Please note: Changes are on the way! Beginning September 2022, Directory membership will be known as the WAWO Network, so if you apply and are accepted into the directory, you are a member of the WAWO Network. A new page reflecting this offer with additional information will be updated soon.

Ready to get noticed, make your time + money go farther, and be part of a community that truly celebrates your purpose-driven small business?

Join the We Are Women Owned Small Business Directory: the Go-To Destination to Discover, Shop, and Support Women-Owned Small Businesses!

Directory membership is $350 for the year.

(and, also includes a bonus year membership to the WAWO Sisterhood – our digital networking & support community for women entrepreneurs 😉)

There’s so much that comes with running a purpose-driven small business: building packages for your services. Curating a beautiful and functional product line. Creating and delivering your work. Client calls. Vendor agreements. Customer care. Emails, spreadsheets, and bills. Plenty of long days and late nights.

And on top of all that? Even though you’re already doing the work of 4 people, you STILL need to find a way to get the word out so your dream customers can find you and buy from you.

In short: it’s a LOT. And yes, while there are plenty of challenges, you wouldn’t trade it for anything. 

Still, wouldn’t it be amazing (and make your life SO much easier) if you could be seen by thousands of your ideal customers…

…without having to spend 24 hours a day posting, story-ing, reel-ing, and engaging on Instagram?

…without having to spend hundreds — or thousands — of dollars on ads for Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest?

…without feeling like your only option is to invest in platforms owned by corporate giants who don’t share your values or even know your name?

Sounds pretty exciting, right? Here’s the best part: Imagine what your business (and life!) would look like if you could have all of that while also enjoying the following benefits:

Get discovered by your dream customers — you know, the same people who are eager to find, support, buy from, and rave about female-identifying makers, do-ers, and curators just like you

→ Spend your marketing & advertising dollars with a woman-owned small business (just like yours!) that cares about you, understands your unique challenges, and wants nothing more than to see you succeed

→ Help your time and money go farther, because you’re no longer having to hustle 24/7 — all on  your own — just to get in front of people

→  Be part of building something from the ground up, where your voice, your input, and your experiences will actually help shape the future

→ Lock in affordable rates, cool bonuses, and access to special perks just for being a founding member

And if you’re thinking “Well, that all sounds like exactly what I need, but does something like this actually exist?” Then we’ve got some exciting news for you:

It does now.

Introducing the

We Are Women Owned Small Business Directory

The #1 destination to discover, shop, and support women-owned small businesses

We’re on a mission to create opportunities for small (yet mighty!) women-owned businesses to gain visibility, make connections, and change the world.

That’s why we created the We Are Women Owned (or WAWO for short!) Small Business Directory: an online directory designed to serve as the perfect space for conscientious consumers to discover, shop, and support women-owned small businesses like yours!

You might just be the perfect fit for the WAWO Small Business Directory if:

• You’re running a product-based small business, a service-based small business, or a non-profit small business
• At least one of your owners or founders identifies as a woman
• For product-based businesses, your products must be available to purchase via an eCommerce platform (your website, Etsy, society 6, etc). We are not accepting brands that sell exclusively through social media.
• You understand that joining the WAWO Small Business Directory comes with a minimum commitment of one year

While we wish we could create a place in the directory for every application we receive, we simply don’t have the space! Please know that we take every application into careful consideration, and we sincerely appreciate you taking the time to apply.

WAWO prioritizes brands that:

– Are purpose-driven
– Feature high-quality products, visuals, and design
– Are socially and environmentally conscious

We’re on a mission to make the WAWO Small Business Directory a rewarding experience for all of our vendors, so our team takes great care to make sure there isn’t too much overlap in any single category.

It’s time to get visible in a way that aligns with your values

Yes, becoming a Member of the We Are Women Owned Small Business Directory comes with plenty of tangible perks, starting with opportunities to:

→ Get discovered. When you join the WAWO Small Business Directory, you’ll be getting in front of a kind, supportive community — one that’s 100% made up of people who are eager to buy from and share businesses just like yours.

→ Be part of something bigger. By joining during our beta phase, you’ll have the opportunity to help guide the future of the WAWO Small Business Directory. You’ll be a vital part of the process, which means you’ll have the chance to lend your voice, your experiences, and your input to shape this directory and help make it the go-to destination to discover, shop, and support women-owned businesses.

→ Maximize your savings. Directory Members receive first dibs and special savings on extra promotional boosts on our newsletter, social platforms, and our blog. If you’re looking for additional business promotion, simply complete the Advertise with Us form located inside your member portal login and we’ll prioritize your business promotions ahead of submissions received from the greater WAWO community.

