Lindsay Mueller, Managing Director of Program Innovations at the Women’s Business Development Center (WBDC) in Chicago, Illinois, regularly shares valuable knowledge with the audience of BizWomen through the national Business Journals network. The BizWomen column, called Get Growing, is featured online approximately every two weeks and covers a wide range of valuable topics for women-owned businesses, including discussing many of the benefits of being WBENC-Certified. According to Lindsay, the column will also get picked up occasionally in the print versions of Business Journals, further spreading the word nationwide about how to effectively grow and develop women-owned businesses.
WBDC is one of 14 WBENC Regional Partner Organizations (RPOs) that manage and guide businesses that are at least 51% owned, controlled and operated by a woman or group of women through the country’s largest and most widely recognized certification program for women-owned businesses. More than 17,000 businesses throughout the country are WBENC-Certified and currently taking advantage of the many benefits associated with the becoming certified and actively engaging in the year-round, virtual and in-person programs, education, procurement, networking and other opportunities through WBENC and the RPOs.
One of the recent BizWomen columns, “Get Growing: Growth Through Certification,” dove further into certification and how to get started to unlock the benefits.
One of the most important resources for small business owners, which can help amplify growth and broaden professional networks, is certification. If you are a women-owned business, becoming certified as a Woman’s Business Enterprise (WBE) through the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC) can create an added level of visibility for your business.
Other BizWomen Get Growing columns have covered:
- The value of market research for your business
- Finding your unique value proposition
- Building customer personas
- Cybersecurity essentials for your small business
- How to handle a ‘Pick Your Brain Ask’ when you should be paid for your work
- How small businesses can grow brand presence on LinkedIn
- How small businesses can manage cash flow and cut expenses during COVID-19
Check out the entire series here. Thanks to WBDC and Lindsay for sharing such invaluable knowledge with women-owned businesses and encouraging other female leaders to consider how becoming WBENC-Certified could kickstart the next level of growth for their business.
