Compliance News Blog: Category WBE

Women's Business Enterprise National Council Releases Global Business Survey

Patty Ramirez — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 01:28:00 -0700

ATLANTA, June 26 /PRNewswire/—Women’s businesses will need to source goods and services from outside U.S. borders if they want to grow corporate business and avoid losing it, says a top line finding of a Global Business Survey conducted by the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC). Although 29 percent of the women’s business enterprises (WBEs) surveyed is already buying overseas, their corporate customers are way ahead of them with 100 percent going abroad and purchasing many of the goods and services that the WBEs are offering at home.

The Global Business Survey of 435 WBEs and 22 major corporations was released today at WBENC’s Women in Business 2008: Power of Progress, the largest conference and business fair of its kind. WBENC is the leading authority on and advocate for WBEs as suppliers to the nation’s top corporations. It is also the leading third-party certifier of businesses owned and operated by women, with WBENC certification accepted by more than 1,000 corporations and government entities.

“The study produces clear evidence that women’s businesses must think creatively about partnering or buying abroad to win corporate contracts,” said Linda Denny, President and CEO of WBENC. Six of the top ten categories of business that the corporations source abroad—IT Services, IT Consulting, Consulting, Manufacturing, Transportation and Staffing—are also in the top ten business categories of women’s businesses surveyed.

To foster global opportunities for U.S.-based WBEs and to promote links between WBEs around the globe, WBENC this morning announced a Memo of Understanding with Quantum Leaps, a nonprofit which is incubating WEConnect International, a corporate-led initiative promoting certification of WBEs based upon WBENC standards.

“The global business world is integrated into our lives, from outsourced accounting services to overseas call centers,” said Joan Kerr, Chair of the WBENC Global Committee and former WBENC Board Chair. “Women’s businesses will be competing against companies in other countries whether they know it or not. This survey underscores the need to think about establishing offices, acquiring subsidiaries or sourcing offshore.”

WBENC has advanced global leadership and skills at its annual conference and is hosting the third International Day to surface strategies for WBE growth abroad.

In addition to the MOU, another such strategy was the recent launch of WEConnect UK, an independent entity in the United Kingdom offering certification to women’s business enterprises. WEConnect UK follows many of the best practices established by WBENC, and is joined by corporate and WBE supporters who are prominent leaders in WBENC.

“Our goal will be to make certification reciprocal—with WBENC certification accepted in the U.K. and WEConnect UK certification accepted in the U.S.,” said Denny. “This alliance also provides a bridge for WBEs here to source goods and services from women’s businesses in the UK.”

Other key Global Business Survey findings:

—Canada is the number one overseas supply source for women’s businesses surveyed, followed by China, the United Kingdom, Mexico and Germany.

—India, which was 6th for women’s businesses, led the pack for corporations, with Canada number two, followed by the U.K., Mexico and China.

—Call Centers/Customer Support was the number one business category outsourced by corporations, perhaps explaining the focus on India.

“Canada was a surprisingly strong source for WBEs. While India is lower on the list for them, considering its dominance in corporate supply chains, they may want to explore opportunities there,” said Kerr.

“The survey produced some fascinating results. Why was India the top country for corporate global sourcing yet only sixth for WBEs? As we gain insights from the data, we are mindful that survey responses are probably changing with fluctuating currency exchange rates, rising fuel costs, and a dynamic global economy,” she added.

Currently WBEs are purchasing from Asia (40 percent); Europe (40 percent) and North and South America (20 percent).

About WBENC: The Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC) is the leading advocate for, and authority on, women’s business enterprises (WBEs) as suppliers and vendors to the nation’s corporations. Founded in 1997, WBENC is the also nation’s leading third-party certifier of businesses owned and operated by women, with WBENC certification accepted by more than 1,000 corporations, representing America’s most prestigious brands, as well as government entities at the state, local and Federal levels. WBENC brings together 244 major corporate members with its nearly 8,000 certified WBEs to enhance their mutual success at business building events and thought leadership forums throughout the year. Chief among them is the Women in Business 2008: The Power of Progress, the nation’s largest Conference and Business Fair of its kind, taking place this year in Atlanta, June 23-26. WBENC is a 501©(3) nonprofit organization that seeks and accepts donations from corporations, foundations and individuals that support its mission and programs. For more information, please go to www.wbenc.org.

SOURCE Women’s Business Enterprise National Council

Kentucky Holds DBE, MBE, WBE Seminars

Patty Ramirez — Thu, 14 Jun 2007 12:22:00 -0700

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet is holding a seminar for certified Disadvantaged Business Enterprises and other small business on June 26. Those at the seminar will be discussing how the atendees can become DBEs. This is part of a larger fair which will also include informative talks on WBEs and MBEs.

Seminars will cover business loans, bonding issues and the pre-qualification process for doing business with state government. The DBE specific seminar will run from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the KYTC Auditorium, 200 Mero Street, Frankfort.

The University of Kentucky’s third annual Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) Recruitment Fair, a venue to recruit the involvement of minority-and women-owned businesses is sponsored by the UK Purchasing Division and Capital Project Management Divi

Patty Ramirez is a freelance contributor.

Illinois MBEs and WBEs doing brisk business

Patty Ramirez — Fri, 04 May 2007 14:45:00 -0700

Women and Minority owned enterprises in Illinois are doing brisk business. Jobs with the Tollway, Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT), and the Illinois Society of Professional Engineers require a ten percent DBE/WBE requirement when project fees are in excess of five hundred thousand dollars. In addition agencies across the state promote MBEs. For example, the City Colleges of Chicago hire numerous minority and women-owned vendors.
MBE owned restaurants and food distributors in Illinois are also flourishing with extraordinary financial backing according to a new article in QSR Magazine. A number of financial institutions have begun offering backing to MBEs in Illinois, such as Goldman Sachs Urban Investment Group. The group provides growth capital backing for minority entrepreneurs, making investments ranging from $5 million to $50 million. But many smaller MBEs still struggle to get financing.

However, as opportunities for MBEs and WBEs in Illinois have improved, other states have not faired so well. Reginald Williams, a supply chain consultant who has studied minority sales for 32 years, told the online publication diverseeducation.com that he believes that minority and women-owned firms represent less than three percent of total state and federal purchases around the country. He told the paper, “There has been a significant decrease in the level of state business going to minority and women suppliers.” He added, “Only recently have these [state and federal] organizations repositioned their procurement activities to withstand legal scrutiny while at the same time increasing diversity.”
Compliance News hopes to improve even more the relationship between the private sector and public sector with MBEs, WBEs, and DBEs. Our improved technology can greatly enhance a primes search. With a rising number of construction contracts around the country we hope to help expand economic opportunities for MBE, WBE, and DBEs. View our monthly and daily ads to see a number of jobs bidding across the country.