All Posts Tagged With: "woman-owned business"

Recently, I was certified by the City of Baltimore and the State of Maryland as a woman-owned business enterprise, or WBE. What does it mean to claim my status as a woman-owned business? I am officially considered "disadvantaged," so – in the eyes of the city and state – entitled to special treatment. Preferential treatment. I can be invited to be on project teams solely on the basis of my gender.

I have been through this certification three times now. With my first business; with my partnership, Terralogos ; and now, with Gabrielli Design Studio . It’s a burdensome process, which is why this last time I put it off for almost three years. You have to answer a gazillion questions, and give them complete copies of your last three years’ tax returns. Fill out a statement of your net worth, provide balance sheets on the business, resumes, copies of leases, letters of reference, business plan, and on and on.

It’s worth the effort because of the marketing advantages. Yet it leaves me conflicted to claim disadvantage in the world of business by virtue of my chemistry, societal strictures, upbringing, education, and weepiness at chick-flicks. It even feels a bit traitorous, as if I’m admitting I’d rather be a man. Am I saying I’d be more successful in business if I were a man, but I’m not, so I have to do all this paperwork to get special treatment?

Lately, I have been reflecting on the differences between the male and female consciousness as they are manifested in how we approach our lives and work. Continued