What is Certification? Why Should You Get Certified!

Have you ever been at a business event and been asked the question, “Are you certified” or had someone tell you, "You need to get your certification" without fully understanding those statements? You are not alone.

There are a countless number of small business owners who like you are missing out on opportunities by not pursuing and leveraging certification. But not you; not anymore. You’re here to get plugged in, get in the game, and get your ticket to the dance. So, here is your crash course on what is certification, and why you should get certified!

So, we all know that March is Women’s History Month, but March is also known for something else. It is that time of year when the sport’s world focuses its attention on the NCAA Men’s and Women’s College Basketball Tournament, better known as March Madness. People around the country are starting to make their predictions and fill in their tournament brackets; all while looking for the next “Cinderella Story.”

It’s the story of the team from the small school that barely made it in the tournament, and nobody is expecting them to win. But with grit, execution, and a determination to prove the naysayers wrong, they pull off the biggest upset victories against top-seeded teams en route to a National Championship. This is the beauty and excitement of the tournament. This is why it’s called March Madness. As long as you’re in, anyone can win!

By now you’re asking yourself, “What does any of this have to do with certification?”

Think of certification as your entry into the tournament, it's your ticket to the dance. Certification can put you in a position to do business with some of the largest government agencies in the country and the largest corporations in the world.

While there are several types of certifications available (e.g., Small, Veteran-Owned, Disadvantage, LGBTQIA, etc.), let’s focus on two; Women-Owned Business Enterprise (WBE) and Minority Business Enterprise (MBE). These certifications validate that a business is at least 51 percent owned, controlled, operated, and managed by a woman or minority.

All businesses looking to become certified go through a thorough vetting process by a certifying agency that could include interviews, document reviews, and business site visits. Besides local, state, and federal certifying agencies, two nationally known certifying agencies are The Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC) and The National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC).

Both WBENC and NMSDC are good for small businesses pursuing contract opportunities with mostly large corporations (think Fortune 500).

While all these certifications have the same mission, to level the playing field and provide access, they are not all the same. Some certifications have size standards, some come with a cost, and some have geographical (business location) requirements. As you can tell, there are plenty of acronyms and certifications for you to learn and potentially qualify for. However, if the idea of calling every city and county in your area to see if they have any women-owned or minority certifications you qualify for seems a bit overwhelming, don’t fret. The organization I often recommend for anyone looking to get certified is the Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC). PTAC provides technical assistance to businesses that want to sell products and services to federal, state, and/or local governments. They operate under Small Business Development Centers which is funded by the U.S. Small Business Administration. PTAC is great at helping business owners digest the alphabet soup of certification and getting listed as a supplier for local, state, and federal agencies. For WBENC and NMSDC, I recommend connecting with the office closest to you to understand their certification process.

Now that you have a better understanding of certification (I hope), why should you go through the process of getting certified? I can think of a billion reasons why you absolutely should but I narrow it down to three.