Free Birds United

Official NWBOC seal of certification.

for certification as a WBE by The National Women Business Owners Corporation.

I received the official certification that WalkeWorks LLC successfully met the requirements and is a woman-owned and woman-controlled business.  Besides a frame-ready certificate decorated with an embossed gold seal, the packet of information also contained a list of public sector websites, tips for selling to Corporate America, a marketing pamphlet from the GSA Office Enterprise Development and a partial list of government agencies and organizations accepting WBE certification.

While I can’t imagine that the City of Grand Rapids, Lansing Board of Water & Light or the State of Missouri will be requiring my services, perhaps some of the foodservice and financial companies might need some new branding and marketing.

Looks like I have some research to do now that I’m officially a woman.

I received a voice mail message from a representative of the National Women Business Owners Corporation asking to schedule a site visit.  The purpose of the visit is to verify that I am indeed a woman, and that I am running a business out of my residence.

I speak with Ms L (full-time employee of Downtown Baltimore Partnership) and we schedule a visit for later in the week.   She assures me that there will not be a physical exam.  WBOC humor!  Apparently, there are some unscrupulous, wanna-be women out there who are only fronting businesses for their male buddies to win lucrative contracts.  Can you imagine???

This visit gives me the opportunity to tidy up and vacuum the fluffs of cat hair on the stairs leading to the WalkeWorks War Room.

Ms L’s visit only lasts 1/2 hour.  She checks out my spacious office and we retire to the kitchen table for some additional questions.  She is simply verifying my answers on the application.  The most challenging request is to describe a typical day.  I left out the Facebook lurking.

I’m told that my application is 80% complete at this stage and that she gives her official blessing that I am a woman.  Hear me roar.

I received official notice from NATIONAL WOMEN BUSINESS OWNERS CORPORATION that my application for certification of a WOMAN BUSINESS ENTERPRISE has been received and forwarded to the “appropriate certification committee.”

To follow is a list of documents required for the application.  As an LLC, my list of  documents differed from that required for a sole proprietor or for an S-corp.  There is also a seven-page form to complete for general info, history, external relationships, legal structure, etc.

1.  Credit authorization and signature authority (had to ask my bank for this)

2.  Current financial institution statements for all deposit accounts and loans (2009 files)

3.  Signature cards authenticated by financial institutions (back to the bank)

4.  Birth certificate (couldn’t find = $12 to city of Baltimore via mail)

5. Driver’s licenses or other legal photo identification of all women owners (scanned)

6.  Financial statement, including balance sheet and profit and loss statement, for current period … and for three immediately preceding fiscal years.  (thanks to QuickBooks and my Federal tax returns 2008, 2007, 2006)

7.  Statement of Information (showing officers and directors of corporation, managers or members of LLC, or general partners) filed with the Secretary of State (included a note)

8.  Tax returns for the three previous fiscal years (Federal tax forms including schedules)

9.  LLC Operating Agreement/Management Agreement (included a note since it’s just me)

10. LLC Articles of Organization (back to my files from 2001)

11.  Authority to conduct business in state of operation and certificate of good standing (I incorrectly thought a tax return would suffice)

12.  Documentation (e.g., canceled checks, bank deposit slips, promissory notes, purchase agreements, wills, gift notes, judgments, settlement agreements) of how Applicant is capitalized (this was tough….but I dug up my very first checking account statement)

13.  Resumes of all owners, directors, partners, officers and other key personnel

14.  IRS Form SS-4 application and IRS letter providing Employer’s taxpayer identification number (back to my files from 2001)

15.  Lease/rental agreement for business site(s)/office(s) (I pulled my 2008 Tax form 8829 – use of residence for business)

Since I am the only member of WalkeWorks LLC, I did not have to supply records regarding management services, sharing agreements, proxies, voting trust agreements, etc.

In spite of my most diligent efforts to follow directions, I was contacted via email to provide some additional items including an official Status of Good Standing from the State of Maryland and proof of a business license.

Fortunately, I am up-to-date on my Maryland taxes (including sales, personal property and income tax) and my status was “Active” on the Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation website/Taxpayer Services Division.  I had wrongly assumed that proof of WalkeWorks LLC’s “good standing” would be demonstrated in my assorted tax returns.

I was nervous about the “license” request and went to the Comptroller of Maryland site and researched State Business Licenses.

Had I been operating illegally for the past 8 years? Luckily for me, graphic designers, advertisers, creative directors or whatever else I can call myself do not require a license.  However, if I was a HAWKER or PEDDLER or owned a JUKEBOX, I would have had to fork over between $15 and $800 for a license.

So I forwarded screen shots of both the WalkeWorks LLC Active Good Standing Status and the FAQ page of the Maryland State Business Licenses.  Within 3 days I received my letter of application receipt.

Now I wait for 90 days for review/approval.

Did I mention that there a sight visit might be part of the certification process?

Good opportunity to clean up the office.

Why, are you?

I recently began the task of applying for “Woman Business Enterprise” (WBE) certification through the National Women Business Owners Corporation (NWBOC).  According to the NWBOC website, certification is an important business development strategy for two reasons:

“First, most local and national government purchasing agencies track and/or have programs for doing business with women business owners. Having WBE Certification is the only way the purchasing agents have confidence that a business representing itself as woman-owned is in fact woman-owned.

Second, in a similar manner many publicly-held corporations, as well as larger private corporations, also track and have programs for doing business with women-owned vendor companies. They, too, rely on WBE Certification.”

Years ago, (actually six years ago – 2003) my largest, most profitable client asked that I be certified as a woman-owned business as part of their mandated Supplier Diversity Program.  Before I could accumulate the required documents, tax returns, bank statements and financial records and write the $250 application fee check, another company had swooped in and acquired my client leaving me and my business in the dust.  Needless to say, I did not complete the certification process.

In hindsight, certification was probably the exact thing that I needed at the time to pursue new business opportunities.

Fast forward to 2009.  I’m going through the process again hoping to expand my market and see if I can mine some of those stimulus packages and government projects. Pulling tax records is a little easier now because I can access electronic files.  My Quickbooks can spit out a current profit and loss statement with a keystroke.  But did I mention the certification has a non-refundable $350 application fee?

I’ve sent in my application in a notebook binder complete with tabbed dividers per the instructions.  My Social Security number graces every page.  Now, I’m nervously waiting for notice of receipt and that I’ve compiled and organized my codex correctly.

I’d hate to be denied for incompleteness.  Did I mention the certification has a non-refundable $350 application fee?