For federal government,there is no formal certification processfor women-owned businesses. When you register your business in the CCR,you may self-identify as women-owned business and therefore can be recognized as one for set-aside contracts specifically. Check out the blog on Small Business Certification: Benefits & Requirements for more info. For state government, contact your state procurement agency to find out about registering for specific businesses. Some states have disadvantaged businesses programs that may work for you.

Tammy, I believe you need to change your CCR registration to reflect that you are now a woman owned business. I always update ORCA first.

Women and minorities have many options for receiving non-profit and/or private grants that provide opportunities for small businesses. The federal government does not award business grants to women-owned or minority-owned businesses; Mirrored Aviator Sunglasses Message Edited by NicoleD on 12-21-2009 08:41 AM

Tammy - I understand your interest in changing how your business is categorized to 'women-owned.' However, just changing your ownership to 51% does not make you a women-owned business - in the eyes of traditional women-owned certification. A women-owned business for the purposes of a socio-economic standard (as in use by traditional certification standards), means that your business is owned, operated and controlled by a woman or women. A certification process verifies how the business was started or how you came to own the business, how you secured your ownership stake, how your compensation compares to that of other employees (including your husband), who makes important decisions, hires/fires, signs payroll authorizations, secures credit for the business, etc. Unfortunately, the federal government allows anyone to simply assert their women-owned stats through their CCR registration using a very vague description of women-owned status. Consequently, the data in CCR is not nearly accurate. The U.S. Women's Chamber of Commerce has (http://www.uswcc.org/reports-and-statistics/2008/9/1/special-report-2006...) prepared a report on this issue. Additionally, at this time, the federal government has no socio-economic set-aside program for women-owned firms -- even though legislation was passed by Congress and signed into law by President Clinton in 2000. The U.S. Small Business Administration has still not completed the regulations to put the women-owned set-aside program into action. You can read more about this at the USWCC website. Please let me know if I can be of assistance in helping you understand the typical requirements for women-owned status. All the best in your business growth. Terry Williams Message Edited by NicoleD on 01-15-2010 03:10 PM Message Edited by NicoleD on 01-15-2010 03:12 PM

Many states give preference to minority owned businesses when contracting with the state. Ohio for example, has 'setasides' for minority owned businesses. In addition to this, state loans or grants to minority owned businesses may be easier to obtain. On the Federal level your corporate structure would benefit from having a veteran owned business more then a woman owned business in my opinion.