In our new column, staff share insider advice. This month certification manager Colleen LaCoss addresses the annual elephant in the room: the WBE recertification process. If you have additional questions please reach out to our certification team today, we’d be happy to assist in any way possible.
1. Do I need a site visit?
Site visits are generally required only every three years. So if you had one last year, there’s a good chance you won’t need one this year.
2. Does it really take 90 days?
Sometimes. Certification has 3 phases, with each phase taking about 30 days. But you may not need all 3.
- Regular staff review
- Additional committee review- for businesses with major changes like ownership percentage, management/directors, legal structure, or headquarters
- Site visit- generally done every 3 years
If you’ve had no changes and had a site visit last year, you can likely expect it to go through in about 30 days. But if you know it’s your lucky site visit year or if you’ve transferred stock… do the math and plan accordingly.
3. Is there any downside to reapplying early?
No way! Expiration dates never change (even if you reapply late), so if your recertification goes through 3 months early, congrats, that’s 3 more months you don’t have to worry about it. You can reapply up to 120 days before you expire, and the earlier the better I always say!
4. Oh no, I reapplied late and expired! Help!
Don’t worry, you’re not alone. Just keep in mind that while you’re expired your profile isn’t active in the directory, and your expiration date will stay the same no matter when your recertification comes through. If you have clients that require an active certificate, please reach out to us for a letter of good standing.
The big HOWEVER- don’t let it lapse for more than 6 months, because then you’ll have to start all over as a new applicant… and no one wants that.
Log in to get started on your recertification
Next Up:
Checklist: The 9 Things to Do Your First Year Certified
The 7 Deadly Certification Document Sins
Alphabet Soup: A Guide to Acronyms and Terms You’ll Want to Know