President’s Message: COVID-19

March 17, 2020

We are in unprecedented times. The spread of COVID-19 has disrupted every aspect of our lives, and things are changing quickly. I wanted to provide an update on the actions WBE Canada is taking to safeguard the health and wellbeing of our clients, our team and their families.

We have taken the following preventive measures: restricting non essential business travel; implementing audio and video conferencing wherever possible; continuously reviewing our guidelines around large events (see our Event Calendar for more information); and doing all we can to stay updated on COVID-19 developments and best practices recommended by the Public Health Agency of Canada.

From a business perspective, WBE Canada is currently operating with no disruption. We continue to serve our community as we always have. We’re actively monitoring the situation and will continue to take guidance from public health authorities.

As an all-women team we understand the impact this pandemic will have on our WBE community. From unpaid caregiver responsibilities to economic stress, your commitment to strengthen capacity, resilience and success of Canadian WBEs is more important than ever. Here are just a couple of ideas to inspire you to support our community:

Call your existing Certified WBE suppliers to offer support, training, or advice
Review WBE database and engage a new supplier in your supply chain
Increase spend with existing supplier
Speed up payment to a Certified WBE company to help them with cash flow during these challenging times
Partner with a Certified WBE to help you overcome recent challenges in your business/organization (e.g. train your staff how to work remotely)
Turn in-person training/event experience into virtual opportunities (or participate in WBE Canada virtual events)
Buy WBE products online

Resources for businesses

Looking for more resources? Check these resources…

President’s Message: COVID-19

COVID-19 Updates & Information

Business Resources & Procurement

Thank you for your continued trust in our organization and people. Please contact us if you have any questions.

Sincerely,

Silvia Pencak
President, WBE Canada

PS: To learn more about supporting Canadian women owned businesses through procurement, learn more about WBE Canada membership

Corporate Member Story: BMO

WBE Canada Welcomes Bimbo Canada as a Corporate Member

OPG Embracing Equity and Diversity in its Supply Chain

WBE Canada Welcomes SaskPower as a New Corporate Member

Posted in Business Tips, News & Updates, President's Message and tagged business, Canadian women, covid-19, supplier diversity, supply chain, women-owned business

Michelle White from Today Living Group provided this video testimonial at the WBE Canada 2018 Annual Conference to discuss the benefits of Certification with WBE Canada for women-owned businesses. Michelle White identifies access to the corporate buyers as the biggest benefit of WBE certification. Instead of talking to gatekeepers, you get to connect with the buyers and corporate professionals who are willing and ready to help you navigate the supply chain.
To learn more about certificatio… Read more

Michelle White: WBE Certification Gives Women Access

Maude Parisseau from BDC provided this video testimonial at the conference to discuss the benefits of Corporate Membership with WBE Canada. “For us, it was really important to become one because it’s an extension of our mandate,” she said. “BDC is here to support Canadian entrepreneurs. It allows us to meet with different entrepreneurs, to learn more about them, their passion, and also to be able to meet with other organizations and corporations that do encourage other WBEs, and to le… Read more

BDC

“WBE Canada aide un cabinet d’avocats de taille modeste, tel que Walker Law, à rencontrer d’importants fournisseurs qui, autrement, ne le sauraient pas ou ne se rendraient pas compte de leurs capacités. Ils recommandent que les entreprises appartenant à des femmes soient certifiées afin de pouvoir se connecter avec des entreprises qui recherchent des fournisseurs diversifiés auxquels elles n’auraient autrement pas accès. Ce type de partenariat, de communauté et de possibilités d… Read more

Walker Law

CIBC shares excitement around being part of WBE Canada community and having opportunity to meet and support women-owned businesses and engage them in their supply chain opportunities. CIBC is committed to diversifying their supply chain and increasing their spend with diverse suppliers, specifically with Canadian women-owned businesses. Learn more…
To learn more about corporate membership click here. Share this video…

CIBC Is Committed To Diversifying Its Supply Chain

“WBE Canada helps a boutique-sized law firm, like Walker Law, get in the room with other larger suppliers that otherwise might not know about them or might not realize what their capabilities are. They recommend that women-owned businesses be certified to get the chance to connect with corporations who are looking for diverse suppliers they wouldn’t otherwise have access to. That kind of partnership, community and mentorship opportunities are a huge benefit WBE offers as well.”

… Read more

Walker Law

President’s Message: COVID-19

Resources for businesses

Related posts:

About

Business Women

Corporate Members

Get Involved

Resources