More Than a Badge: What a Women Owned Certification Means for Your Business

If your business sells to a hospital system, a bank, a government agency, or a large corporation, you have probably seen a supplier questionnaire that asks about diversity. Maybe you have wondered what it means, whether it applies to you, and whether the vendors you choose can help or hurt your standing.

Most business owners I talk with are not sure, and that is understandable. The terminology is unfamiliar, and the rules vary from one buyer to the next. This post breaks it down in plain language so you can decide whether it matters for your business.

What the certifications actually mean

A diversity certification is a third party verification that a business is owned, controlled, and operated by a particular group. It is not a self-declaration. The business has to document its ownership and management and go through a review before it can use the designation.

ATRIA holds several of these. WBENC (Women's Business Enterprise National Council) certification verifies that a business is at least majority owned, controlled, and operated by women. WBE and WOSB (Women Owned Small Business) designations reflect the same ownership standard, and SBE recognizes small business status. Because buyers know these credentials involve real verification, they carry weight in procurement.

Four ways it can help your business

1. Supplier diversity reporting. Many large organizations set goals for how much they spend with certified diverse suppliers, and they ask their own vendors to report on it. If you serve one of those buyers, spending with a certified supplier can support the numbers they ask you for. Check your customer's requirements, since each program defines what counts.

2. Stronger bids and proposals. Requests for proposals from public agencies and large buyers often include diversity or subcontracting questions. Being able to name certified partners can make your response more complete.

3. A real story for your own ESG and community goals. Customers, employees, and boards increasingly ask where a company spends its money. Working with a verified women owned partner is a concrete, easy to explain answer.

4. Good service, which comes first. Certification gets a supplier considered. It does not replace performance. The right partner should still be fast, responsive, and good at the work, and that is the standard we hold ourselves to.

Questions to ask any supplier

Whether you work with us or someone else, a few questions will tell you whether a diversity credential is current and useful to you:

• Which certifications do you hold, and who issued them?

• Can you share a current certificate, and when does it expire?

• Does your certification meet the requirements of my customers' supplier programs?

• What will you provide that helps me document the relationship?

A good partner will answer these directly and without hesitation.

A complimentary assessment for chamber members

ATRIA is offering Princeton Mercer Regional Chamber members a complimentary Staffing and Diversity Readiness Assessment. In a short, no obligation conversation, we will review your hiring needs, talk through how a certified women-owned partner could support your procurement or reporting goals, and give you practical recommendations you can use whether or not we ever work together.

To schedule yours, contact Emily Almani, Chief Operating Officer, at (646) 722-8705.