Female business owners in Wisconsin will gain greater access to contacts, contracts and capital with the expansion of the Women’s Business Development Center, which officially began this month.
The Chicago-based center, which certifies businesses owned by women and works to increase their impact on the economy, began its expansion into Wisconsin this month.
The nonprofit center operates under the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council, which is located in Washington, DC. The WBDC has served more than 72,000 individuals since its founding in 1986, Director of Marketing and Communications for WBDC Bethany Hartley, said.
“The WBDC is all about access – access to information, contracts, contacts and capital,” Hartley said. “We provide a portfolio of business-building tools and advanced business ownership education to help clients win contracts that lead to sustainable business growth and financial success.”
Woman Business Enterprises can become certified with the WBDC through a rigorous and stringent certification process to confirm the business is owned, managed and controlled by a woman or women, Hartley said.
Certifications can be used by a business to gain access to WBDC Corporate Partners and several other government agencies. In addition, there are over 10,000 certified WBEs that can work together on joint venture opportunities.
So far, the WBDC has certified just 135 businesses in Wisconsin, Hartley said. In contrast, 400 WBEs have been certified in Minnesota, where a staffed office has existed for 10 years. The Wisconsin expansion will focus on advancing the WBE Certification Program.
“It is hoped that a WBDC presence in Wisconsin will lead to more women-owned businesses being certified,” Hartley said. “The initial meeting in Milwaukee is the first of several workshops and other events that it will hold for Wisconsin women business owners.”
The long-term impact of the expansion is unknown, but Hartley and the WBDC are optimistic. She said ultimately, WBDC hopes to work in collaboration with the valuable economic development resources already in the communities to provide another benefit to women business owners that will hopefully lead to job creation and fuel economic growth.
Several Wisconsin businesses have already benefited from the WBE Certification Program. Abby Binder is the owner of Abby Windows LLC in Milwaukee, which has a WBE certification.
“I wanted one because, being a woman-owned business, I felt like it was important to get certified and prove that it is a woman-owned business,” Binder said.
Having a WBE certification also provides Abby Windows with benefits and additional access in contracting and bidding for projects.
Because there are so many benefits to being certified, the process is quite lengthy, Binder said. She said she needed to provide information about profit loss statements, taxes, registration, annual revenue and employees in order to get certified.
“They approve you, and then every year you have to send them a new statement of the company’s financials,” Binder said. “Every two years you have to pay to renew the certification.”
Hartley said with its expansion, the WBDC intends to help even more woman-owned businesses in Wisconsin gain WBE certifications and provide them with opportunities they may not have otherwise.
