Women Business Owners
Definitions
WEConnect International defines a certified women's business enterprise (WBE) as a company that is at least 51% owned, managed and controlled by one or more women.
Equal Access
Based on statistics in North America and Europe, we estimate that women owned businesses comprise less than 1-5% of all domestic and international suppliers to corporations and governments. The result is that women’s businesses do not grow, corporations miss out on innovation, and national productivity suffers.
Fair Competition
WEConnect International is about leveling the playing field and enabling women to have a fair chance to compete for contracts. After that, it is business as usual, and participating buyers award contracts on their merits, with no regard to gender.
Sourcing Today
A growing number of large organizations want to source from WBEs globally, but until recently only WBENC, our Affiliate in the United States, offered WBE certification. As a result, corporations and governments must invest time and money to develop databases of self-registered female suppliers outside the United States. This model lacks third party verification and is inefficient and unsustainable.
Sourcing Tomorrow
Organizations that want to source from WBEs globally need an international organization like WEConnect International that will uphold reliable universal standards for certification. These corporations also want to build relationships with governments and institutions that create business and trade opportunities for WBEs as a strategy for growth and sustainability.
Target Markets
Target countries for promoting WBE certification and utilization in 2010 include, but are not limited to, Canada, China, India and Europe.