ISO certification cost for small business

Has your business considered investing in ISO certification? Are you wondering how much it will cost to become ISO certified? In this article we explore ISO certification cost for small business and break down the price for you.

Businesses of all sizes must adhere to the same standards when implementing ISO certification. However, it is possible to have different implementation and applicability techniques. The problem is that that smaller businesses may lack the resources to effectively organise and implement ISO.

That’s where engaging an ISO consultant can help.

An external ISO consultant can be taken on rather than creating an internal quality team if your company is small and has limited resources. Consultants such as Compliant can created a quality manual, quality system processes, and provide assistance with internal and external audits.

All of our packages are offered with ongoing support that enables smaller organisations to fully embed standards across their business.

Steps for a small business to become ISO certified

At first look, ISO certification for small enterprises may appear complicated and challenging. Even implementing the most popular standard for quality; ISO 9001 can seem daunting.

However, the reputation of standards as being unsuitable is just a result of a misinterpretation of what represents compliance and certification. The actual use of a quality management system for small enterprises consists of using what a company has previously created, properly documenting it, and, if required, improving it.

When done correctly, the ISO 9001 certification process offers companies the chance to analyse processes holistically and enhance the entire business. Many small businesses also invest the effort necessary to evaluate their systems each year in order to achieve compliance and continuously improve.

Keep reading to find out more about ISO certification cost for small business.

How does a small business achieve ISO 9001 certification?

Small companies who are dedicated to delivering quality services and products frequently outperform their rivals by developing procedures to better service customers and expand the business.

For small businesses implementing a quality management system such as ISO 9001 doesn’t need to be a challenge.

The key is to take the time to comprehend the requirements and what is needed to satisfy each one. The most recent (2015) update to the ISO 9001 standard resulted in the creation of a more straightforward procedure that makes it simpler for small enterprises to adhere to ISO.

Flexibility enables processes and procedures to be customised to small businesses and those in service-based industries. Compliant offers support to a range of businesses across a wide variation of industries. For more information on our success stories and ISO certification cost for small business check out our case studies.

How much does ISO certification cost for small business?

The cost of ISO certification is largely determined and influenced by the complexity and scale of a company.

The standards that certification bodies must adhere to in order to establish the audit time for your management systems audit are published by the International Accreditation Forum (IAF). These specifications take into account the number of people you have, the complexity of your operations, and the number of locations from which your firm operates.

You might have seen differences between them if you requested certification quotes from several certification bodies.

Day rates and fees for audit preparation and report writing may differ between certification bodies.

Compliant has established partnerships with the majority of certification bodies and can pass cost savings directly onto clients. We receive reduced partnership day rates and our implementation cost aligns to certification body days allocated.

How much does ISO certification cost for a medium sized business?

Businesses may be hesitant to obtain ISO certification due to the cost. Although obtaining ISO certification can be expensive, there are various project costs that can be influenced, many of which are under your control.

Investing in ertification is an investment in the development of your company. Your business will gain a lot from becoming ISO certified including improved processes and higher standards of goods and services for customers.

The cost of implementing ISO certification is influenced by the size and complexity of your business. Limiting the scope is one method of helping to manage the size.

There is also the time cost of allocating team members to the project to properly set up, embed and manage the certification of your choice.

Creating everything independently (documentation, training, etc.) using the standard as a guide, can be time consuming. Using templates will save you time and money overall while still achieving the same goal of ISO certification. However where do you start?

Although you are in the best position to document your procedures you need to consider whether you have the time to produce training materials and hundreds of pages of documentation.

Engaging an ISO consultant to work with you throughout the process, is highly recommended if you’re short on staff members and don’t have the necessary resources.

Compliant can provide documentation templates and work with your business to use these templates, including staff training.

ISO certification cost for small business; ISO 9001 for small businesses

Gaining ISO 9001 certification is a genuine asset for any business, opening the door for business growth and improved operations.

One of the objectives of the most recent revision of ISO 9001, known as ISO 9001:2015, was to make the procedure for standard compliance simpler and clearer. It becomes clear how setting up a Quality Management System (QMS) based on ISO 9001 compliance is not as difficult as it may have initially appeared to be. The key is to carefully consider each condition in the ISO 9001 standard and outline how your small or medium-sized business will implement them.

There are several myths around small business ISO 9001 certification. Most individuals mistakenly believe that only large businesses need to be certified to ISO 9001. However, the truth is that ISO certification has advantages for small and medium-sized businesses as well.

We support a range of businesses in becoming ISO 9001 certified; from one-man bands to large corporate organisations with a nationwide presence and are know for keeping ISO certification cost for small business low.

Implementing ISO 9001 displays your dedication to process quality and ongoing improvement. Additionally, ISO 9001 certification can assist you in boosting customer satisfaction, cost-cutting, and efficiency.

ISO certification cost for small business; Investment and the process

At first look, ISO certification for small businesses can occasionally appear difficult and daunting. There is widespread misconception regarding the standard.

From a practical perspective, the QMS for small businesses frequently makes use of what the company has previously created. ISO consultants such as Compliant work with clients to utilise what documentation they already have in place.

