Marketing to the federal government can pose challenges for any business, especially small businesses. However, if you are a Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) and obtain certification, you can use this designation to strategically market your WOSB status to government buyers. A WOSB certification is an asset in the government contracting arena, because the government annually sets aside 5% of their contracting dollars to WOSB-certified businesses. In this blog, we’ll share strategies for getting your name out as a Women-Owned Small Business or Economically Disadvantaged Women-Owned Small Business (EDWOSB).
Do you Qualify as a Women-Owned Small Business?
If you are a Women-Owned Small Business, you should first look into getting WOSB certified through the Small Business Administration’s (SBAs) Women-Owned Small Business Federal Contracting Program. The WOSB Program limits competition for certain government contracts to participating WOSBs within eligible industries. To qualify for WOSB certification in your industry and compete for those set-asides, your business needs to meet the following criteria:
- At least 51% of your business is women-owned and women-controlled.
- Women manage day-to-day operations and long-term decisions.
- Your small business meets the SBA size standards.
Additionally, the women in charge must be US citizens, and the business must be for-profit.
Some WOSBs may qualify for an Economically Disadvantaged Women-Owned Small Business (EDWOSB) certification. To qualify as an EDWOSB, your business must meet the WOSB Program’s requirements. It also must be owned and controlled by one or more women who each have:
- A personal net worth of less than $850,000
- An adjusted gross income averaged over the last three years of $450,00 or less
- Personal assets totaling $6.5 million or less
Becoming EDWOSB-certified gives you access to an additional pool of contracts only available to other certified EDWOSBs.
Becoming Certified as a WOSB or EDWOSB
Once you determine that your business qualifies as a WOSB or EDWOSB, your next step should be to obtain certification through the SBA or a third party. Formal certification is necessary to compete for set-asides and to market yourself as a bona fide (ED)WOSB. Also, take note that your business needs to be registered in SAM before you can begin the certification process.
You can become certified as a WOSB or EDWOSB on the SBA’s no-cost certification platform, https://wosb.certify.sba.gov/. The platform includes guidance on the application process, as well as a checklist of required documents and an assessment tool for you to confirm eligibility for either program. You can also become certified as a WOSB or EDWOSB through one of the four SBA-approved Third-Party Certifiers (TPCs), although you will still need to upload your TPC certification to SBA’s WOSB certification platform. Firms typically must attest to meeting program requirements on an annual basis, although this requirement is currently on pause.
Marketing to the Federal Government as a WOSB
Updating your Marketing Materials with your WOSB Certification
Once you’re certified as a WOSB or EDWOSB, it’s time to think about utilizing that certification in your marketing materials. You want potential government buyers to be immediately aware of your (ED)WOSB status. To that end, we suggest adding your (ED)WOSB certification to any marketing tools, such as brochures, line cards, and your website.
As part of your existing government contracting marketing strategy, you should have a Capabilities Statement on hand that showcases what your business can offer to federal customers. We recommend displaying your (ED)WOSB certification on your Capabilities Statement, since this information can set you apart from contractors without SBA certification. The Certification Section of your Capabilities Statement is a good place to share that you’re WOSB-certified.
In addition, make sure that you’ve added your Capabilities Statement, now enhanced by your new (ED)WOSB certification, to your profile on the Dynamic Small Business Search (DSBS). This recently added feature on DSBS allows government buyers perusing the site to easily access Capabilities Statements from potential contractors.
If you don’t have a Capabilities Statement yet or are refining yours, remember that you can craft a successful one even as a small business with little or no federal contracting experience. Any experience your (ED)WOSB has, even if it’s commercial experience, is worth highlighting in the past performance section of your Capabilities Statement.
Making Use of your SBA-approved Logo
We also encourage you to incorporate SBA-approved digital icons in your online presence, as a well-placed WOSB or EDWOSB logo can be a powerful and memorable way to communicate your certification status to buyers. The SBA permits actively certified participants in the WOSB and EDWOSB programs to use these icons on their business websites, business cards, and social media profiles, as well as on Capabilities Statements and proposal bids. However, they do restrict you from using them to express or imply endorsement of any goods, services, entities, or individuals, which means leaving them out of any letterhead, marketing materials, or advertising. These rules are similar to those dictating usage of the GSA logo.
Tell Potential Buyers when you Receive a WOSB Certification
As well as updating your marketing materials to reflect your certification status, we also advise that you individually reach out to your government contacts with the news of your (ED)WOSB certification. Ideally, you’d already have an up-to-date database with your contact list of potential government customers. If not, after you receive a WOSB certification is a good time to make sure your government contact list is current and accessible, with complete contact information, so that you can be sure you’re letting all your contacts know about your new certification. Reaching out to them with this update will also maintain the customer relationship, so that you’re first in their mind as someone to call for contracting opportunities.
Collaborating with Other Companies to Boost Marketability
We’ve talked so far about how to use your certification to your advantage, but not about how to target your (ED)WOSB’s unique offerings to the needs of government buyers. Considering your value to government agencies is an important part of marketing to the government for any business. As a WOSB or EDWOSB, you can increase your value to government buyers by partnering with another business to combine both of your skillsets and offer a total solution. Joint Ventures (JVs), Contracting Teaming Arrangements (CTAs), and Prime/Subcontractor Agreements are all ways you can work with other businesses.
The Dynamic Small Business Search (DSBS), where we suggested posting your Capabilities Statement, is a great place for finding other small businesses with whom you could partner to form a CTA or JV. If you’re looking for prime contractors to subcontract for, we recommend consulting GSA eLibrary and the SBA’s directory of prime contractors who are required to have small business subcontracting plans. Industry days and matchmaking events, such as those hosted by GSA and the Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU), are also great opportunities to connect with both potential JV or CTA team members and potential prime contractors.
While it’s always a good idea to emphasize your business’s unique competencies first and frame your (ED)WOSB certification as a secondary “value-add” in your marketing strategy, remember that prime contractors are going to be looking for businesses with socioeconomic certifications so that they can fulfill their subcontracting goals. You have value to them in more ways than one.
Explore Other Marketing Strategies for Small Businesses
Marketing to the federal government as a WOSB is easier when you recognize the value of your WOSB certification and use that to your advantage. As a Women-Owned Small Business, you have all the marketing strategies available to small businesses at your disposal, too. In the blogs below, you can explore the government marketing strategies that we recommend to small businesses generally:
- Tips for Marketing Your GSA Schedule as a Small Business
- Marketing to the Federal Government: A Guide for Small Businesses
Additionally, if you’re a WOSB interested in getting a GSA Schedule or if you need help managing your existing Schedule, one of our consultants would be happy to help you.
