While Certification to ISO Standards may seem like the type of investment made by a large corporation, there are actually lucrative benefits to small businesses and SMEs attaining Certification. From implementing and maintaining sustainable operating procedures to ensuring your business is eligible to apply for high-value tenders, ISO Certification can yield some great competitive advantages for your enterprise that can play a vital role in accelerating your business growth.
If you’d like to understand the full, dynamic scope of benefits that await your business upon attaining ISO certification, our ISO consultants at S & J Auditing & Consulting are here to share their insights. Here’s everything you need to know to embark confidently on your own Certification journey as a small business owner.
Best ISO Certification Standards for Small Businesses
The ISO (International Organization for Standardization) actually maintains a library of dozens of ISO Standards, so naturally the first step is determining which ISO Standards are going to be most beneficial for your small business.
Here, we typically recommend the following core ISO Certification Standards to our small business partners:
ISO 9001:2015 – Quality management systems
One of the most commonly sought after Certification Standards, ISO 9001:2015 provides guidelines for the development, implementation, and ongoing maintenance of Quality Management Systems (QMS). By implementing a QMS that’s compliant with ISO 9001:2015, small businesses with this ISO Certification are positioned to develop and maintain consistently high-quality products, services, and organisational processes.
ISO 9001:2015 also outlines frameworks for continuous organisational improvements via the PDCA Cycle (Plan – Do – Check – Act). This approach standardises the process of identifying and addressing potential areas for business improvements, making business optimisation more accessible for SMEs.
ISO 14001:2015 – Environmental management systems
Outlining the key requirements for the implementation of Environmental Management Systems (EMS), the ISO 14001:2015 Standard is quickly becoming a high-value investment for small businesses. This Standard is ideal for those looking to optimise their environmental monitoring, reduce waste and resource consumption, and garner a robust reputation for sustainable practices over the long term.
Alongside bolstering environmental performance, there are additional benefits to ISO 14001:2015 Certification, including a reduction in environmental hazards in the workplace (i.e. pollution), meeting evolving environmental regulations across a range of industries, and enjoying a healthier workplace culture and stronger partner relationships.
With climate action being a higher priority for more organisations across the globe, the wider ISO 14000 Family of Standards also provides additional frameworks for implementing focused environmental initiatives. If you have any particular environmental performance goals for your small business, we strongly advise you to speak to an ISO consultant to develop a tailored ISO 14001 EMS checklist for your business.
ISO 45001: 2018 – Occupational health and safety management systems
ISO 45001:2018 outlines the requirements for Occupational Health & Safety Management Systems. As most of our small business case studies here at S & J manage industrial facilities and often times also work off-site, maintaining OH&S Management Systems with detailed OH&S policies and processes helps them:
- Better ensure the safety of workers and third parties both on-site and off-site
- Ensure that staff can enjoy consistently safe and hazard-free work environments
- Reduce risks of workplace injuries and accidents
- Avoid legal and financial consequences (i.e. penalties for non-compliance with industry regulations, or filing business insurance claims)
- Maintain socially responsible business practices
- Strengthen the company’s Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) profile
As OH&S Management Systems naturally also include risk management and assessment considerations, these Management Systems can be integrated with EMS or QMS frameworks for a dynamic Certification strategy.
If you feel your small business may benefit from both or perhaps even all three of these Certifications, speak with our ISO consultants about all the ISO guidelines you will need to consider during your systems implementation.
Key Benefits of ISO Certification for Small Businesses
Whilst we’ve already outlined some of the benefits of the core Certification Standards outlined above, there are actually countless other holistic advantages to ISO Certification for small businesses.
Here just a few ways that ISO Certification can help elevate your small business:
More Business Growth Opportunities
ISO Certification badges on your website act as strong trust signals to prospective clients and partners. This means that your investment in ISO Certification for your small business can help attract more business opportunities and potentially even help your enterprise access new markets and client demographics.
Improved Brand Recognition
Want to apply for tenders or work contracts with high-profile partners? Even if you’re unsuccessful, Certification to ISO Standards can still help your small business build brand recognition and develop a stronger reputation in your industry. Similarly, QMS systems that consider your company’s digital presence can also help ensure your brand is well-represented across all platforms and channels.
Stronger Stakeholder Relationships
Alongside acting as potent trust signals for prospective partners, the leadership commitment elements of all the core ISO Certification Standards help promote organisational transparency. This transparency in turn helps build stronger relationships with investors, board members, and other stakeholders who can stay in the loop with ease.
Reduced Organisational Risks
As these core ISO Certification Standards include frameworks for risk assessment and mitigation processes, attaining Certification for your small business can help standardise your own risk management procedures and process improvements. This means your small business can stay on top of its risk management without expending more resources than necessary.
Stronger Resource Management
Strong policies equals strong processes, and strong processes means less time, energy, and resources wasted on business operations. If you can standardise the workflows in your small business, you will know exactly how many hours and other resources to allocate to each task. This makes monitoring resource usage a lot easier, alongside reducing the risks of organisational waste due to mismanagement.
Reduced Operational Costs
Optimised resource consumption paves the way for optimised company spending. In this aspect, having ISO Certification for your small business can provide a strong return on your investment not only by generating more business opportunities, but also by saving you money on operational costs each day.
Stronger Performance Monitoring
Audits are a crucial component of attaining and maintaining ISO Certification – but audits aren’t just valuable for ensuring ongoing ISO compliance. Conducting routine audits for your small business can also help ensure your Management Systems are operating as expected and are delivering the performance results desired.
If for any reason, your Management Systems aren’t performing in accordance with your operational goals, you can use the PDCA Cycle and other frameworks for improvement to optimise your processes further. The infrastructure and processes (i.e. reporting and data management processes) used to gather evidence for your ISO audits are then not only useful for maintaining Certification, but also for generally improving your company’s performance monitoring on a daily basis.
Improved Business Development
Implementing processes that support performance monitoring also help your small business helm its own growth planning with greater autonomy. By practicing evidence-based decision-making, small businesses with ISO Certification can develop focused business development strategies with improved success rates.
Improved Customer Satisfaction
Quality Management Systems in particular are highly advantageous when it comes to boosting customer service processes. Similarly, demonstrating strong environmental values can also help ensure your small business accrues a loyal client base that takes pride in doing business with you. With your investments in ISO Certification, your small business will likely enjoy higher customer retention rates right alongside potentially reducing your costs for customer acquisition.
Improved Employee Job Satisfaction
In much the same way that customers will appreciate your responsible operational processes, your staff will also greatly benefit from the improved organisation and management of your business. With clearcut policies and process workflows to support their daily habits and a future-oriented approach to management company-wide, your staff will be more likely to want to grow with your business, helping you reduce your turnover rates and enjoy greater stability as a small business owner.
Secure Certification to ISO Standards for your Small Business
For small businesses, the key barrier to successfully and sustainably implementing ISO Standards is a lack of time, manpower, and other internal resources. If you are looking to reap the benefits of ISO Certification for your small business but suspect you will require some expert guidance when it comes to implementation, make S & J Auditing & Consulting your first port of call.
Contact our team today to schedule a preliminary consultation with our ISO consultants. Let’s get the ball rolling on your Certification journey.
