Posts Tagged ‘diversity certification’
Intersectionality … what does that mean?
Intersectionality is a big word we’re hearing around the diverse community these days. Coined by Kimberlé Crenshaw in her 1989 thesis “Demarginalizing the Intersection of Race and Sex: A Black Feminist Critique of Antidiscrimination Doctrine, Feminist Theory and Antiracist Politics” to demonstrate that “[b]ecause the intersectional experience is greater than the sum of racism and…
Read MoreTaking Care of Business
Once we titled this article, the music started in our heads. Instead of talking about COVID, let’s talk about self-care for diverse business owners. Our crazy, complicated lives just got more so! Maybe this is the world’s way of telling us to simplify … to drop unproductive tasks and concentrate on four important things: Family…
Read MoreSlow Changes
The federal government is shutting down its self-certification of women-owned small businesses — again. We’ve been hearing about this since 2015, so we’re not holding our breath yet. In a program that was begun in 2010, NASA’s Office of the Inspector General (OIG) reported in 2013 that 35% of the WOSBs it contracted with “may…
Read MoreTo Gift or To Loan?
We’ve been researching how gifts and loans from non-certifiable owners can impact some state-based certifications of legitimately owned DBEs (Disadvantaged Business Enterprises). Yes, harping on legitimacy is part of our shtick. We have absolutely no interest in seeing these certification programs abused or defrauded. Anyway, you would think that a gift is perfectly acceptable, since…
Read MoreNew Year, Time to Plan
Are you considering getting a diverse certification for your business? Perhaps you’re a certified business looking to plan which 3rd party certifier events to attend? Either way, the beginning of the year is always a good time to review your options and determine how best to utilize your diverse status. The Certifiers Disability:IN, the 3rd…
Read MoreDown the Rabbit Hole of Certification
Our newest team member, Tara, gives her take on learning the certification process. Being the newest team member (a mere six months), I have submerged myself head first into the world of diverse business certification. As with any journey, obstacles loomed, alongside the fulfillment of assisting others enhance their personal business goals. Now, I could detail…
Read MoreCertification: Truth or Myth?
We seem to be deluged with information about diversity certifications lately, and we’ve been unpleasantly surprised by how much of it is false or misleading. SDMWVLGBTQBE (Small Disadvantaged or Disabled, Minority, Women, Veteran, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgendered or Queer Business Enterprise) owners already have a lot to juggle without being led down a costly path of…
Read MoreVocabulary Changes
If we live long enough in interesting times, we will likely experience changes in our language’s vocabulary. Maybe different definitions for the same or similar words, new words replacing currently accepted ones or, my personal favorite, dialogues so obfuscated with acronyms and protocol that we’re not exactly sure what we might be talking about. We’re…
Read MoreAgain With Control & Governance
If a SDMWVLGBTBE’s (Small Disadvantaged or Disabled, Minority, Women, Veteran, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual or Transgendered Business Enterprise) business owner reviews any certifier’s eligibility criteria s/he’ll find a requirement that reads something like this: the business must be at least 51% owned, operated, and controlled by a diverse owner(s). Owned and operated are straightforward, but the area of…
Read MorePortals: Everyone seems to have one, what do you do with them?
As a diverse business owner, the most dreaded question asked by a supplier diversity (SD) professional may be: “Are you registered in our portal?” Portal registration can be time consuming and sometimes can feel like a black hole you only hear from once a year when your certification is about to expire. The honest truth, portals are not for…
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