How to Become a Certified Woman-Owned Business
Follow These Steps
Make Sure You Meet the Criteria
The most essential requirement for achieving certification as a women-owned enterprise is majority control. That means a woman must own 51 percent of the business to qualify for certification. However, ownership is just a small part of the equation.
The term ownership goes beyond numbers in this case. A woman must also hold the highest position at the company and be active in daily management and the strategic direction of the company. In addition to being a majority owner, a woman must also be a U.S. citizen, and it is recommended that she be in business for at least six months. If you meet these three main requirements as a business owner, you can begin the process of putting together your application.
Get Organized
There is a long list of documents that you will need to get together for your application. This is probably the most arduous part of the certification process, and if you're not organized or haven't kept track of important business documents, getting everything together can be even more time consuming and challenging.
You may also want to enlist someone to help you out as you begin to get organized. "Most women are too busy leading their company and don't have time to do a lot of the administrative work associated with the application process," says Harris-Lange. In that case, working with a trusted employee or even a business partner or other company executive may be the best way for you to tackle the process. However, if you are a small company and don't have available personnel to spare, there are other resources to assist you through the process.
Where to Get Certified
Some companies find that they only need to obtain a national certification. National certification is most beneficial for businesses that are looking to do work in the private sector, and are not planning to land government contracts.
Read the full article at: http://www.inc.com/guides/2010/05/women-owned-business-certification.html
Patty Block, President and Founder of The Block Group, established her company to advocate for women-owned businesses, helping them position their companies for strategic growth. Charting the course for impactful, sustainable, profitable businesses, the beacon is control: of your strategic direction, your money, your time, your staffing, and your ability to bring in business. The Block Group brings together the people, resources and ideas that build results.
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