WOMEN IN BUSINESS

1
Our Mission Statement
WBEA is committed to increasing business
opportunities for woman-owned businesses and
corporate members through education, programs,
and professional networking.
2
Do You Encounter Brick Walls?
Corporate Contacts

• Dont know who to contact in an organization?
• Receive the telephone pass around from
  department to department?
• Feel disadvantaged as a small business?
• Feel disadvantaged being a woman business owner?

3
Sweet Success

• When asked how the WBE certification had
  assisted in her success, Sara replied
• My certification facilitated the opening of
  doors to corporate accounts that are the bread
  and butter of my business! Im sure the doors
  would have opened eventually, but the WBE
  certification speeded the process considerably! I
  got a lot out of my participation on committees
  and programs. Im a HUGE believer in the value of
  a WBE certification and also the WBEA!!
• Sara Brook
• CEO, founder and award-winning pastry chef for
  Dessert Gallery Bakery Café

4
The Tiebreaker

• I have been a WBEA member for 4 years.  My
  certification has helped me when competing
  against other companies who may not be certified
  as minorities.  When a client requests a proposal
  and all conditions are equal, they look at the
  fact that we are a certified company to make
  their selection of vendor, and thus, the
  certification becomes the tiebreaker.
•  
• Cristina DidonéCD Language Solutions

5
About WBEA

• WBEA is a nationally-recognized purchasing
  council
• A 501(c)3, headquartered in Houston, WBEA works
  to increase business opportunities for WBEs in 94
  Texas counties
• WBEA Membership
• Over 650 WBEs Certified by WBEA
• 50 Corporate members

6

WBEA Service Area

• Serving women-owned businesses in 94 Texas
  counties

WBEA Area
Covered by other WBENC Affiliates
7
What is WBENC?

• Utilizes national certification standards and
  procedures to certify a business as a Woman
  Business Enterprise (WBE)
• Certification partner of the Womens Business
  Enterprise National Council (WBENC)

8
WBENC Provides

• Certification standards and procedures
• Training of staff and certification committees
  members
• Annual on-site reviews of its 14 national
  affiliates
• National EXPO
• National Networking Events
• National Womens Forum

9
Certification Criteria

• Ownership
• 51 Ownership by a Woman or Women
• Control and Management
• Proof of Active Management of the Business
• Contribution of Expertise and Capital
• Contribution of Capital and/or Expertise by
  women owners to acquire their ownership
• interest shall be real and substantial and in
• proportion to the interest acquired
• Independence
• The woman owner(s) is able to perform in her
  area of specialty/expertise without reliance on
  males or non-women-owned businesses
• U.S. Citizenship or U.S. Resident Alien Status

10
Benefits of Certification

• National Recognition as a certified WBE by more
  than 700 major U.S. Corporations representing
  thousands of well known brands and government
  agencies
• Access to current list of supplier diversity and
  procurement executives at these same companies
• Internet database of certified WBEs
• Use of WBENC seal on your marketing materials
• Access to sourcing opportunities through
  WEbuy_at_wbenc.org

11
Benefits of Certification

• Eligible to exhibit at national and regional
  business expos
• Eligible for the Dorothy B. Brothers Executive
  Scholarship Program that allows topics and
  schools of your choice and for the TUCK-WBENC
  Executive Program a 5-day management course
  designed for WBEs
• Participation in our annual surveys and our
  e-mail information and opportunity networks
• Eligible for MatchMakers, one-on-one meetings
  with Corporate purchasing representatives
• Executive Scholarship Program
• E-mails for Request for Proposal (RFP), Request
  for Quote (RFQs)

12
Increase Customer Base

• Corporate Opportunities
• Supplier Diversity Websites
• One-on-One meetings with Corporates at EXPO
• RFP/RFQ Opportunities
• Tradeshows Local, National, Corporate
• Virtual Tradeshows

13
Increase Customer Base

• WBE to WBE Opportunities
• RFP/RFQ
• Strategic Alliances
• Supplier Diversity initiatives within WBEs
• Doing business with Larger WBEs
• Average Sales - 7.5 million
• Average of employees 36.71
• Total sales for WBEA WBEs - 2.3 Billion
• Total of Employees 23,317

