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CERTIFIERS:

 

NWBOC http://www.nwboc.org

National Women Business Owners Corporation

  • This is an organization that offers the following certifications for businesses:

    • WBE (Women Business Enterprise)

    • WOSB (Women-Owned Small Business)

    • EDWOSB (Economically Disadvantaged Women-Owned Small Business)

    • VBE (Veteran Business Enterprise)

    • VWBE (Veteran Woman Business Enterprise)

       

WBENC http://www.wbenc.org

Women’s Business Enterprise National Council

  • This is an organization that offers the following certifications for businesses:

    • WBE (Women Business Enterprise)

    • WOSB (Women-Owned Small Business)

       

Additional information about certification through WBENC:

 

http://www.wbecouncil.org/ContentServlet?targetAction=displayProgramEventList&progId=10084

  • Most widely accepted/recognized certification for Women’s Businesses Enterprises (WBE)

  • Over 700 major corporations, non-profits, and many local, state, and federal government entities accept this certification.

  • Many companies require that you are WBENC certified before they can include you in their supplier diversity programs.

  • Once certified through WBENC, you can list your business profile in WBENCLink  (an online database that is used by hundreds of corporations across the USA)

 

TESTIMONIALS:

 

http://www.aristocattransportation.com/blog-0/bid/254278/Benefits-of-Having-a-WBENC-Certification

  • This links to a webpage describing the benefits of WBENC

http://blog.timesunion.com/womenatwork/can-wbe-certification-help-your-business/3148/

  • “’For the Saile Group specifically, our certification was critical to our success. Because of our strong focus in the industrial construction market, we stand out as a unique business not only because we offer comprehensive solutions, but also because we are a WBE that is certified to sell construction, industrial, and commercial goods and services.’” (Anne Saile, founder and president of Saile Group LLC, a full service management company with a focus on the industrial and commercial construction markets)

  •  “’The fact that I was a WBE on a bigger team really made me attractive. Not only did I have the skills and the experience to do it, but the fact that I was certified gave the prime extra credit in going after that opportunity,’ Walters says.” (Ruth S. Walters is the owner of Walters Group Consulting, LLC)

  • “’Clearly, being certified does open doors for you. It doesn’t open them all. I always tell our WBEs that, part of what they have to do is work the process,’ Firestone says.” (Marsha Firestone is founder and president of the Women Presidents’ Organization (WPO) and of the Women Presidents’ Educational Organization (WPEO))

http://www.bizjournals.com/bizjournals/how-to/marketing/2013/09/is-woman-owned-business-certification.html?page=all

  • “Since getting certification with the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council and becoming a Woman Business Enterprise with the state of Pennsylvania, AlphaGraphics’ revenue has doubled.”

  • “Some, in fact, say the process, which is far from painless, just isn’t worth it. There is no certification that is uniformly accepted nationwide, meaning that while national certifications like WBENC carry the most weight, some public and private clients may still require local certification. And the process is complex, requiring extensive documentation, including financial statements and, in some cases, on-site visits.”

  • “Gunning said what is most frustrating is how time-consuming it is to gather all of the information needed to apply for certification.”

  • “Harris said certification isn’t for every business; for example, if you only sell your product or service directly to consumers, it likely wouldn’t pay off. Business owners have to do their due diligence to see where opportunities lie, both in the public and private sector.”

  • “Still, “getting certified can be a massive undertaking, especially at the small business level,” Peterson said.”

  • In conclusion: The certification process is time consuming and tedious, as well as the annual recertification process. It is up to the company to determine whether it will be beneficial or not. For companies that are providing goods or services to aim to provide goods or services to private or public companies, this certification could help by allowing the providers to fit into a diversity requirement that the company has. There is also no single nationally accepted certification, although WBENC certification is usually accepted. In some cases, businesses may require an additional local or state certification, which is additional tedious paperwork for the company to complete.

http://www.bloomberg.com/bw/stories/2004-11-10/should-women-biz-owners-certify

  • “Whether you should seek certification depends upon your target market, says Blanca Robinson, senior director of field operations for the Women's Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC), which bills itself as the nation's largest third-party certifier. For instance, if you are marketing your products or services to the general public, it's probably not necessary to become certified. But many companies find certification can give them an extra edge, which can be particularly helpful when facing off with larger competitors.”

