6 Smart Business Reasons to Work with a WBENC Certified Agency

Amazon, Microsoft, and Target are among some of the well-known corporations mandating diversity in their business partners and employees alike. Of course, there are socially responsible reasons for doing business with women-owned and other diversity-based businesses. There are profitable reasons as well.

Watauga Group is honored to be a certified women-owned business by the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC). This recognition is given to America’s thriving businesses that are fueled by the energy and talent of successful women. Doing business with a WBENC certified agency delivers an array of benefits, some you can take straight to the bank. Here are six reasons you should work with a certified women-owned business:

1) Increase the flow of your revenue stream.

A boost your bottom line is ALWAYS a good thing. Partnering with women-owned and other diverse organizations is about more than social accountability. It’s a proven way to increase market share and profitability. Conversely, the lack of a supplier diversity program can actually produce lost revenue—a risk you don’t want to take.

2) Tax breaks! Enough said.

Receive federal tax breaks working with women-owned businesses like Watauga Group. You read that right, the federal government supports diversity and provides generous tax incentives. Additionally, some states allow tax breaks for working with women led businesses, including California and Georgia.

3) Faster turnaround times and increased creativity.

Most women-owned businesses are generally smaller, allowing them to be nimble companies that move faster and become more agile than larger competitors. For Watauga Group, this means we are more responsive to our clients’ needs with a team that has diverse backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives to develop more creative solutions for you.

4) Increase supplier reliability and mitigate risk.

When working with a WBENC-certified business, you gain access to new channels for goods and services, which enables you to choose the most reliable options for your unique business needs. We realize partnering with new suppliers can be risky. However you can mitigate that risk by using more diverse suppliers like Watauga Group, which are 99% more likely to meet or exceed their customer’s expectations.

5) Find the best workforce.

Having a diverse employee base is an important factor for job seekers, who want to know diversity policies before they consider employment with you. Not only do they care about the diversity of your workforce, but they also care about the diversity of your suppliers as well. While the labor shortage continues to be a challenge, the writing is on the wall: social responsibility matters.

6) Care about the economy: it’s a good look.

Small, women-owned businesses like Watauga Group are the cornerstone of economic growth, and some of the fastest growing and most innovative companies in our country. Working with women-owned companies sparks growth and opportunities, while demonstrating your diversity commitment to customers, employees, and other stakeholders – all while helping the economy

What is the WBENC and how did Watauga Group get certified?

The WBENC is the gold standard for women-owned businesses and a federal program designed to generate greater diversity. The organization believes that fueling diversity creates innovation, revenue opportunities, and is a positive force for the economy. The Watauga Group went through a rigorous certification process that validates the business is at least 51% owned and controlled by women.

Watauga Group Made the Grade

Leslie Osborne founded Watauga Group in 2004 as an independent media agency with a unique channel agnostic view and capability, allowing research and insights to guide the media strategy. Over the last two decades, she has developed and mentored an exceptional team of media experts that includes women in key positions across the agency. Under this leadership, the agency successfully connects clients’ brands with customers by creating and executing insight-driven, market-centric media strategies across a wide spectrum of industries including Outdoor & Recreation brands, Travel & Tourism, CPG, and Franchises among others.