Tag Archives: women business certification

Five Proven Ways Women Business Owners Can Promote Their Company

Posted on Friday, 27 January
by Dr. Pamela Williamson

Are you a woman business owner looking for new clients? For any business lead generation is key to ensure a constant flow of clients to fuel business growth.

You may have a great brand, wonderful staff and a passion for what you do, but without promotion you can only grow to a certain point if you don’t get in front of those who want to do business with you.

Here are 5 proven ways women business owners can promote their company:

  1. Have a Responsive Website: This one may seem obvious, but there are still those who don’t have a website. With the world going digital having a responsive website (optimized for mobile phones and smart devices) is essential today. Make sure your web address is included on all printed material such as business cards, catalogs, invoices, packaging and more. Also be sure to include it in online publications, newsletters and social media to drive people to visit you online.
  2. Press Releases – It’s important to shout out and perhaps send out a press release when you have something to announce, such as a new and improved web experience, a new product or service your company has introduced, an important member of staff or perhaps a new technology your firm has adopted. Make your announcement to the media, targeted mailing lists of potential clients and be sure to include all of your current customers and clients.
  3. Business Networking & Social Media – Attending networking events and Business Matchmakers are a great way to meet new business owners and potential clients and build connections. But why stop there? Setting up a company page on some popular Social Media outlets can get you seen globally, not just locally. One thing to note however is that when you’re marketing on social media make sure your messages reflect your brand identity which can take years to build, but often just one mistake to destroy.
  4. Multi-channel Business Marketing – Still handing out business cards at conferences and using direct mail to distribute brochures? Just like everything else, business promotion has also evolved. There are many automated marketing solutions in the market that will send out email, SMS, voice messages and even surveys on auto-pilot for you, so you can focus on your business while the software helps you generate new leads.
  5. Getting Certified – Getting certified is a critical step towards business promotion. Organizations like WBEC-West make sure their WBEs get ample exposure by showcasing them in their quarterly newsletters and sending out an email to their large list of WBEs and Corporate Sponsors. This one step alone can get you the potential eyeballs you need to get your business noticed to procure key contracts.

Do you have more marketing tips to share? Let us know in the comments below.

Top 3 Benefits to Get WBE Certification for your Business with WBEC-West

Posted on Wednesday, 21 December
by Dr. Pamela Williamson

Thinking of getting your business certified? There are a few third-party certifiers when it comes to getting your WBE certification. But if you reside in any one of the Western States including, Arizona, Colorado, Southern California, Utah, Wyoming, Nevada, Hawaii and Guam then WBENC certification through WBEC-West may be right for you.

WBEC-West, a regional partner of the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC), implements the certification standards of WBENC all across the western states. WBENC certification is recognized all over America and honored by 10,000+ major corporations.

Here are top 3 benefits of getting your business WBE certified with WBEC-West:

Being a part of the WBEC-West Community

One of the biggest advantages of getting your business certified with WBEC-West is that you automatically become a member of the WBEC-West Community. The community is an indispensable resource empowering you with the ability to communicate with  other certified WBEs to share best practices and to grow WBE to WBE connections and corporate relationships. You also get the opportunity to mentor other WBEs or apply for mentorship through our Ambassador program.

Participating in Business Matchmaking Sessions

WBEC-West hosts corporate workshops around the year! Get the insider information you need to successfully engage corporations and increase your business exposure and opportunities. Participate in informal networking and face-to-face matchmaking sessions with WBEC-West Regional Corporate Members and WBENC Corporate Members in our coveted Annual WBEC-West Procurement Opportunity Conference & Awards Gala.

Procurement Buyers Database Access

As a certified WBE you also get access to a group of supplier diversity and procurement executives at hundreds of major U.S. corporations and federal, state and local government entities that accept WBENC certification. You also get automatic inclusion in WBENCLink, WBENC’s Internet database of certified WBEs, which is accessible by WBENC’s Corporate Members and other certified WBEs across the country.

You can also find out what’s going on with WBEs across the nation by reading our informative blog and get the know-how on how to procure corporate contracts ­and grow your business through our educational webinars.

Now that you know the benefits, click to learn how to qualify for WBEC-West Certification!

Find the Certification That’s Right for Your Business

Posted on Monday, 31 October
by Dr. Pamela Williamson

Which certification is right for me? You might ask yourself this question when looking for a competitive advantage and it can be confusing, so in this post we’ll go over a few basics to help you make an informed decision.

You’ve probably heard of the 8(a) Business Development Program which no doubt is a great program but it’s not for everyone. Acceptance is limited to businesses considered small as per the SBA requirements. Also you have to prove 51% or higher economic AND social disadvantage. If you don’t belong to any socially disadvantaged groups it will be hard to prove you are eligible for certification.

The Women-Owned Small Business Program is available to small business where a woman owns and controls 51% or more of the company. The word control is key here, and there are documents you will need to prove that you “control” a certain percentage of the business.

Third-party certifiers like WBEC-West empower women business owners to get the certifications needed to apply for procurement opportunities in the public and private sector. Major corporations align themselves with many third-party certifying organizations in their endeavor to expand their procurement efforts. If you are a WBE meeting the requirements for certification, getting certified can be a great way of getting your foot in the door for competing and winning federal and corporate contracts and making strong business connections with other certified WBEs.

Similar to the requirements for WBEs, Veteran-Owned Small Business (VOSB) and Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business Programs also exist. The 51% or better criteria applies here as well and it is imperative that over half the business is owned and controlled by a Veteran or service disabled Veteran. There are many third-party organizations that also certify veterans and if you meet the criteria, this certification might be right for you.

Now, let’s get back to the question – which certification is right for me?

If you are a fairly new company getting WBE or VOSB certified with a third-party certifying agency can be a good step to meet like-minded businesses and build business connections leading to partnerships and joint ventures. It’ll also help you build experience in the commercial sector with large corporations.

Also if you’ve never applied for a Federal contract, you might not need to dive into 8(a) right away until you’ve gained some experience.

If you’ve worked as a Sub for a Prime Contractor or want to partner with a Prime looking for a Minority/Veteran and Women-owned business to partner with getting certified can be a great idea.

See  how we can help you get WBE certified or learn more about the benefits of certification.