COMMUNITY Once certified, businesses are given the Targeted Small Business badge, and are encouraged to use it to promote their brand as “certified” to potential customers who are interested in purchasing from specific business owners. Additionally, being certified through a third-party as a diverse-owned business can help get a foot in the door with companies that have established supplier diversity goals. “It can be hard to permeate those walls,” Bohanna said. Having a third-party certification allows larger companies to identify and connect to businesses that will help them meet the companies’ core values. While Bohanna’s products are sold in the retail market, promoting a company through a mechanism such as the Targeted Small Business program can be effective in any industry. Recently, presenters at the Meet the Buyer forum, a collaborative effort between the Greater Des Moines Partnership and the Targeted Small Business program, spoke about their company or organization’s supplier diversity goals that Targeted Small Businesses can help them meet. These networking events also offer an opportunity for companies to connect with businesses that they otherwise may not have been aware of. Alliant Energy is a great example of a company that frequently uses the Targeted Small Business directory to identify diverse business owners to partner with. When the new Targeted Small Business Directory was launched last year, Jeanine Penticoff, Alliant Vice President of Customer and Engagement Solutions, noted Alliant energy recognizes the value of contracting with local businesses and having diversity in its supplier base. “We’re really excited about the new Targeted Small Business portal. This will make it so much easier for us to identify Iowa businesses that can be potential bidders for our projects.” To learn more about networking events and how to get certified for free through the Iowa Targeted The Urban Experience 25 Small Business program, please visit www. iowaeconomicdevelopment.com/tsb
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