Women and minority-owned companies in Brooklyn and the city aren't getting as much business from the city as they may have hoped, according to a new report by NYC Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum.

The New York Post reports Gotbaum found that while the city signed contracts worth $11.2 billion in the last fiscal year, a mere $55 million went to businesses certified as minority and women owned. And the numbers so far this year haven't shown any improvement.

One of the problems Gotbaum points to is the process for firms to get certified. She says there's too much red tape.

Gotbaum suggests a pre-screening Web site to streamline the certification process and to boost the number of counselors helping the businesses with the process.