’t been WBENC certified and participating in supplier diversity programs like Sodexho’s.
Is WBENC Certification right for you?
Click here and find out via WBENC’s quiz!
How much does it cost to be WBENC certified?
The application fee is $350 – $500, depending on your annual revenue; startups are welcome! All the documents are submitted to the regional approval board, after which someone comes out to your place of business to “kick the tires” to insure you are a woman owned enterprise.
Please… don’t leave money on the table… become a certified woman business owner… get your business into the supply chain of major corporate and government markets and grow your bottom line!
If you need to, hire me to get it done for you! I charge $400, payable through a PayPal invoice.
Call me… email me… book a free conversation with me… let’s get you in the queue and on your way to an even more profitable, sustainable business!
More Excellent Reasons to Become a WBENC Certified Woman Business Enterprise
Why Supplier Diversity is Good for Everyone via Inc Magazine