Since 2016, Martinez Creative Group has proudly maintained a Women’s Business Enterprise (WBE) Certification through the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC), the nation’s largest third-party certifier of businesses owned and operated by women in the U.S. MCG is happy to announce that we have again renewed our WBENC certification through 2019.

According to WBENC, their standard is the most relied-upon certification of women-owned businesses as a supplier diversity business program. This certification validates that a business is 51 percent owned, controlled, operated, and managed by a woman or women.

Nationally recognized by thousands of major U.S. corporations and federal, state, and local government entities, the WBE certification process is arduous and time-consuming. To achieve WBENC certification, women-owned businesses complete formal documentation certifying business details such as Articles of Incorporation, Bylaws, and annual P&L Statements, as well as a site visit process, which is administered by one of WBENC’s 14 Regional Partner Organizations.

“I first heard of the WBENC Certification several years ago through the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO). After learning about how having this certification could help our clients, I decided to pursue it in 2014,” says Kris Martinez, President of MCG.

“It was a lengthy process to complete all the necessary paperwork. We finally received our certification in 2016 and have successfully renewed it every year since. Each detail is scrutinized by the WBENC because certification is so highly valued: it’s nationally recognized as the gold standard of certification,” adds Martinez.

MCG is proud to be part of a program that not only affords us great opportunities and partnerships as a supplier diversity business, but also gives us the opportunity to share these benefits with our clients.

Some of the benefits a company can expect when partnering with a WBENC-Certified business such as MCG include:

1) Tax Incentives
Working with a WBENC-certified WBE can provide your company many tax benefits. The federal government provides tax incentives to those who conduct business with minority and women-owned businesses. Also, tax liabilities are reduced for projects funded with federal or state grants or loans when the supplier is a woman-owned business. At the state level, additional tax incentives may also be available. When you partner with MCG, we can provide you with all WBENC certification information needed for tax purposes so your business can also enjoy some of the benefits of WBENC certification.

2) More Profitability and More Creativity
Research shows that companies who embrace diversity are typically more profitable than culturally homogenous companies. This is partly because workplace members from diverse backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives avoid “groupthink,” which creates greater solutions and creativity.

3) More Diverse Suppliers Drive Competition
When working with a WBENC-certified business, you gain access to several different channels for goods and services, which enables you to choose the best options that fit your unique business needs. Increasing your partnerships with WBENC-certified businesses gives you the added benefit of building relationships with suppliers’ diverse alliances.

4) Faster Turnaround Times
Since most diverse businesses are small businesses, companies such as MCG typically tend to be more nimble and move faster than our competitors. As a smaller creative agency, this agile advantage helps us to be more responsive to our clients’ needs, offering faster turnaround time when required.

5) Commitment to Diversity
Corporations and consumers seek suppliers who work with WBE’s. As a supporter of supplier diversity, your business becomes more attractive to corporations who are seeking second-tier sourcing suppliers that work with women-owned businesses. When you partner with MCG, let your customers, employees, boards, and stakeholders know that you partner with a WBENC company. Include this in your presentations, quotes, and sales conversations. It may give you the competitive advantage in the decision-making process.

6) Commitment to a Growing Economy
Small and diverse businesses are the cornerstone of the economic growth and sustainability of our communities. WBENC-certified companies such as MCG are among the fastest growing sector of our economy. As small businesses grow, so does our nation’s economy. By working with a women-owned business, you show your company’s commitment to working in diverse markets and furthering economic growth.

Women’s Business Enterprise National Council aims to “foster diversity in the world of commerce. Diversity promotes innovation, opens new channels of revenue, and creates partnerships which provide opportunities that fuel the economy.” When women are economically empowered, they become engines of growth and stability for their employees, their communities, and their families.

For more information about the WBENC certification, please visit www.wbenc.org.

Please connect with us. We’d love the opportunity to share why MCG would be a great supplier diversity partner for your company!