A year ago next month, at its annual Worldwide Partner Conference, Microsoft introduced a new way for its industry partners who specialize in providing solutions and services to the small-business segment: the Small Business Specialist Community (SBSC), a competency-like designation available to members of the Microsoft Partner Program.

On the eve of its first anniversary, there are 7,000 Microsoft partners worldwide enrolled in SBSC – with more than 29,000 who have started the enrollment process – making it one of the most popular offerings in the Microsoft Partner Program.

The community, designed to offer additional benefits for partners who have achieved the Small Business Specialist designation, provides a specialized logo, deeper training and tools, exclusive sales promotions, partner-ready marketing materials, private managed newsgroup support, and lists them in the Small Business Partner Finder, which small businesses use to identify the partner most suited to meeting their IT needs. Another key benefit is Partner Finder, which customers can access via Microsoft.com and select a partner based on profiles provided by partners.

To achieve the designation – and subsequently join the community – Microsoft has articulated four steps. First, partners must register in the Microsoft Partner Program and then take and pass one of two Microsoft Certified Professional exams. Step three is to pass the Small Business Sales and Marketing Assessment. Finally, for Registered Members only, partners must subscribe to the Microsoft Action Pack or Microsoft Empower.

According to several Microsoft partners who are members of SBSC achieving the designation is more than a worthwhile investment of time.

Two years ago, Edward Lohman opened the doors for business as Affordable Computing Enterprises in Havre, Mont. The two-person operation – Lohman, who handles the technical side, and his wife, who tends to the books – specializes is selling Microsoft Small Business Server to companies with between three and 20 employees. Customers include organizations in government, construction, and accounting. Affordable Computing Enterprises is currently a Registered partner and, as he adds staff members who are Microsoft Certified Professionals (MCPs), plans to become Certified in the near future.