When properly managed, the ISO 9001 certification procedure can enable you to adopt a comprehensive strategy to analyse processes and enhance every aspect of your business. Without a doubt, small businesses that work to ISO compliance frequently develop superior procedures that give them a competitive advantage, aid in improving customer service, and support business expansion.

Understanding the requirements and the rules required to achieve these requirements is the most important part of receiving ISO 9001 certification. The most recent version of ISO 9001:2015 delivers more straightforward standards.

Compliant can guide your business through these requirements and show you what is needed to become certified.

Benefits of ISO 9001 for small businesses

Small business owners who invest in ISO 9001 might profit from the advantages that effective application of the standard can provide, making the certification worthwhile.

An ISO 9001-certified quality management system can have the following results for a small business:

Processes become more efficient – Every business aims to keep costs low, but small-sized enterprises in particular do so since their profit margins can be narrower. With increased operational efficiencies come lower service/production costs and more profits.
Operations become more organised – ISO 9001 promotes processes that boost productivity and employee buy-in through engagement, helping your business run at its peak performance. It places a focus on leadership and efficiency.
Marketing is improved – More often than not, marketing a small business demands not just spreading your message but also demonstrating why your company is a leader in the field. The internationally renowned quality mark strengthens your company’s commitment to ongoing improvement in the eyes of your clients and future clients by being added to your portfolio.
Improved performance – a foundation for optimal performance across the entire company from your employees offering the customer experience and better customer satisfaction.
Reduced organisational risks – Small organisations, who frequently stand to lose more, might be devastated by organisational mishaps, losses, or threats. Risk-based thinking is encouraged by ISO 9001 certification, and a portion of the audit is made to detect potential business hazards. This part of the standard involves identifying the risks, and recording measures to protect the business against those risks.

Partnering with Compliant for your ISO Certification

Small businesses benefit immensely from partnering with ISO consultants with standard expertise.

Our approach focuses on the standards and how the requirements relate to your organisation. We don’t just run through a checklist; we aim to help you get certification by understanding your specific needs.

Compliant’s GAP Analysis

Our initial GAP Analysis reviews your paperwork helping us to identify what you need to put in place. Our GAP Analysis is perfect for your business if a significant component of the ISO standard has already been implemented across your organisation. We review ISO certification cost for small business and can identify any gaps in your system and make recommendations to close those gaps before an audit.

Our GAP Analysis guarantees that the essential resources and procedures have been accurately identified and recorded.

Compliant’s integrated management systems

It is actually more cost effective to implement several ISO certifications at once as an Integrated Management System. Time and money are saved by implementing several standards in one go through reduced audit days and implementation support. You won’t have to repeat tasks since there will be less documentation, integrated audits, and management reviews, as well as shared rules and procedures.

Check out some of our leading certifications to help you decide which ones to invest in.

Compliant’s Ongoing Support

Along with small business certification support, we also provide ongoing support to assist you in embedding and enhancing your management system. Our ongoing support is arranged through a low monthly fee and our package includes system updates and at least one internal audit per year with a BSI trained auditor. Read on to discover more about ISO certification cost for small business.

Is the ISO certification cost for small business worth the investment?

Obtaining ISO certification could help your business to access new markets because it is widely recognised as a signal of excellence globally. It will strengthen the reputation of your company, which will enhance client satisfaction and encourage customer retention.

ISO 9001 implementation delivers comprehensive process evaluation and enhanced management skills. In the long run, it will aid in process simplification, waste reduction, error reduction, and increased productivity. It can also support you business in getting onto approved supplier lists and large corporate frameworks. Check out a recent article of ours ‘How to win contracts with ISO certification’.

It will also ensure business growth as most organisations, especially those doing business internationally, prefer working with ISO-certified businesses.

Making the investment with Compliant

Unlike other providers in our industry, we can offer a unique payment plan allowing you to pay a 20% deposit followed by 10 monthly interest free payments. Helping you to spread the costs. We help to keep the ISO certification cost for small business as low as possible.

Most of the bodies that we work with and Compliant as a company also offer deposit payments followed by flexible, interest free payment plans.

There are also a range of grants available to fund ISO certifications, which Compliant can help with. We can even support with the paperwork to get you started. For more information on ISO 27001 costs and payment plans view our latest video here.

Becoming certified with Compliant is quick and easy

Choosing to partner with a professional certification partner such as Compliant substantially reduces the time that it takes to become certified. By working with us you’ll only need to set aside 1 hour of your time every 6 months to meet with our BSI trained lead auditor.

Compliant provides the framework and all of the required documentation to ensure that you become certified, first time, every time.

Many businesses don’t have the resources to commit to managing the ISO process. That is where we come in. We take the headache out of looking after your certification on a day to day basis and leave you to concentrate on your business.

Our dedicated team is available all year round to support with any questions and our professional relationships and status means we are up to date with all of the latest legislation.

Compliant will go the extra step in an initial teams meeting to fully understand your business, its requirements, the structure of the management system required, the organisational context and which bids or tendered work you are considering. We will then submit all your information to one of our preferred certification body partners.

If you would like a FREE quotation simply complete our FREE quote calculator here.