Oh, and the ads we’ll periodically be running on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest? Running those ads on your own would cost you hundreds — if not thousands — of dollars each month.

→ A free year inside the WAWO Sisterhood. Directory Members will receive a free year to join the We Are Women Owned Sisterhood – our digital networking & support membership community for women entrepreneurs. In addition to the monthly virtual workshops and events we host, you’ll also have access to our entire library of past workshops and resources that can support you in taking your business to the next level.

→ Join forces with WAWO. And last but not least: you’ll get to partner with WAWO and our team! We’re a woman-owned small business on a mission to help more people discover, shop, and support women-owned small businesses. We’re here to delight you, celebrate you, and support your success every step of the way.

Wondering what all you get with your directory membership? 

Your directory listing includes:

• Business Name
• Business Description
• Founder Name, Title & Headshot
• View Profile Button
• Shop Now or View Services Button
• Brand Categories

And, in addition to your listing, we are SO excited to share that you’ll also have a Brand Profile! Think of this as your own mini-website inside the WAWO Directory. See example here!

Your Brand Profile includes:

• Banner Image
• About the Brand
• About the Founder
• Business Location
• Photo Gallery (with up to 6 images)
• Video (up to 2 YouTube videos)
• Upcoming Events
• Current Promotions
• Social Media Links
• Testimonials
• Share Button (so your newest fans can tell the entire internet about you)
• Shop Now or View Services Button

You will also receive:

• WAWO Directory Member Badge for your website
• Promotional assets for social media
• A shared carousel welcome post on WAWO’s Instagram when you join the directory
• The opportunity to sign up for additional promotional boosts at an exclusive Directory Member rate
• Potential for increased traffic during WAWO’s seasonal pop-up events and ad campaigns

WAWO Shoppers + Community Demographics

Through the power of our platforms, online presence, connections, and resources, Team WAWO is here to support you in generating more brand awareness, visibility, and growth. 

Here’s a quick glance at the people who make this community so amazing.

…and a growing community of people ready to support women-owned brands!

Ready to apply?

We’d absolutely love to welcome you into our growing community of incredible, women-owned businesses!

Here’s how it works:

EASY 5-STEP ACCEPTANCE PROCESS:

1. Complete your application.
2. If you’re accepted, respond with a “yes” to let us know you’re in. Then, sign your vendor agreement + waiver and submit payment to officially secure your spot.
3. Complete and send in your welcome form within 48 hours (this is important because it’s what we use to create your listing!).
4. Preview your listing and submit any changes within 24 hours.
5. Get excited for launch day! Keep an eye on your inbox for details.

[APPLY NOW]

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Do you offer a guarantee?
A: While we wish we could guarantee you lots of sales as a result of joining the Directory, that’s just not something we can ethically or realistically promise. What we can promise, though, is that Team WAWO will do everything in our power to help you increase your visibility while inspiring and encouraging our community — and the general public — to shop and support women-owned brands.

Q: Is the Directory open to small business owners outside of the US?
A: Yes! While more than 85% of our community is based in the United States, the Directory is open to businesses outside of the US. If you feel like the Directory is a good fit for your goals, we’d love to have you apply.

Q: How long is the membership commitment?
A: Joining the WAWO Small Business Directory requires a minimum commitment of one year, and you’re welcome to pay annually or monthly.

Q: Is month-to-month membership available?
A: At the moment, all of our memberships are for a minimum of one year. If you prefer to pay on a monthly basis, though, that option is available to you.

Q: How do the different tiers work with searches?
A: Search queries and filtering won’t affect pagination for each of the Tiers offered. In other words, if a user searches for “coconut wax candles,” the order of the results they receive won’t be affected by the vendors’ membership levels.

Q: Do you have any upgrades to the Directory planned for the near future?
A: Yes, we already have several exciting tech updates in the works! Here’s a sneak peek at the upgrades we have planned for the WAWO Small Business Directory for the rest of 2022-2023:

• Version 1.5: As of March 2022, we’re currently rolling out our Member Portal. This means that you’ll have your very own login credentials and you’ll be able to edit all aspects of your listing at any time, all on your own.
• Version 2.0: Shoppers will also have the opportunity to create their own accounts so they can add your brand to their favorites list and share it with friends.
• Version 2.5: Includes everything from Version 2.0 while adding several great features to enhance both your vendor experience and our community’s browsing experience. Think business analytics, managing your directory subscription payment options, consumer reviews, and even a consumer follow capability!

Have a question that isn’t answered here? Please send us an email and our team will make sure you have the info you need to decide whether the WAWO Small Business Directory is a good fit for you.