WBE (Women Business Enterprise) CERTIFIED BUSINESS

Proxy Retail is proud to have been awarded the prestigious Woman Owned Small Business (WOSB) certification by the Women’s Business Enterprise Council (WBENC). At Proxy Retail, we assist you to help meet your supplier diversity goals as a nationwide solution for quality project management and retail installation services. 

The Women Owned Small Business, or WOSB program was created to help level the playing field for women in traditionally male-dominated industries. There is a process to get certified as a WOSB. According to the Small Business Administration, or SBA, firms need to apply for certification on the sba.gov site. There, they can check their eligibility for the certification, which requires them to be a small business, at least 51% owned and controlled by women who are US citizens, and have women managing the day-to-day operations and making the long-term decisions.  

The Women’s Business Enterprise Council, or WBENC, is an approved third-party certifier for the WOSB program. They use a two-part process to ensure the applicant company meets WOSB standards, which involves a thorough review of the necessary documentation presented and visiting the site to interview the female owners. 

Many workplaces are working towards requiring or incorporating diversity and inclusion standards into their employee make up. Diversity means the workforce consists of employees of different races, genders, and skill backgrounds, and inclusion involves providing equal access and opportunities to traditionally marginalized groups, making the workplace a more welcoming and tolerant environment. Builtin.com notes that “workplaces that prioritize diversity and inclusion efforts have been statistically proven to be safer, happier, and more productive work environments.”  

There are numerous benefits for a company that incorporates the elements of diversity and inclusion into their workforce. These include higher sales revenue and market share, more customers and profitability, and are more likely to capture a new market audience. In addition, job seekers and employees value diversity and inclusion, which affects recruitment and retention, and they are more likely to rank their employer as high performing.