For years, minority- and women-owned businesses in Indiana have been encouraged to pursue M/WBE certification as part of their strategy for accessing government contracting opportunities. With Indiana’s M/WBE certification program now suspended, many business owners are understandably asking: What now?
My answer is simple: We pivot!
Certification has been an important tool for creating access, visibility and opportunity for historically underrepresented businesses. Certification alone was never what made a business contract ready, and it never guaranteed a contract.
The businesses that consistently compete for and successfully perform contracts have always needed something more: strong operations, financial capacity, relevant experience, competitive positioning, relationships, systems, and the ability to deliver.
That distinction matters even more now.
Certification was a tool, not the finish line!
One of the biggest misconceptions about supplier diversity has been that becoming certified was the destination. In reality, certification could help open a door. The business still had to be prepared to walk through it.
Could you finance the contract while waiting to be paid? Did you have sufficient staffing and operational capacity? Could you demonstrate relevant past performance? Did you understand what the buyer actually needed? Could you clearly communicate your competitive value? And, most importantly, if you won the opportunity tomorrow, could you successfully perform?
Those are contract readiness questions.
As Indiana’s procurement environment evolves, businesses that previously led with certification will need to become even more intentional about leading with capability, capacity, performance and value.
The pivot looks different depending on where you are!
For businesses that have never held a government or corporate contract, this is the time to strengthen the foundation before chasing opportunities.
Understand what you sell, who buys it, how they buy it, and what size of an opportunity can your business realistically perform. Strengthen your financial and operational infrastructure. Know your capabilities and gaps. Then strategically pursue opportunities that fit your business.
For experienced contractors, the pivot looks much different.
If certification previously helped create access, ask yourself: What keeps my company competitive when certification is no longer the differentiator?
Your past performance is now an even greater asset. So are your results, expertise, reputation, relationships and ability to solve problems for buyers.
This is also the time to examine concentration. Are you overly dependent on one agency, customer or procurement channel? Can you expand from subcontracting to prime opportunities? From government to corporate or institutional buyers? From one service offering to adjacent capabilities?
The goal isn’t to abandon what worked. It’s to reposition and diversify for what comes next.
Don’t retreat. Reposition!
This moment does not have to represent the end of opportunity for Indiana’s women- and minority-owned businesses. It should be a call to strengthen how we prepare our businesses to compete.
Certification created access, but sustainable contracting success has always required more.
Do not stop pursuing. Diversify your services.
Do not lead only with certification. Lead with value.
Do not chase every opportunity. Pursue the right opportunities.
Even though the procurement landscape may be changing, capable businesses still have something buyers need.
The question now isn’t simply, “Am I certified?”
It’s “Am I contract-ready?”
And for Indiana’s small businesses, that is the most important question we ask next.
Angela Franklin is the founder and president of SOAR Consulting.
