Small, woman-owned and minority-owned (SWaM) businesses are encouraged to be certified through the Virginia Department of Small Business & Supplier Diversity (SBSD).  SWaM certification can be a valuable tool for home-based businesses as it can be a resource for new business opportunities. Sometimes, government agencies including universities are required to present opportunities to SWaM certified businesses during their procurement process and being certified can help a business receive a contract. To qualify as woman-owned or minority-owned, a business must be at least 51 percent owned by a woman or minority who are United States citizens or legal residents and whose [...]