ISO 9001 for Small Businesses
Why choose ISO 9001 for an SME?
Even if you run a small business, you can benefit from implementing the ISO 9001 quality standard. It will help you drive down costs, improve productivity and increase customer satisfaction. Gaining ISO 9001 certification will demonstrate the quality of your processes and your commitment to continual improvement.
Here at QMS, we have been helping small businesses achieve ISO 9001 certification since 1993. In that time we have proved that certification offers even small businesses four big benefits.
- The ISO 9001 Quality Management System will enable your team to improve performance, thanks to its robust processes and management techniques. These will help you reduce errors, streamline processes, improve efficiency, and reduce waste.
- Gaining ISO 9001 certification can help you increase sales significantly, as a recent QMS customer survey revealed. This is partly because many government tenders and blue-chip contracts require potential suppliers to prove that they are ISO 9001 compliant. Some pre-qualification questionnaires even award extra points to certified organisations.
- ISO 9001 certification can help you open up new markets since many countries now recognise it as an international mark of quality. In effect, it will enhance your brand’s reputation for providing high quality products or services. This in turn can boost customer satisfaction, improve customer retention, and consequently increase profitability.
- The ISO 9001 certification process for small businesses is not only cost effective through QMS, but can also save you money by streamlining and improving processes. One QMS client cut costs by 50% in just two years because they followed our recommendations.
How much does ISO 9001 cost for small businesses?
The cost of certification depends on several factors. These include your business sector, your annual turnover, and your number of employees. We will also need to know if you require an industry specific accreditation (such as from ASCB or UKAS).
However, QMS is committed to providing a cost-effective route to ISO 9001 certification. That’s why we focus on making ISO certification simple and straightforward. We save you money because we spend less time creating complex document trails and more time building a system that works for your business.
To find out how affordable ISO 9001 certification really is, just use our Fee Calculator below and we’ll email you a bespoke quote immediately.
How long will it take for my small business to get ISO 9001?
From your first consultation with our ISO specialists through to certification, can take as little as 45 days. However, this does depend on the size and complexity of your business.
Remember, we can normally save you time and effort by drafting your Documented Quality Management System for you. This can also help you gain certification faster than you would by doing it yourself.
For more details on what it takes to get ISO 9001, please download our implementation guide. Or use our ISO 9001 checklist to see what information you will need to provide to meet ISO 9001 requirements.
How do I get ISO 9001 for my small business?
Our expert consultants will make the process of gaining ISO 9001 certification as straightforward as possible for you. This includes helping you make any necessary improvements to your current business processes.
Watch our video to see what other organisations think about the ISO 9001 certification process.
Our 3-stage certification process ensures you get the help you need at every step. We can even create your Documented Quality Management System for you in our QMS Connect platform, saving you time and money.
Once you have achieved certification, you will need to pass an audit each year. This is to ensure your business stays on track. Your first audit will be one year after you receive your ISO 9001 certificate.