Highlighting women-owned businesses during Women’s History Month

During Women’s History Month, we celebrate women-owned businesses, as well as the people and organizations working tirelessly to close the gender gap in entrepreneurial opportunities. This year, we're highlighting three inspiring stories of how some of our women-owned businesses leveraged Amazon Business as a tool for growth and success. Whether you are an existing seller or a current customer looking to improve your smart business buying strategy and purchase from diverse businesses, we hope you will be inspired by these motivating stories from our women-owned sellers and apply their insights to your growth.

The Office Tex: Efficiency and Expansion Through Amazon Business

Rita Bonarrigo founded The Office Tex in 1999, when selling computer media backup tapes to oil and gas companies in Texas was a time-consuming, in-person process. But Bonarrigo recognized that the business landscape was evolving, and fast. New technology and buying preferences were changing the nature of B2B sales, and the old labor-intensive sales model was no longer sustainable. She needed a way to scale up her company’s sales, adopt a new e-commerce model, and reach new customers beyond the confines of the Lone Star State.

Bonarrigo began selling on Amazon Business in 2018 to reach new customers and scale growth. “The reach was almost overwhelming,” Bonarrigo recalls. “We found customers we didn’t even know were out there; there’s no way I could hire enough marketing people to make our name known throughout the country the way that Amazon has."

In addition to new customers and larger buyers, The Office Tex now holds several nationally-recognized credentials, including certification as a Women-Owned Business and is a member of the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council. “The level of awareness is shifting now, and it’s very prevalent for large businesses to search based on diversity,” says Bonarrigo. “The fact that they can search for ‘woman-owned’ on Amazon Business is a huge benefit to us.”

The Office Tex credits much of its e-commerce success — and a 40% year-over-year growth in revenue — to ongoing support from the Amazon Business team. Their six-person team received support at every stage of the adoption process. “Amazon [Business] could have said ‘sink or swim,’” Bonarrigo says, “but they held our hand all the way through. To this day, the care that’s taken and the time they’ve given us has been remarkable.”

SpaceBound: Innovation and Collaboration Made Possible

Founded in 1987 by Patricia Miller and Anthony Saliba, SpaceBound aimed to make technology accessible to all, initially focusing on B2C and later expanding into B2B services. “As a small business, one of the main challenges was finding new ways to drive bottom-line growth through new channels," recalls Miller. "We recognized that Amazon’s reach, credibility and economies of scale could significantly impact our online sales.”

SpaceBound started selling on Amazon.com in 2004, and considered it a no-brainer to take advantage of Amazon’s B2B store when Amazon Business launched nearly a decade later. “One of the many benefits of selling on Amazon Business is the ability to distinguish SpaceBound from other vetted sellers with certifications,” says Miller. “Displaying our small business [i.e., Women Owned Small Business (WOSB)] certification, Section 889 certification, and GSA certification on Amazon Business not only gives federal agencies the confidence to buy from us, but it also allows us to do business with the government without needing to obtain individual contracts. That saves us valuable time and costs," says Miller.

The results speak for themselves. “Thanks to the many programs and initiatives that Amazon Business has rolled out to reach businesses, we have seen consistent year over year growth in our B2B sales," said Miller, describing how SpaceBound grew its B2B footprint to 40% of total sales and continues to experience growth with collaboration and newer opportunities.

Turtle & Hughes: Optimization and Scaling Impact

Established in 1923, Turtle & Hughes has evolved into one of the largest independent electrical and industrial distributors in the US, recognized as a top 50 certified women-owned business. Combining Amazon Business's broad selection with their own sourcing expertise, Turtle & Hughes aims to provide omnichannel support for their enterprise customers, accommodating both digital interactions and physical presence for their customers' convenience.

Enterprises that buy materials at scale are increasingly focused on digital transformation in procurement, adopting solutions that allow them to source with less friction. Industrial supply, also known as MRO, is no exception. While sourcing in categories like office supplies and IT peripherals often centers on finding the lowest price, MRO is a more strategic sourcing process. Where products comes from, warranties and services provided by the supplier, and the reputation of the company are important factors.

Suppliers like Turtle & Hughes go beyond providing materials to its customers; their teams are often embedded as dedicated subject matter experts within their customer’s supply chain, serving as a full-service consultant running everything from information technology projects, streamlining energy generation and storage, and automating industrial processes. “In the MRO supply chain environment, customers are looking for a partner that can support their operations not only from a quality perspective, but from a consistency standpoint as well. By embedding ourselves into our customer’s ecosystem, we can best understand their business — so we’re not just moving products from point A to point B. We’re helping them make the right decisions on site,” said Ajay Kamble, Chief Information Officer at Turtle & Hughes.

Turtle & Hughes leverages the Punchout integration to allow its customers to purchase Turtle & Hughes’ two million products offered in the Amazon Business store as an e-commerce offering. “We want to accommodate our customers who want to interact with us digitally, give them the same support they expect from us when we’re physically on site, and we want to be available wherever they’re looking to source,” said Kamble.

“Our goal is to engage with Amazon Business and use it to our advantage in the entire supply chain process,” said Kamble. By adopting a B2B e-commerce strategy with Amazon Business and positioning themselves as one of the top certified women-owned businesses, Turtle & Hughes is adding flexibility to their customers and creating their own brand.

Check out the wide range of women-owned businesses selling in essential categories like IT peripherals, breakroom supplies, MRO, electronics, and more. Then, set up a policy to prefer small and diverse businesses in your organization and support your responsible purchasing goals. If you are interested in selling on Amazon Business, visit amazon.com/sellb2b. For existing sellers interested in learning more about our certifications program, visit the Certifications page on Seller Central.