The number of minority and women business enterprises is growing by the minute. In fact, over the past decade, the number of minority owned businesses and women owned businesses in the United States grew by nearly 50 percent. While corporations are turning to diverse suppliers more frequently, there are an overwhelming number of enterprises vying for these contracts. In this increasingly competitive market, diverse suppliers must find ways to set themselves apart from their competitors in order to access procurement opportunities. The key to separating your minority or women owned business from the pack is minority and women business enterprise certification. Used by corporations as a method for weeding out unqualified candidates, MWBE certification gives businesses a competitive edge. MWBE certification is also the key to accessing government contracts designated for diverse suppliers. In this book you'll learn how to apply for MWBE certification, the benefits of MWBE designation, and receive information on how to access contracting opportunities with local, state, and federal government agencies. You'll also hear the real life experiences of several women whose businesses took off after they became certified as women business enterprises. Brought to you by experts Pamela Williamson, executive director of the Women Business Enterprise Council-West and Robin Billups, board chairman of WBEC-West, this book is a must for minority and women business owners and operators looking for greater procurement opportunities. With this knowledge you'll have the tools necessary to outshine your competitors, build relationships with corporations, and grow your business by leaps and bounds.

The dramatic increase in minority- and female-owned companies continues to transform the business world while setting standards for those who follow. Thriving as a Minority-Owned Business in Corporate America offers you a comprehensive guide to current practical knowledge of minority business development, from grants and loans to market building. This book demonstrates how you can use specific laws, institutions, and new technologies to set up and steer your business to success. Expert coverage includes both established and underused resources at the federal, state, and local levels dedicated to minority business expansion. You will learn how to tap resources made available by government agencies like the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) and programs such as the Offices of Minority and Women Inclusion (OMWI). Non-governmental funding sources (e.g., banks, credit unions, venture capital) are also examined in depth, with sound advice on approaching each. The author explores the critical role of social media in leveling the playing field, spotlighting minority/female business-related sites and strategies for leveraging your online presence. And he provides real-world guidance on business certifications, tax breaks, credit issues, and more. Whether you're in start-up or expansion mode, after reading this book, you will have the know-how needed to seize the opportunity and succeed with your enterprise.

This book provides an in-depth view of supplier diversity programs and how they have contributed to the meteoric rise of minority businesses. Incorporating expert advice from supplier diversity practitioners as well as empirical data, it looks at the emergence of supplier diversity programs, how to make them effective, and their future. Supplier diversity ensures an open and inclusive competition for contracts during the procurement process, and the use of vendors of different backgrounds fosters a better understanding of a diverse customer base. Over the last decade the number of minority-owned firms in the US has increased 38 per cent. As the number of minority entrepreneurs continues to rise, these business owners have recognized the need for B2B opportunities, and supplier diversity programs that create the fastest path to scale and grow a small business. Porter highlights the history and impact of these programs as sources of business education as well as pipeline development for minority and women entrepreneurs. Finally, readers interested in levelling the playing field in business have a go-to source.

At head of title: National Cooperative Highway Research Program.