Women in Business Today

The fact is, the government will set aside projects SPECIFICALLY for your category which dramatically cuts out a large portion of the competition.

There is lot’s of paper work, time and effort, but worth it. I’m in the middle of it right now in PA. The 2 links below might be a good place to start. as well as your closest SBA in CA.

http://www.sba.gov/localresources/district/ca/

http://www.scmbdc.org/programs_services/certification.asp

They will have all of the forms and guidance which you will need.

Submission of the forms will ask for 2 years of federal and state tax forms, proof of citizenship, business plans, resumes, contracts in the past, financial obligations, company structure and proof of everything, narrative on why you’re disadvantaged, even if you are….and that’s just for starters.

Then there are various other status and registrations that you should get in order to obtain federal and state contracts. The site below might be a good place to start.

You might also want to get a DUNNS number at http://www.dnb.com/us/

You can get one free, but it will take 30 days, so start that process now. This is only if you want business from the government which is the REAL benefit of certifying as a women and minority owned business.

Then register with the state:
http://www.pd.dgs.ca.gov/smbus/default.htm

Some certifications require a time period to be in business such as 8(a), but ownership must be in one of the disadvantage categories (at least 51%).

Hope this helps!