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BBB stands for The Better Business Bureau. It’s a private nonprofit accrediting businesses that meet its standards for trustiness and quality. This article looks at how to get a business BBB accredited. You can get your business accredited in three simple steps: evaluate the BBB standards for accreditation, send in your application for BBB, and pay the required fee.
Step 1: Carry out an Evaluation of the BBB Standards for Accreditation
If your company gets BBB accredited, that will boost your business’s credibility and improve its brand’s presence (both offline and online). Your business must possess some important aspects to become BBB accredited. They are:
- Honest advertising
- Instilling trust
- Being transparent
- Holding to your promises
- Good level of responsiveness
- Ensuring safeguarding and privacy measures are implemented
- Carrying your business with integrity
Be positive that your business can meet these standards, and continue with your application. If your company cannot, follow the required steps to meet them. To do this, you’ll have to ensure your business survives for at least six months and build on making your operation’s policies as transparent as possible. Next, you’ll move on to send in your application for BBB accreditation.
Step 2: Send in your Application for BBB
To submit your application, go to the webpage bbb.org/apply and fill out your contact details. Next, select “Find My Business” at the bottom of the page. A pop-up should show where you can search for your business’s name, depending on your location. If you can’t find where your business is listed, select “Enter Business Information Manually.” You’ll then be taken to an extended version of the document.
Once you’ve completed all the necessary details in the form, select “Submit Accreditation Application.” You’ll be given an application number to track the status of your application.
Whenever the BBB receives your application, they’ll search online sources and your public records to determine how trustworthy and reliable your business is. This process can be timely. But, upon completion of the assessment, the board of the BBB will decide whether your business should be accredited or not. If accepted, you’ll be granted a grade level of between A+ and F. If not, the BBB will tell you the reasons why. You’ll then be given a time frame to reapply or undergo an appeals process.
Step 3: Pay the Required Fee
It’s time to pay the required fee whenever your application is accepted. This will occur yearly, depending on certain factors such as the size of your business, where it’s placed, and the number of employees. You’ll receive a letter stating the fee, but you can also find it on the BBB website by typing in your business location.
When you pay the fee, you’ll receive official accreditation. BBB will then accredit your business in the Bureau’s online directory. Your grading and membership status will be updated if your company has been listed already. Then, you’ll be given an online and printed “BBB Accredited logo. You can use this to ensure that your business will gain the trust of your customers.
Conclusion
Now you know how to get your business BBB accredited, you can start taking the required steps. Accrediting your business as BBB is a great idea, as it can help let your customers know that your business is reliable and trustworthy.