5 Successful women in business – and your guide to WOSB

Today we live in a generation where women have more opportunities to become successful entrepreneurs. Some are even on the other side as angel investors, helping women fund their small businesses.

But what takes a successful business woman to get to where she is today?

Well it first starts with gaining a WOSB certificate, which stands for Women Of Small Business. A WOSB certificate is like the golden ticket that offers open doors to those who gain it. The WOSB certificate also applies to women who are economically disadvantaged.

In order to qualify, you need to meet the small business size standards; which include employment size as well as revenue. The business itself needs to have 51% ownership from a woman who is a U.S citizen. The women in charge need to run the business, manage everything and work on a full time basis. All decisions made for the business has to be decided by a woman who owns it.

There are 2 ways of obtaining the WOSB: the first way is to apply online through the SBA website and the second is by applying through the NWBOC which stands for The National Women Business Owners Corporation. In order to see a full step by step guide on how to apply, check out the WOSB guide. With either option you choose, it can take anywhere between 15-90 days to receive a decision for your WOSB certificate.

Female entrepreneurs can practically open up a business in any field and the ideas are endless. Some women have built communities online and have gained success that way, whilst others have opened up physical locations in order to bask into their success. Since we are on the topic of women who own businesses, here are 5 women in business that you can celebrate and admire their success.

Griffith Roberts Roth and Blyth Roberts

These twin sisters started out a business together called Gatopard. The small business specialises in table clothes, placemats, napkins and table linens that have bold designs. During the covid-19 outbreak, the successful business owners donated 10% of their earnings to a charity called ‘No Kid Hungry’, which helps children in need that come from struggling families.

Sarah Kauss

Sarah Kauss has peaked success, by creating a multi million dollar company that sells stainless steel water bottles. She is the founder and CEO of S’well. Her brand stands out because her products are eco friendly, insulated and stylish. They can be found practically everywhere, such as Urban Outfitters and Barnes & Noble. Stainless steel water bottles help contribute to the environment and have changed the way people drink water today. She has also created a pink Swarovski  diamond crystal bottle and donated the net profits to the Breast Cancer research fund.

Ellen Bennett

Ellen Bennett is the founder and ceo of Hedley & Bennett, which is now a multi-million dollar business and specialises in making aprons for chefs. This successful woman achieved it at the age of 25 and has even sold her aprons to celebrity chefs such as Martha Stewart. Her idea started when she worked as a line chef in a restaurant; she wanted to create chefware that was flexible yet stylish at the same time.

Ali Maffuci

Ali Maffuci is the reason why you can make spiralised courgette spaghetti at your very own home. She came up and developed the idea of creating her own line of product that is known as the spiralizer. She is the founder and CEO of the company Inspiralized and her product costs $35. Not only that, but she has also released cookbooks and has a blog dedicated entirely to spiralized veggie recipes.

Koel Thomae

The company Noosa yoghurt was co-founded by Koel Thomae. Her idea came to place when she visited the United States and tried a local yoghurt, that made her completely forget about Greek yoghurt. Once she brainstormed her idea, she started grafting alongside a dairy farmer in Colorado and eventually their product became available in Whole Foods. However, it wasn’t an easy journey for her as she also battled to get a deal with other companies such as Public, Walmart and Target.

Our say

If you are a woman who has dreams to open up a business, it is never too late. The federal government can also gives grants to those in need and you can find different ways to fund your business. Gaining a WOSB certificate can most definitely help you with opportunities.