14
Why Do Corporates Want Certified WBEs?

• Diversified Customers/Diversified Suppliers
• Improved Products and Profits
• Identify bona-fide WBEs
• Assures appropriate programs benefit the
  intended constituencies
• Standardized procedures help corporations
  confidently award contracts
• Simplifies reporting of WBE dollar spend and
  utilization data
• State of Texas Historically Underutilized
  Business (HUB)

15
Why do WBEs want to do Business with WBEs?

• Prime Contractor for Corporate Member with
  mandated percentage of spend
• Supplier Diversity may increase opportunities
  with Corporate Members
• Potential Strategic Alliances with other WBEs
• Improved Products and Service

16
Networking Events

• Annual Business EXPO
• Educational Workshops
• Networking Luncheons and Trade Fairs
• Annual Awards Program
• Business Opportunity Breakfasts
• Annual Golf Tournament
• Committee Involvement

17
Committee Involvement

• WHY volunteer to be on a committee?
• GET MORE BUSINESS.
• WHAT is the time commitment?
• TIME WELL SPENT.
• HOW does this benefit me and my company?
• BENEFITS OF MEMBERSHIP.
• WHO can volunteer?
• SUCCESS IN NUMBERS.

18
WBEA Corporate Members

• Baker Botts
• Bank of America
• Capital One
• Celanese Chemical
• CenterPoint Energy
• Chevron
• City of Houston
• ConocoPhillips
• Continental Airlines
• Entergy
• Enterprise Rent-A-Car
• ExxonMobil
• Fluor Corporation

• Frost Bank
• Halliburton
• H-E-B
• Houston Business Journal
• Houston Woman Magazine
• Jefferson Wells
• JPMorganChase
• KBR
• Kelly Services
• McGlinchey Stafford
• Mercer Health Benefits
• NASA Johnson Space Center
• Port of Houston Authority

19
WBEA Corporate Members

• Reliant Energy
• RM Crowe
• Shell Oil Company
• Texas Medical Center
• The Coca-Cola Company
• United Space Alliance
• University of Houston
• Waste Management
• WE-Womens Enterprise

20
WBENC Corporate Members

• American Express
• ATT
• American Red Cross
• Bank of America
• Boeing
• BP
• Colgate-Palmolive
• Dell
• Federated Department Stores
• FedEx
• Ford Motor Company
• Futitsu

• General Motors
• HP
• IBM
• JCPenney
• Kodak
• KPMG
• Kroger
• Kelloggs
• Limited Brands
• Lockheed Martin
• Lucent Technologies
• Metlife

21
WBENC Corporate Members

• Marathon Oil
• MasterCard
• NBC Universal
• Office Depot
• OfficeMax
• Owens Corning
• Pfizer
• ProctorGamble

• Ryder
• Sprint
• Target
• Toyota
• UPS
• Wal-Mart

22
How Do Buyers Find You?

• www. wbea-texas.org
• Click on Certified WBEs
• Search by
• Product/Service Category
• SIC/NAICS Code
• Company Name
• Key Word
• www.wbenc.org
• Buyers ask WBEA staff

23
Suppliers to Buyers Link

• Local Website lists
• www.wbea-texas.org
• National Website Lists
• www.wbenc.org

24
Building Relationships

• JOIN WBEA
• Get Certified
• GET INVOLVED
• Attend events
• Actively Participate on Committees
• REGISTER
• Corporate Internal Database with Certificate
  Number

25
Certification 7 Steps

• Submit online application at www.wbenc.org and
  mail notarized affidavit supporting
  documentation
• Desk audit performed
• Application is submitted to Certification
  Committee
• Certification Committee reviews application
• An on-site interview is conducted
• Certification Committee either approves or denies
  application
• Executive Director makes final decision and
  informs applicant

26
Connecting Women with Business and Businesses
with Women

• Womens Business Enterprise Alliance
• Building Opportunities for Texas Women
• 4100 Westheimer Rd., Suite 260, Houston, TX 77027
• 713-681-9232
• www.wbea-texas.org