WBE - Women Business Enterprise

WBE: Levels of Certification

Tue, 23 Aug 2011 12:20:38 -0500

There are basically four different levels of WBE certifications:

Local WBE Certifications - These can be obtained by a local government certifying office, such as a city. You would want to obtain a local certification if you want to increase your chances of getting business from that particular local agency (such as the city in which your business is located).
State WBE Certifications - These can be obtained in most states through a state certifying office. You would want to obtain a state certification if you want to increase your chances of getting business from one or more state government agencies.
Federal WBE Certifications - These are self-certifying, and allow you to sell to the U.S. federal government. So if you want to sell to the federal government, then you can self-certify that you are a WBE enterprise.
National WBE Certifications - This is the type of certification you would consider if you want to have large corporations as clients. Some large corporations will accept either a National Certification or a State Certification, so before you rush out and get a National Certification, you would first want to see what the corporations that you want as clients would require.

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If you want more details about how to obtain these certifications, and also how to leverage them to sell to the government and Corporate America, then check out our BizCert product. BizCert contains instructions on how and where to obtain these certifications, demonstrations on how to find projects with each of these entities, and advanced strategies on how to market your business to them so you can grow your business.

WBE: Obtaining a State WBE Certification

Tue, 23 Aug 2011 12:19:12 -0500

If you want to obtain a state WBE certification, then you will need to contact the certifying office in the state in which you want to be certified. Most states have a WBE certification program, but some of them do not.

We have compiled an index of state certifying offices that you can consult as a starting point. Note that these links may change from time to time, so please don't use this index as the final authority on what certifications may be available in your state. With that said, here is where you can find our state certification index: http://www.businessthrival.com/mbewbe-certification

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WBE: Woman Owned Business Certification

Tue, 23 Aug 2011 12:17:40 -0500

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If you are a WBE, there are numerous advantages to obtaining one or more levels of certification. A WBE certification simply certifies that a business is in fact 51% owned, controlled, and operated by one or more women. But there are different levels of certification, and it can be very confusing on what exactly you need.

For example, if you have a business that doesn't want to have the government or any large corporation as a client, then there really isn't any need to obtain a WBE certification. But if you would like to have one of these deep pockets as clients, then you should definitely consider obtaining a WBE certification. The reason is because government agencies and many corporations are required to award a certain percentage of business each year to women owned businesses. And the way they know they are dealing with a woman owned business is through ensuring you have one of the particular certifications.

So before you rush out and get a WBE certification, you should first think about who you would like to have as a client, and then obtain the type of certification that is needed in order for you to increase your chances of getting work from that client.

The next article will look at some of the levels of certification.

WBE: Obtaining a National Certification

Tue, 23 Aug 2011 12:17:02 -0500

To obtain a National Certification, you would file an application with the Women's Business Enterprise Counsel (www.wbenc.org). WBENC is an agency that processes WBE certifications on a national level. As was discussed in another article herein, National Certifications help you increase your chances of selling to Corporate America.

If you would like to have large corporations (like the Targets and Wal-Marts of the world) as clients, then a National Certification is a good thing to consider. However, before you rush out and obtain a national certification, you would first want to consider who exactly you would like to obtain as clients, and what type of certification you want to see. Some corporations will accept State WBE Certifications, so you would not necessarily have to obtain a National Certification to do business with them.

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If you would like more details on how to obtain a National Certification and how to find out what opportunities exist for woman owned businesses with Corporate American, then you should consider purchasing our BizCert product for more advanced training.

WBE: Woman Owned Small Business Ideas

Tue, 23 Aug 2011 12:12:30 -0500

If you are thinking about starting your own woman owned business, there are several types of businesses you can consider. This article will explore some service oriented businesses, as well as some product oriented businesses.

Service-Oriented Business Ideas

Here are some ideas on the types of businesses you could start quickly, and with little to no up-front investment:

virtual assistant
graphic designer
personal shopper
typist

In order to find work in your area of interest or expertise, you can either respond to posts that others have already placed, or submit your own posting or resume. For example, it is very common for people seeking virtual assistants and typists to post a listing on craigslist.org.

