8a Certification for Minority Owned Small Businesses

The outlook of tomorrow's economic landscape is bleak when compared to that of years past. For this reason, business investment in the United States is at a recent low, profoundly affecting our nation's economic growth. Fortune 500 companies and small businesses alike are feeling the effects of a downturn in GDP growth.

But for the thousands of small business owners who suffer as a result of this challenge our country faces, perhaps not one of them suffers more than the minority business owner. Already facing the trials of a downturn in the economy, the minority owned business meets other, unique opposition in the business arena.

In order to level the playing field for minorities in business, the Small Business Act ensures more equal representation of minorities among federal contractors. Unlike a business grant for minorities, which are typically awarded only once, and minority owned business loans which need to be repaid, the provisions of section 8a of the Small Business Act give minority business owners repeated access to federal set-aside contracts, at no cost to them.

Helpful Hints

The road to SBA 8a certification can be a long and difficult one. In fact, the average unassisted 8a application takes over a year to be completed and submitted. That's why it's so important to know the best way to go about your application before you begin.

Here are a few pointers to help you get on your way to securing a minority owned business certification with the fewest headaches possible.

• Consult an 8a certification checklist to verify that you in fact meet the basic criteria for 8a certification. There would likely be nothing more upsetting or disappointing than investing the amount of work it takes to become 8a certified, only to discover your minority owned business does not actually qualify.
• Gather the necessary financial statements for completing your application. This step is difficult and time consuming for many applicants. Making a forthright, upfront effort to compile the financial documentation required can save hassle in the long run.
• Consider soliciting the assistance of an 8a certification team. The 8a application is complicated, time consuming, and extremely competitive. If your small minority owned business hopes to become one of the less than 10,000 active participants in the SBA 8a program, help may not be a bad idea.

Working with Cloveer

Because we make it our job to get minority owned businesses SBA 8a certified, we at Cloveer know the "ins and outs" of the 8a application procedure. Harnessing this knowledge, we have created a few specialized products and services designed to work within your budget to help you accomplish your ultimate goal: Official SBA 8a certification.

At Cloveer, we offer several different services, to fit within your budget and preferences. Our 8a Application Accelerator has quickly grown in popularity to become the nation's #1 selling 8a application completion tool, due to both its ease of use and real results.

We're also willing to be a little more "hands-on" with your application, giving your business direct attention. Both our 8a Application Review and 8a Application Completion Service put our experienced SBA 8a program experts directly to work for you.

At Cloveer, we guarantee no one else will work harder to get your minority owned company SBA 8a certified. Contact us today to find out how Cloveer can help you.