  • Certification is expensive and time consuming, involving a lot of paperwork and sometimes even a site visit.

  • It is in the business owners’ best interest to become certified when she/they plan to do business with local, state, or federal government agencies.

  • “ In New York, for example, you can apply for certification through the Economic Development Dept. (information is available at the site for Minority and Women-Owned Businesses.”

  • Certification can add credibility to a business regardless if it plans to do business with the government.

  • It is a competitive advantage to have the certification when dealing with businesses that need to meet diversity requirements.

  • In conclusion: It is up to each company to decide whether a certification could help them appear more credible or fulfill diversity requirements at the companies to which they are providing goods and/or services.

 

 

USWCC https://uswcc.org/certification/

U.S. Women’s Chamber of Commerce

  • This is an organization that offers the following certifications for businesses:

    • NWBE (National Women’s Business Enterprise)*

    • IWBE (International Women’s Business Enterprise)*

    • WOSB (Women-Owned Small Business)

    • EDWOSB (Economically Disadvantaged Women-Owned Small Business)

      • * - Unique certifications to USWCC but I think they are just more specific forms of the WBE certification.

 

 

CERTIFICATIONS:

 

WBE Certification

            - This certification requires annual renewal through the third party certifier. Renewal has a similar cost to the initial certification but requires less paperwork.

Related sites

http://www.nwboc.org

http://www.wbenc.org

https://uswcc.org/certification/nwbe-certification/

 

-          The three above links act as third party certifiers for the WBE certification.

https://www1.nyc.gov/nycbusiness/description/minority-and-womenowned-business-enterprise-certification-program-mwbe/about

-          The above link certifies businesses for free as WBE but only for New York City.

-           

 

Qualifications needed

-          Company must be at least 51% owned by one or more women and primarily managed by one or more women (i.e. CEO and/or President positions must be held by women)

-          The women must be U.S. citizens or legal residents

-          A woman must have had the ownership position for at least six months

-          The female owner must be active in daily management

 

Application process

http://www.nwboc.org/Apply/Download_WBE_Application.html

-$400 for the certification.  

-This is a link to the application through NWBOC. It requires over 30 items and is an 11 page application. The necessary items can be found through the above link. It includes such things as:

     -  Birth certificates of principals, financial statements, tax returns, business licenses, and a sworn affidavit, among other things.

         http://www.nwboc.org/Apply/Application_Kit.html

-          This is a kit for purchase which details the necessary documents needed to obtain certification for WBE, WOSB, EDWOSB, VBE, or VEBE ($60)

-          This kit is not necessary; it just will help organize the process.

http://www.wbenc.org/documentation-required-for-wbenc-certification

- This link is to a list of all the materials needed for certification through WBENC. It includes:

     - Birth certificates of principals, financial statements, tax returns, business licenses, and a sworn affidavit, among other things.

-To find a printable version of necessary materials, one can use the link on the site.  

- To use this company, one must be in touch with their assigned Regional Partner Organization (RPO) to find out the certification fee.

 - The link on the site shows the contact information for the RPO for each region. I have included the contact information for the RPOs for New York in the last row.

https://cvmas17.cvmsolutions.com/wbenclink/

-The above link is the link to the application through WBENC. An account must be created to access the application.

 

http://uswcc.org/certification/nwbe-certification/

-$275 for members of the U.S. Women’s Chamber of Commerce, $350 for non-members for the certification.

      - This link redirects to the page that describes the application process through this organization. This organization uses many other links that cannot be reproduced on a Word Document for their application. However, if a company were to use this website, the application would be completed by making accounts on the website and using the dropbox file for the application.

      - This site certifies the NWBE and IWBE. The IWBE demonstrates international preparedness status. The NWBE is for nationally-focuses businesses.

