By Gina Blitstein

Government agencies offer a myriad of contracting opportunities. Whatever your field, you can be certain there’s a need for your goods or services somewhere, at some level, within the government. While any business can pursue the government’s business, there are often steps you can take proactively that will align your business for serious consideration.

Studiosatellite, an image creation and pre-press studio in Chicago, IL has recently received its International Women-owned Business Enterprise (IWBE) Certification. This certification means that the company completed the United States Women's Chamber of Commerce certification process and is now officially recognized as a women-owned business.

What does this mean for Studiosatellite? This certification is a pre-requisite for the process of competing for government contracts as a certified women-owned enterprise, which is considered a minority. The government has quotas to fulfill with regard to minorities and now its IWBE certification makes Studiosatellite eligible to compete against other certified women-owned businesses for government contracts.

According to Lynda Barckert, female majority owner and President of Studiosatellite, “We recognize that government on all levels has mandated that agencies and corporations alike hire women-and minority-owned companies for a percentage of contracts. We feel that our IWBE certification puts us in a position to pursue these opportunities.”

Based upon its owners and their ultimate mission, Studiosatellite proved to be a natural candidate for IWBE certification. Lynda explains, “Studiosatellite is unique in that we are currently the only certified woman-owned commercial retouching studio in Chicago. Most studios have about a 4:1 ratio of male to female employees. With retouchers, it is even less. Yet, I feel this is an industry women can excel in, if made aware of the skills and training necessary. Part of our vision involves hiring other women and helping them break into this industry or continuing to work at ever-higher levels within it. We believe that receiving our IWBE certification shows the industry, and those women hoping to break into it, our commitment to this vision."

Studiosatellite is poised, prepared and eager to pursue their first government contracting opportunities. Says Lynda, “We understand that it can be an arduous process, but in our industry, as in many others, it has become increasingly necessary to pursue other revenue streams. We are hopeful that our pricing structure—which eliminates out-of-date extra fees still charged by most studios—will attract contracts from government agencies that are also feeling the financial pinch of a challenging economy. We also stress the idea of Service, meaning we are very attentive in that arena throughout each project. This approach should work well in dealing with the many important details involved in fulfilling government contracts promptly and accurately.”

Lynda and her team are making the best possible use of the government’s contracting policies which are designed to provide opportunities for minority groups, such as women in the business world. One important key to successful government contracting is finding what unique qualities your business can offer and leveraging them to your advantage in the marketplace.

Creating opportunities for women within their industry and gaining more business - those are the goals behind Studiosatellite’s decision to pursue their IWBE certification - and ultimately government contracts. Those goals combined with smart business practices and a strong commitment to customer service will make Studiosatellite a strong contender for the contracts they go after. While IWBE certification offers no guarantees that government contracts will be awarded Studiosatellite, it represents their commitment and their first crucial step toward doing business with the government.

What factors make your business uniquely equipped to contract with the government?