It’s a question we get so very often.
“If my husband works in my business, can I get certified?”
“I’m a 100% women-owned business. How is it fair to allow husband/wife teams to be certified?”
Let’s break down the eligibility criteria to get a true understanding of why some businesses are eligible and why some aren’t…
So are husband/wife (or sister/brother, father/daughter) teams eligible for WBENC certification? The short answer is… it depends.
Some women build their business completely on their own with blood, sweat, and tears. Other women build their business with blood, sweat, tears, and a male family member by their side.
Either way, these women are legitimate business owners.
But the unfortunate reality is that some women are put as figureheads of small businesses with the extra 1% ownership just to be able to meet WBENC eligibility, even though she is not the true driver of the business.
Myth: WBENC certification gives women-owned businesses an advantage over male-owned businesses.
Certification never guarantees business. These certificate programs provide procurement education, connections, and an equal opportunity to compete. It can be hard for small businesses to know where to start, who to contact, how to find RFPs, or even get a foot in the door to be considered for contracts.
Why do these programs exist? Economically, women-owned businesses still face huge obstacles. It wasn’t until 1988 that women were legally allowed to obtain a business loan without a male co-signer. Even in 2025, women-owned start-ups still receive less than 3% of venture capital.
But still these programs are simply meant to provide access and connections, not an advantage in contracting. Ultimately, procurement departments get access to a wider variety of potential suppliers for services and products, while still having full merit-based control to pick the supplier that’s the best fit for the job, certified or not.
So if you work with your husband, or son, or grandfather, or male best friend, or if there’s a family business intertwined, here are the questions you need to truly ask yourself before you apply:
Is this MY business?
Do I have the final say on all decisions? Do staff and clients defer to me as the head of the business and final decision maker? Am I actively exercising decision making power on a daily basis? Do my legal documents (bylaws or operating agreement) protect me as the final decision maker? If I have another job or am retired, am I a passive decision maker or truly overseeing and driving the daily operations?
Is this my industry?
Am I the one who has the foundational industry knowledge? Can I adequately evaluate the work that my staff and male partner do daily? If my male partner were to leave the business immediately, would I be able to easily take on and delegate his responsibilities? If I disagree with a technical decision that my male partner makes, do I have the expertise to back up my opinion, and will my male partner defer to me?
Is my role more than administrative in nature?
Do I have the experience and responsibility of overseeing technical operations- sales, bidding, project completion, hiring, field work, purchasing, etc.? Or is my role primarily in office administration, financial management, etc.?
Am I reliant on any resources from my male partner?
Does my male partner hold a license, have specific contacts, or own/operate a piece of equipment that’s necessary to fulfill my projects? Am I able to get my own clients and contracts, or do they primarily come through him?
Is my business intertwined with another family business?
Does my male partner own or work in another business in a similar industry? If so, do we share employees, clients, or equipment? Would I be able to run my business if this other business and its assets immediately ceased to exist at this very moment?
Can I fire my business partner?
(Yes, we said it.) Even if I could never imagine wanting to take this step, do I have the legal power to fire him, and the ability to immediately run the company successfully without him?
Examples of NOT Eligible Business Scenarios
(note that we can never promise certification without fully reviewing the whole application for all eligibility criteria)
- A construction company was started by John Smith ten years ago, and about five years ago his wife Jane Smith joined the company as the administrator and CFO. Earlier this year, John decided he wanted to get his company WBENC certified, so he gifted 51% of shares to his wife and gave up his title as President to her. Though John has a new VP title, he is still driving the same daily operations and exercising day-to-day decision making power. While Jane is working full-time in the business and is generally knowledgeable about the operations, she does not have the technical expertise to oversee the field work, estimating and projects without her husband.
Why it was denied: Jane does not have the industry expertise to run this business without her husband. Her role is purely administrative, and John is still performing his same duties as his previous role of President, including overseeing the technical and field work.
- After retiring from the family marketing firm, the founding owners hand the business over to their children, Jane, who will be President, Joshua, who will be VP, and Jack, who will be CFO. Jane owns 60%, while her brothers each own 20%. Jane meets the majority of WBENC criteria as she holds the majority ownership, has the highest title, is experienced in the industry, and is driving the day to day decisions and operations. However, to put her on equal footing with her co-owners, their bylaws state that all major business decisions must be made by unanimous consent of the 3 owners.
Why it was denied: Jane’s governing documents do not give her total control over the business. Her male co-owners can veto her business decisions. Learn more about ineligible clauses in governing documents.
- Jane Smith started a bookkeeping firm five years ago to manage the finances of her brother Jacob Smith’s utility company, ABC Light Co. Jane’s only client is ABC Light Co., and Jacob encourages Jane to apply for WBENC certification so that they can include it in his RFPs.
Why it was denied: Jane is reliant on ABC Light Co., a male-owned business, as her only client, and would have no revenue without it. Plus they plan to fraudulently use the certificate for Jacob’s clients.
- Joe Smith has a CDL and is an experienced trucker. His mother, Jane Smith, recommends that they start their own small trucking company, with her as the President and 100% owner. She will manage the office and he will drive the truck that he owns to complete projects.
Why it was denied: Jane doesn’t have a CDL or expertise in trucking, and couldn’t complete projects without Joe.
- Jane Smith ran her business successfully for 40 years. While she still holds 90% of shares and participates in board meetings to sign off on major decisions, Jane’s son Jim now owns 10% of shares and is running the daily operations as the Manager.
Why it was denied: A woman must hold the highest title and be overseeing the daily operations
Ultimately, we will eventually get a clear picture of your business, whether through our face to face conversation with you, or through the dozens of pieces of documentation that we review. WBENC is the gold standard certification because of this rigorous review, and it’s why so many corporations and government agencies accept it.
So yes, while we have some certified businesses that are husband/wife, mother/son, or father/daughter co-owners, when we certify someone, we are confidently saying that this business is run by a woman at the helm with the expertise, independence, and decision-making power to do so.
Up next: 7 Things All Business Owners Need to Know About Supplier Certificates
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