 

https://www1.nyc.gov/nycbusiness/description/minority-and-womenowned-business-enterprise-certification-program-mwbe/about

-          This site certifies businesses as WBE but it is for New York City only. This program aims to help fuel the City’s economy with WBE and promote fairness and equality.

-          This application is free. The renewal cycle is five years but each year there must be a small amount of paperwork submitted to show that the business has not changed dramatically. The application is on the website, one must create an account and submit the application.

 

Costs and documentation required

 NWBOC - $400 – 11 page application on site.

-          $60 kit available to help with application process.

-          (If applying also for WOSB, whose separate cost is $400, joint cost is $700, saving $100 from applying separately.)

-          Processing time is 1-3 months

WBENC - Fee is determined by the RPO once the company makes contact.

-          List of all required documents on site

-          Application accesses through above link (https://cvmas17.cvmsolutions.com/wbenclink/) and an account must be created to have access to application.

-          Processing time is usually 90 days from when application is completed.

USWCC - $350, $275 for members

-          The application is on the site and is encompassed of multiple links/log-ins that need to be filled out

-          10 – 14 days processing time after application is completed

nyc.gov – Application is free

-          One can apply by fast track or standard application. There is no time frame on the site, but one would assume fast track would speed up the process.

Benefits of certification

-          The company, depending on which Third Party Certifier used, will receive a package including a spot on a list of certified businesses and usually a complimentary workshop for similar businesses.

-          Guarantees with credibility that the certified company is woman run. Most publicly held corporations, large private corporations, local, state, and federal government purchasing agencies track and have programs for doing businesses with women owned companies, which relies on WBE Certification. Using this certification, women owned companies can further occupy a reserved niche in the market.

 

Is this valuable? Worth time?

The certification will add credibility to the company and will be part of the business development strategy. Some larger private and public companies, as well as government entities, will fill quotas by choosing to use the business of certified WBE.

 

All certifications expire after a year and must be renewed annually. The paperwork is less after the initial certification, but there is still a considerable change with each recertification, similar to the initial charge.  

 

For a business centered in NYC, the application on nyc.gov would be very beneficial because of how specific it is to NYC businesses. In addition, it is free, so if coupled with an different certification that requires similar paperwork it would be easy to fill out.

Additional Information

New York, South Connecticut, North New Jersey RPO for WBENC:

Link for more information and other territories: http://www.wbenc.org/regional-partner-organizations2

Women Presidents’ Educational Organization-NY

Marsha Firestone, Ph.D.

President and Founder

marsha@womenpresidentsorg.com

Miranda Curtis

Program Manager

certification@womenpresidentsorg.com

 

Final opinions

NWBOC and USWCC third party certifiers appear to be the easiest to use to obtain this certification. By using either of these, the business owner is not obligated to establish contact with the RPO. However, the RPO could act as a helpful business contact for some companies.

In addition, the USWCC and NWBOC also certify WOSB and EDWOSB. The application process for two certifications will be streamlined if done through the same third party certifier.   NYC certification would be helpful for a company centered with services and goods being sold to other businesses in NYC.

 

 

 

WOSB Certification

  • “The WOSB Program is a program that authorizes contracting officers to specifically limiting, or setting aside, certain requirements for competition solely amongst women-owned small businesses (WOSBs) or economically disadvantaged women-owned small businesses (EDWOSBs).”  (sba.gov)

  • “A business can either be certified by a third party certifier or self-certify. To self-certify, a business must certify to the contracting officer that it is a small business concern owned and controlled by women and provide adequate documentation, in accordance with standards established by SBA, to support such certification.” (sba.gov)

Related sites

http://www.nwboc.org

http://www.wbenc.org

http://uswcc.org/certification/

- The four above links act as third party certifiers for Women Owned Small Businesses.

https://www.sba.gov/content/women-owned-small-business-program

- sba.gov says that a company can self-certify

Qualifications needed

-          Company must be at least 51% owned by one or more women and primarily managed by one or more women

-          The women must be U.S. citizens

-          The firm must be “small” in its primary industry in accordance with SBA’s size standards for that industry

-           

Application process

https://uswcc.org/certification/wosb-certification/

-          Certification through the USWCC is explained in the above link. If the company is also getting WBE certified, the cost will cover WOSB certification also.

