Baker, Braverman & Barbadoro, P.C. helps give Massachusetts Women and Minority Owned Businesses a Competitive Edge in the Marketplace

Blog, Corporate Lawyers

Posted in on May 7, 2015

For over ten years, Baker, Braverman & Barbadoro’s corporate team has been providing legal advice for qualified candidates applying for certification status through the Massachusetts’ Supplier Diversity Office (SDO).

SDO, formerly known as the State Office of Minority and Women Business Assistance, is an agency within the Massachusetts state government that helps promote the development of business enterprises and non-profit organizations owned and operated by minorities or women. A key component of SDO’s mandate is to certify companies that meet SDO’s criteria for women and minority owned businesses and to enable such businesses to participate in affirmative business opportunities with government agencies.

SDO certification provides an important competitive advantage for companies bidding to do business with state and local government agencies. For example, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts spends more than $4 billion each year doing business with private companies. More than $240 million of this amount is targeted specifically to SDO certified businesses. In addition, SDO publishes a directory of certified minority and women business enterprises and non-profit organizations and encourages state and local agencies to seek out additional opportunities with SDO certified companies.

In an increasingly competitive marketplace, SDO certification can also be used as a powerful marketing tool with public and private companies. Many public and private companies have pledged to seek out women and minority owned business vendors. Businesses with SDO certifications can therefore be preferred vendors.

 

Recently, Baker, Braverman & Barbadoro successfully assisted Suffolk County Constable’s Office, Inc. (“SCCO”) in gaining SDO certification. SCCO provides warrant apprehension, civil process serving, evictions and judgment recovery services.

“We have already seen an increase in our business with the SDO certification,” said Suzanne Morrison, the owner and president of SCCO, “we are excited as we know that the SDO certification will continue to open up new opportunities for us as we grow our business.”

If you are interested in becoming SDO certified, please contact Baker, Braverman & Barbadoro, P.C. for a consultation.