As a certified woman-owned business, Retail Smarter regularly attends the annual WBENC National Conference — the largest event of its kind for women business owners and corporate executives. WBENC is rightfully proud of the conference, which boasts some impressive stats:
The “WBENC Meet & Greet” included more than 1,200 Women Business Enterprises (WBEs) connecting with 200+ corporations in a series of 25-minute sessions with companies chosen by the WBE. We were honored to connect with major retailers, like Target, Home Depot, Walmart, and others — and to showcase Latina-owned Rivera’s Salsa with a special product display!
Why we support the WBENC
We love supporting organizations like WBENC because of the genuine support of women and diverse owned businesses, including year-round education, networking, and resources designed to help WBEs achieve excellence in operations and best business practices. That mission aligns perfectly with the Retail Smarter passion for helping brands succeed at retail.
We’re grateful for the many retailers that support WBENC and women owned businesses. But we understand that taking a risk with new products or new brands is risky, despite the best of intentions. So, we help our clients polish their brand messaging, enhance their CPG packaging, fine tune their retail sales presentations, and optimize their supply chain so that retailers will be confident the brand can succeed — from the very first meeting.
How to become a WBENC-certified WBE
If you qualify, we recommend getting WBENC certified. It’s a longer application, and there’s a detailed verification process, but the benefits are worth it — especially when presenting to major U.S. retailers, who highly value the women-owned certification.
You can review the eligibility requirements at WBENC.org, but here they are in a nutshell:
- Majority (at least 51%) ownership by one or more women
- Demonstrated proof of female management and control of business
- Unrestricted female control of the business in legal documents and day-to-day operations
- A woman holding the highest defined title in the company’s legal documents
- Documented evidence of female contribution of capital and/or industry expertise
- Status of U.S. Citizenship or Lawful Permanent Resident for woman owner(s) constituting majority ownership
Eligibility is established with required documentation. This includes things like general business information, owner eligibility, financial structure, personnel and management information, and governance information. Once gathered, you’ll submit documentation via the online application on WBENCLink2.0 and pay the application fee.
Regional Partner Review
WBENC will then authorize an on-site audit and review of your business by your Regional Partner Organization (RPO), which is the local affiliate of WBENC that serves your area. The RPO will check your application for completeness, review your documentation with a Certification Committee, and arrange a site visit with the woman or women owners. The review process takes approximately 90 days.
WBE Benefits
As a WBENC-Certified WBE, you will have access to a wide range of benefits, such as targeted business opportunities, increased visibility, education and development programs, networking and mentorship opportunities, and more. You will also need to renew your certification every year by submitting an online recertification application and paying a recertification fee.
We can help.
As a WBENC-certified business and team of retail experts, we have a lot of experience helping businesses become certified, and getting retailers to take notice. If you’d like help, let’s talk. We offer services by the hour, by the project, or month-to-month.
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