 

http://www.nwboc.org/Apply/Download_WOSB__EDWOSB_Application.html

- Certification through the NWBOC is explained in the above link. The application is available for viewing/completion on the site. It is very similar to the WBE application but requires some additional documents.

 

http://www.wbenc.org/get-wosb-certified

-          The application process is very similar to WBE certification – while getting WBE certified or recertified, it is easy to also get WOSB certified. The paperwork for WOSB is mostly the same as the paperwork for WBE, so you can just use the same application while enclosing some additional documents.

 

 

Costs and documentation required

http://www.wbenc.org/get-wosb-certified

-Certification is free through WBENC as a complementary certification to the WBE.

-Certification takes about 30 days to process if company is already WBE certified.

-Applicant must have a DUNS # (http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform)

-Applicant must be registered in SAM (System for Award Management) (https://www.sam.gov/portal/SAM/##11)

- Applicant needs a copy of WOSB certification and proof of active registration in SAM 

 

- Certification through NWBOC and USWCC are available as well as self-certification, but certification through WBENC seems to be the most credible/helpful. The requirements for all certifications are very similar.

Benefits of certification

-          23% of Federal prime contract dollars must be awarded to small businesses

-          Federal government must award 5% of its prime and subcontract dollars to WOSB

-          Aims to ensure a level playing field on which small businesses can compete for Federal contracting opportunities

-          The SBA will determine the industries in which the small businesses are underrepresented and those small businesses will be awarded set-asides.

     - If the contract is for services, it cannot exceed 3 million dollars.

     - If the contract is for manufacturing, it cannot exceed 5 million dollars.

 

Is this valuable? Worth time?

https://wbc.fit.edu/documents/AskaBusinessExpert-WOSBandWBENCcertification5-23-13.pdf

- It may be worth it to get the certification if your main target is the federal government or prime government contractors. In addition, major corporations such as Coca-Cola, Wal-Mart, and Disney are committed to doing business with “WBENC-certified women business enterprises,” so obtaining the certification could aid a businesses in appealing to one of these companies or similar companies.

 

sba.gov – to contact for more information: Director, Office of Government Contracting, U.S. Small Business Administration, 409 – 3rd Street, S.W., Washington, DC 20416.

 

 

 

 

 

 

EDWOSB Certification

Related sites

http://www.nwboc.org

http://uswcc.org/certification/

- The two above links act as third party certifiers for Economically Disadvantaged Women Owned Small Businesses.

https://www.sba.gov/content/women-owned-small-business-program

 

Qualifications needed

-          Company must be at least 51% owned by one or more women and primarily managed by one or more women

-          The women must be U.S. citizens

-          The firm must be “small” in its primary industry in accordance with SBA’s size standards for that industry

-          The owners must demonstrate economic disadvantage in accordance with the requirements set forth in the final rule

“To be eligible for the Economically Disadvantaged Woman Owned Small Business (EDWOSB) certification, the following requirements must be met:

1.      Personal net worth (assets minus liabilities) is less than $750,000

2.      Adjusted gross income average over three years is $350,000 or less

3.       Fair market value of assets is $6M or less” (https://wbc.fit.edu/documents/AskaBusinessExpert-WOSBandWBENCcertification5-23-13.pdf)

Application process

-          The application is filled out through the above links. It is very similar to the other applications to WOSB and WBE except economic disadvantage must be demonstrated.

 

 

Costs and documentation required

No cost for self-certification, cost for certification can be found on each site. Usually between 300 and 400 dollars.

Documentation is similar to WOSB/WBE but additional documentation is needed to prove economic disadvantage.

Benefits of certification

-          Benefits similar to benefits of WOSB.

 

Is this valuable? Worth time?

- By getting EDWOSB certified, you automatically qualify for WOSB certification. Therefore the benefits are very similar to those of the WOSB certification – the company can be used to fill diversity requirements that are present at many government entities and major corporations.





















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