MW Hair Studio is certified!

MW Hair Studio has been certified as a Women-Owned Business Enterprise with the City of Boston and owners Lisa Walsh and Nikki McCart encourage others to do the same.

“I think it's important to be a part of a group where you can show off the fact that you're a woman-owned business,” Lisa said. “Things are hard for women out there. Looking at a group of women from various backgrounds … it's nice to see that there's some inspirational people out there.

“These people did that … We can do that,” she continued. “It's important to have a place where you can find women who have done things like that to inspire others.”

Lisa and Nikki look forward to helping other women-owned businesses get certified, which isn’t as daunting as people think. They are happy to walk people through the process. “It’s a nice way to give yourself a little boost and get some help from the city,” Nikki said. 

The certification is empowering for women-owned businesses, Nikki and Lisa agreed. “To be able to feel like you're part of the city, I think it really is empowering,” said Nikki. “We're just a small little place in South Boston, but we're recognized by the city of Boston.”

When they found out about the program, they wanted to put themselves out there in every sense of the word. “That's something that speaks to us because they offer things that could help us in the future and provide us an opportunity to help other people in the future,” Lisa said. “It's important for a business to be a part of a community where you can help other people.”

The city’s mission for certification with the City's Supplier Diversity Program is to create equal opportunities for businesses of all kinds in Boston. After a business is certified, the city includes it in outreach efforts for city projects. The city can also connect the business to resources offered inside and outside of the city.

Certified businesses are listed in a directory by category, giving them legitimacy and credibility, Lisa and Nikki said. For example, if a movie is filming in town and the producers need a hairdresser; they can look in the directory and find MW Hair Studio. People and companies will also post jobs on the site that certified businesses can bid on.

Being certified comes with other perks, like meet-ups, event invitations, networking, workshops, and educational pieces.

Nikki and Lisa encourage women business owners to get certified. “It gives them an opportunity to get their name out there a little further than just South Boston,” Nikki said. “That's a big thing.” 

Added Lisa, “Being registered and being certified within our city is a great way for people to know that we're here, but also to get opportunities to participate in different events around the city and to show our faces. That's the best way for people to get to know us.”

Nikki said, “When you tell people that you're certified, they're like, ‘Oh, wow. That's so cool. How do I do that?’”

And Nikki and Lisa are glad to help, provide guidance, and share their experience with other women-owned business owners. 

“We’re all in this together,” Nikki said. “Women really need to support and stand with each other.”

And because South Boston has so many women-owned businesses, “why not be together as one?,” Nikki said. “I feel like Southie has such a good community vibe … everyone really does have each other’s backs and sticks together.”

To get started, check out this link: https://bit.ly/3R88Mf1