SBE Services
Small business owners join The Council for certification. They stay, and grow, because of what comes next.
We offer development programs, corporate introductions, peer networking, and active advocacy, all designed to move your business from where it is to where it has the potential to be.
Certification
MBE certification through The Council is administered under the standards of the National Minority Supplier Development Council. It's a rigorous process, because it has to be. Corporate partners use NMSDC certification to reduce risk in their sourcing decisions, which means your certification carries real weight.
Certification is renewed annually. The Council's staff supports you through the process, including first-time applicants who may need help organizing documentation.
Development
Getting certified is just the beginning. Our development programs are what prepare you to compete while you're growing your business.
Programs are available at a range of investment levels, from $95 workshops to sponsored university executive education programs where corporate partners often cover enrollment costs. Before you enroll, our staff will talk with you about your goals to make sure the program you choose is the right fit.
Structured training to help you develop the operational systems and management capacity needed to pursue and fulfill larger corporate contracts.
Facilitated sessions that help you create an actionable growth plan, set revenue targets, and map a path from your current revenue class to the next one.
The Council partners with universities including the University of Richmond to offer advanced business programs for small business leaders. Corporate sponsors frequently fund enrollment costs for qualified SBEs.
Connection
The Council's network is only as powerful as what you build inside it. Our events create the conditions for real business relationships to grow, showing up is part of the process.
Regional Introductory Networking Groups meet regularly in cities across the Carolinas and Virginia. They're structured, time-limited, and intentionally focused on building business connections between SBEs and corporate partners.
Our annual conference brings together hundreds of small business owners, corporate partners, and sponsors for a full program of development, connection, and recognition. It's the largest gathering in our network, and consistently the place where major business relationships begin.
Some of the most valuable connections in our network are MBE to MBE. We create opportunities for small business owners to identify joint venture partners, share resources, and collaborate on contracts too large for any one business to pursue alone.
Membership