If you are a graphic designer, a great way to get work is through sources such as 99designs.com or elance.com. Those sites are where graphic design and other internet type projects get posted, and those who are interested in the project can submit responses or sample work to win the project.

Another service-based business you could start is one where you provide services to the government or Corporate America. The government and Corporate America also buy nearly any type of service you can imagine, such as typing, training, and more. In fact, as a woman, you can obtain a WBE certification to certify that you are are a woman-owned business. By having such a certification, you can increase your chances of getting work from the government or Corporate America.

There are a number of articles about WBE certifications and selling to the government and Corporate America on the other pages in this web site. So please check them out if you would like more information on this possible business opportunity. We also have some free training you can obtain on WBE certifications, as you see below:

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That should give you a few ideas on the type of service business you could start from home. Now let's look at some ideas you could consider for starting a product-based business.

Product-Based Business Ideas

If you would like to start a woman-owned business that sells products, then there a number of product-based businesses that you could start.

Here are some examples of product-based businesses that take little to no capital to start:

Selling an information product that you create based upon some topic that is in demand (like an ebook, training product, videos, etc.)
Selling products on eBay or other auction sites
Becoming an affiliate and selling products offered by third parties. You can find such products through affiliate programs such as Commission Junction or Clickbank.

And just as was noted above with respect to services, the government and Corporate America also buy nearly every type of product you can imagine, from toilet paper, to computers, to T-shirts, etc.

So you may also want to consider exploring opportunities to sell products to the government and Corporate America. If you do, you should also consider obtaining a WBE certification to certify that you are are a woman-owned business. By having such a certification, you can increase your chances of getting work from the government or Corporate America because they are required to award a certain percent of their business to woman-owned companies.

WBE - Women Business Enterprise

Tue, 23 Aug 2011 12:12:06 -0500

What is a WBE? WBE stands for "Woman Business Enterprise". If a WBE is 51% or more "owned, controlled, and operated by" a woman, then you can qualify for what is called a WBE certification.

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WBE certifications certify that your company is indeed majority owned by a woman. But why would you want to obtain one? Well, government agencies and large corporations who receive government money are REQUIRED to award a certain percentage of their contracts/projects to woman-owned businesses. So by obtaining a WBE certification, you greatly increase your chances of getting these deep pockets as clients.

WBE: Business Resources for Women Owned Businesses

Tue, 23 Aug 2011 12:06:54 -0500

There are a number of resources that are available for businesses in general, such as the U.S. Small Business Administration, Score.org, and web sites for entrepreneurs such as StartupNation.com.

One great resource for women owned businesses are the Women Business Centers that are funded by the SBA. These Women Business Centers are located around the country and assist WBE's with a wide range of advice and training.

The National Association of Women's Business Owner's (NAWBO) is an organization that any women business may want to consider joining. NAWBO has chapters in every state, and is designed to help women businesses grow and achieve the respect that they deserve.

Another great resource for any type of business is the Secretary of State web site in your state. Many Secretary of State web sites have entrepreneur guides that give you guidance on doing business in that particular state.

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WBE: Obtaining a Federal Certification

Sat, 14 Aug 2010 19:51:20 -0500

Federal WBE certifications are probably some of the most misunderstood certifications. That is because there is actually no formal certification process for becoming a WBE to sell to the federal government. It is basically a "self-certifying" process, which means that if you say you are 51% owned, controlled, and operated by a woman, they will accept your word for it. If you are later awarded a contract, they may ask you for proof of this fact, so don't say you are if you are not.

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But the great news is that you can get started immediately doing business with the federal government without waiting on a WBE certification. What is even better news than this is that the federal government has mandatory goals for awarding 5% of their contracts to woman owned businesses. So if you are a WBE, then you can look for special projects are are set-aside just for women owned businesses.

If you want to learn advanced techniques for finding federal opportunities for women owned businesses, then you should consider purchasing our BizCert product. In that product, we cover the 3 ways that the federal government buys goods and services. Two of them are online portals that are easy to use, and one of them is not (and most people don't know about the latter - so you can get a leg up on the competition if you want to know the insider secrets).