The independent association for genuine businesses
WBWO gives genuine businesses a verified identity that buyers, banks and partners anywhere can check, and a member platform to find and connect with each other. Every member is checked and audited before joining, and every year after.
Governments we work with
WBWO is registered in Colorado and works with these governments under formal agreements, to help genuine businesses trade across borders. Partnerships don’t affect our independence: no government funds WBWO or decides who we certify.
Africa
Kenya
Nigeria
Ghana
South Africa
Rwanda
Egypt
Asia
Singapore
Philippines
Japan
Malaysia
Europe
United Kingdom
Netherlands
Switzerland
Estonia
North America
Canada
Colorado
New York
Texas
California
Georgia
What members get
Every member gets a verified identity and a login to the member platform. Certification comes first.
Business identity
A WBWO number, certificate and public record that buyers, banks and partners anywhere can check.
- A permanent WBWO number, such as WBWO-KE-19-0412
- A public record showing your country, sector, certification status and last audit date
- A seal generated from your number, printed on your certificate and shown on your record
Member platform
Log in to manage your membership, and find and connect with other certified businesses.
- Your membership in one place: certificate, seal, renewals, invoices and documents
- A searchable directory of certified businesses by country, sector and product
- Connect with other certified members straight from their profile
Independent audits
Accredited auditors check your registration, ownership, finances, tax and how you treat your workers.
- An audit matched to your size: a remote foundation check for startups, a remote audit for small and mid-sized businesses, and an on-site audit for large companies
- A written report with findings and anything you need to fix
- The result and audit date on your public record
Financial support
Loans from the Welfare Fund when hardship hits, and introductions to investors when you’re ready to grow.
- Hardship loans from the Welfare Fund, on terms agreed with you in writing before any money is paid
- Introductions to investors and lenders in the WBWO network
- Help preparing your case, from the figures to the paperwork
Also part of membership
- Dispute mediation
Settle disputes with other members quickly, without going to court.
- Contract and compliance desk
Model contracts and plain answers to compliance questions, before they become problems.
- Export academy
Short, practical courses on exporting, compliance and running a sound business.
- Policy representation
We speak for genuine businesses when trade and regulatory rules are being written.
Choose your membership category
Whichever category you choose, you show who owns and runs the business and that it’s legally registered. Categories differ in the evidence we ask for, how closely we look, and what you can use on the platform. Tax documents are optional for Startup and Small business members.
Startup
Our entry category, with the lowest fee. The directory, connections and loans open when you move up a category.
- Tax evidence
- Optional: any accounts or tax returns you already have
- Annual fee
- From US$100 a year
Small business
Full membership, including the member directory and connections, and loans after a year of membership.
- Tax evidence
- Optional: your latest tax return or accounts, if you have them
- Annual fee
- US$360 a year
Mid-sized business
Full membership with a closer review of your accounts: three years of tax returns and independently reviewed figures.
- Tax evidence
- Three years of business tax returns and independently reviewed accounts
- Annual fee
- US$900 a year
Large company or group
Full membership for companies and groups, with checks on each main company in the group.
- Tax evidence
- Three years of audited accounts and tax returns for each main company in the group
- Annual fee
- From US$2,400 a year, plus audit costs
When your business needs financial support
Members of at least a year, in the Small business category or above, can apply for a loan from the Welfare Fund once our staff have approved their proof of turnover. We can also introduce you to investors and lenders who work with genuine businesses.
We look at every request on its merits. Support isn’t guaranteed, and loans are repaid on terms agreed in writing.
What a hardship loan can help with
- Recovering from a natural disaster, fire or flood
- Serious illness or death of an owner
- Theft or fraud against the business
- Sudden loss of a market, such as a border closure or new sanctions
What we can’t do
- Guarantee a loan or an investment
- Pay off debts from before the event
- Cover fines or penalties
- Replace insurance you already have
Independent and non-governmental
WBWO is an association of its member businesses, registered as a nonprofit corporation in Colorado, USA. No government funds us or sits on our board, so a WBWO certificate means the same thing in every country.
- Decisions are kept apart from fees
- An independent certification committee decides every application. Nobody can pay for a better result, and members never decide on their own certification.
- Auditors don’t work for us
- Every audit is carried out by an accredited auditor with no ties to the business, its owners or its direct competitors.
- Members have a say
- Certified members vote at the annual meeting and elect representatives to the board.
- Our own books are open
- Our accounts are independently reviewed every year, and we publish them along with the Welfare Fund’s.