Comma Officially Certified as WBENC Woman-Owned Company
Earlier this year, Comma Copywriters was officially certified as a woman-owned company by the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC).
Founded in 1997, WBENC is “the largest third-party certifier of businesses owned, controlled, and operated by women in the United States and a leading advocate for women-owned businesses in corporate and government supply chains.” With this validation, Comma becomes a part of a community of businesses dedicated to advancing women as business owners, corporate leaders, and industry influencers.
Comma’s Journey to Certification
In the past six and a half years, Comma Copywriters has earned some impressive accolades, including two appearances on Utah Business’ Fast 50 and a spot on MountainWest Capital Network’s Utah Top 100. Crystalee Beck, owner and founder of Comma, is extremely proud of these accomplishments, but being officially recognized as a woman-owned company stirs up a different kind of pride because “[WBENC is] the gold standard for certification for women-owned businesses.”
“Women-owned” is the key distinction here, as there is a difference between female-founded and women-owned businesses. A female-founded company may have been created by a woman or group of women, but that doesn’t mean the business is majority-owned by them. WBENC certification confirms that a business is at least “51 percent owned, controlled, operated, and managed by a woman or women.”
Similar to the task of actually starting a business, earning this certification took a lot of hard work and dedication. Crystalee spent over a year on the WBENC certification process. This process required extensive documentation, which included leadership team resumes, financial statements from the past several years, company history, and much more. Devoting time and energy to meeting the organization’s high standards was worth it, as it puts Comma among an impressive collection of companies that Crystalee admires.
Fast Facts About Women-owned Companies
In the 25 years since WBENC was established, women in business have steadily pursued entrepreneurship. Consider these notable comparisons and current statistics:
There are currently 12.3 million women-owned businesses in the US. In 1997, there were only 5.4 million.
US women-owned businesses generate $1.8 trillion a year, a significant increase from the $818.7 billion they generated 25 years ago.
In 1997, women owned 26% of US businesses; they now own 40%.
There are 114% more women entrepreneurs than there were 20 years ago.
Women-led private tech companies achieve 35% higher ROI.
These numbers are encouraging, but there’s still room for growth. Utah, where Crystalee and Comma are based, ranks 45th among all US states in the number of women-owned companies, with only 16% of Utah businesses being owned by women.
Dig a little deeper, though, and you’ll find that Utah has the second-highest increase in women-owned companies over the last 20 years. Factor in that Comma employs 48 people (93% of whom are women) in 20 states, and it’s apparent that Comma contributes to the growing success of women-owned businesses not only in Utah but across the country.
What the Certification Means Going Forward
When Crystalee started Comma, she wasn’t aware of any certification programs, but about four years ago, she started seeing “women-owned business” seals everywhere. She knew her company needed that distinction. Her determination was partly fueled by:
wanting official recognition
business strategy (certain companies set aside funds specifically for working with women-owned businesses)
gaining access to everything WBENC offers its recognized organizations.
“I wanted access to that community of women,” Crystalee said. “I’m actually meeting with an ambassador who’s going to help me learn about these trainings and major companies they partner with who want to work with women-owned brands.”
WBENC is committed to providing its network of businesses with opportunities, resources, and engagement. Members are granted access to events, networking opportunities, ambassador programs, and a wealth of resources to learn from each others’ success, advocate for the success of others, and continue to grow the women-owned business community.
As more women start their own companies, women entrepreneurs need more ways to share their experiences and learn from people who have pursued similar paths. Survey data shows that, in addition to balancing work/life responsibilities (18.5%), women entrepreneurs in Utah report struggling to be taken seriously (16.9%) and lacking resources to start a business (14.3%). Other findings show that women business owners in the US also contend with the following challenges:
gender stereotypes
trouble securing appropriate funding
easy access to childcare
Luckily, there are some distinct advantages to being a woman in business (including having better people skills and providing a more flexible work environment), and more women are discovering opportunities specifically geared toward supporting women business owners, just like the WBENC has been doing for 25 years.
At Comma, we’re committed to empowering every employee by holding true to our company values and to helping every team member put life first.
Interested in joining? Check out our careers page. Looking to work with a woman-owned business? Drop us a line.
