Great Lakes Wire

SBAM has introduced a new certification for Women’s Business Enterprises (WBE), designed to support businesses owned, managed, and controlled by women. Members of SBAM can avail a $100 discount on this certification.

In collaboration with the Great Lakes Women’s Business Council (GLWBC), SBAM aims to provide its members with educational support through training, coaching, mentoring programs, and increased visibility in corporate supply chain diversity and procurement organizations.

“We are thrilled to be offering this new certification to our members,” said Michelle Beebe, Chief Revenue Officer of SBAM. “A Women’s Business Enterprise certification will pave the way to countless opportunities for our women-owned businesses, making valuable new local, state and national connections as potential partners. In our ever-changing entrepreneurial landscape, our members will especially benefit from the mentoring, coaching and networking prospects offered by the WBE certification.”

Women’s Business Enterprises are defined as independent entities that are at least 51 percent owned and controlled by one or more women. These businesses must also have management or daily operations controlled by a woman within the industry. The WBE certification confirms these criteria and provides access to numerous opportunities through the Women’s Business Enterprise National Conference (WBENC).

The WBE certification is widely recognized across the nation and accepted by hundreds of U.S. corporations as well as various federal, state, and local government agencies. It serves as an important marketing tool for enhancing a company’s visibility among decision-makers in corporate supply chain diversity and procurement organizations.

Benefits of the WBE certification include:

- Access to contact information of all WBENC corporate members.

- Inclusion in the WBENC link for sourcing purposes.

- Eligibility for GLWBC trainings, counseling, and group mentoring programs free of charge.

- Participation in training/coaching programs offered by national corporations that are WBENC members free of charge.

- Invitations to roundtables, matchmaker opportunities, and educational events hosted by major corporations nationwide.

- Invitation to WBENC’s annual conference which attracts over 6,000 attendees.

The Great Lakes Women’s Business Council is one of 14 certifying partner organizations nationally for the WBE certification. It also provides access to capital, corporate contracting opportunities, and educational support for small businesses with women or minority ownership distinctions.

For more information about the certification process, visit www.sbam.org/women-business-enterprise-certification/.

By Sherry Bryan, SBAM Director of Strategic Partnerships & Certification; originally published in SBAM’s May/June 2024 issue of FOCUS magazine.

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