When Lori Morton, P.E., president of Aerie Engineering in Greenville, gets a call from a large contracting company, she knows it may be a lead from her status as a certified minority business enterprise (MBE). Morton applied for certified MBE status 10-12 years ago, and though she says results have sometimes been hard to measure, she often receives calls from large companies looking to hire to fulfill diversity needs or requirements. “MBE certification opens a dialogue with companies I never would have met before; it opens a whole networking arrangement statewide,” she says. “My company name is more recognizable because of it, and Aerie Engineering now shows up on some of the bid lists.”
For companies like Morton’s, who are considered socially or economically disadvantaged and at least 51 percent woman-owned or minority-owned, including Black American, Hispanic American, Native American or Asian Pacific American, applying for MBE certification through the South Carolina Governor’s Office is a way to promote business growth.
“On average, we accept 20 applications per month; last fiscal year, we certified 130 companies,” says Andrena Washington, interim director of the Governor’s Office of Small & Minority Business Assistance (OSMBA). “We want to promote the growth and development of small and minority-owned businesses at the state level. Our certification process is based on what services are needed by state government agencies. Each agency is required to spend 10 percent of its annual budget hiring certified MBEs located in our online directory.” For an application, visit OSMBA’s web site at
www.oepp.sc.gov/osmba.
“The certification process took about one year for me, but it was an easy process,” says business owner Alice Wright of S&A Medical Company in Florence. In addition to submission of corporate and financial paperwork, each application process includes an onsite interview.
“Being certified as a minority-owned, woman-owned, or disadvantaged business is not beneficial for everyone, but for some businesses it has become necessary,” says Janet Christy, president of Leverage and Development, LLC, and author of
101 Winning Marketing Actions for Small Businesses and
Capitalizing on Being Woman Owned. She says certification is advantageous for business-to-business enterprises, i.e., businesses that provide a service or product needed by governmental agencies, but not necessary for consumer-oriented companies such as a hair salon or dress shop.
Christy points out there are MBE certifications other than through the South Carolina Governor’s Office. These include:
• SC Department of Transportation (SCDOT) certification for disadvantaged business enterprises (DBEs);
• Local government proprietary certification, available at the city, county and even school district level; and
• Private corporation certifications.
Other third-party certifiers that may be worth a look include:
• The National Minority Supplier Development Council;
• Women’s Business Enterprise National Council; and
• National Women Business Owners Corporation.
Christy Bell, president of Columbia-based Compliance Centre Inc., has completed certification through both the SCDOT and OSMBA, hoping it would bring more business her way. She says she has received a few calls as a result of the certifications and believes the process worthwhile for other business owners.
For MBEs looking to more aggressively market their certifications, there are specific conferences held each year in South Carolina that provide new business development opportunities. The 2011 Salute to Small Business, to be held at the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center May 4, has special matchmaking sessions as part of its annual conference. Private “matchmaking” appointments are available between government buyers, large contract buyers and small businesses. Registered companies can sign up the day of the event for a 15-minute slot to present their company’s products and services to large purchasers in our state.
“Salute to Small Business is a collaborative forum that brings together legislators and small businesses to interact and initiate productive dialogue like no other event,” says Fred Monk of the S.C. Coalition for Small Business & Entrepreneurship. “South Carolina’s small businesses are reaping the benefits derived from such open communication.”
The OSMBA Office also holds its Small & Minority Business Trade Fair annually, tentatively set for April 14 this year.
“Overall, certification can increase opportunities,” Christy says. “In tough economic times, every opportunity or advantage should be used.”