Being certified as a State of Florida Certified Business Enterprise can be great for your business. During tough economic times a certification can help differentiate your small business and provide an advantage in winning government contracts. As of July 2009 there are over 5,000 businesses certified with the state of Florida – why not join these businesses and gain a competitive edge?

The certification helps small businesses get first in line for referrals to state agencies seeking to include supplier diversity as a part of their contract opportunities. And it is widely accepted throughout the state by various governmental and private entities.

Are you eligible?

To be eligible for certification as a Certified Business Enterprise, you need to meet the following requirements:

• 51% of your company must be owned, managed and controlled by an individual from one of the following groups: African-American, Hispanic-American, Asian-American, Native-American, American Woman or Service-Disabled Veteran (minimum 10% disability) who are citizens of the United States and permanent residents of Florida.

• Independently own and operate a small business with a net worth that does not exceed $5 million as of August 2009.

• Employ 200 or fewer full-time permanent employees or be recognized as a certified business by the federal government.

• Your company must be engaged in commercial transactions.

• You must operate a business in Florida.

• You must own and operate a for-profit business enterprise, as the Office of Supplier diversity does not certify non-profit companies.

If you want to understand the complete eligibility requirements you can check out the Florida Statutes and the Office of Supplier Diversity certification site. To prove eligibility, you must provide supporting documentation.

To get started with the process first register your business in MyFloridaMarketPlace.