Small Business Certification
Getting certification for your business and/or employees is beneficial on many different levels. From showing clients that you are at the top of the industry to ensuring that employees are well trained in a particular area of their job, certification makes sense.
What is Certification?
Certification is often times referred to as the following: trade certification, professional certification, or professional designation.
In short, this is a designation earned by an organization or person to assure qualification within an industry or to perform a particular job or task.
Types of Certification
There are several types of certifications. For example, a business can be certified as woman owned or minority owned. Additionally, there are three general classifications of certifications:
- Corporate
- Product specific
- Profession or industry wide
Corporate certification is generally made by a corporation for internal purposes. While this has nothing to do with outside organizations or the ability to receive perks, such as funding, it is a good way to ensure the development of employees and overall compliance of the company.
A product specific certification is much more involved. This is very common in industries such as software, hardware, and information technology.
The most general certification is profession or industry wide. For example, a particular certification may be necessary in order to obtain a particular type of license. Professional organizations often times establish certification. One of the best examples is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA).
Which Companies and Employees Qualify for Certification?
This question is broad and can be answered in many ways. Generally speaking, it depends on your industry and/or the type of certification you are interested in.
To be certified as a woman owned operation, for instance, you must go through the process as outlined by the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council or National Women’s Business Owners Corporation.
Common Areas of Certification
- Accounting
- Finance
- Aviation
- Business
- Computer Technology
- Environment
- Economic Development
- Medicine
- Project Management
- Security
- Transportation
Through the proper certification and licensing, an organization and its employees can better position themselves for success.
