So you want to be a B Corp? Fantastic. From the outside looking in, it looks little daunting…. But who better to offer words of advice, inspiration, and a touch of caution, than those in the Gather community who have been there and done it?
We asked a few Gather businesses what they’d wished they’d known before starting the process and what’s great about being a B Corp. Here’s what they had to say:
Ruth Hartnoll – CEO and Co-Founder of Matchstick Creative
What was the one thing you wish you’d known before applying to be a B Corp?
“How much evidence it was going to take and the length of the process involved. It's such a useful shorthand to have to say we're B Corp certified, but the process is pretty arduous. Equally, when you're going through the process the advice and guidance you get from people within B Corp vary quite wildly. I was pretty protected from this as Greg did all the leg work for us, but I know we would have been lost without Hannah Cox from Better Not Stop who was our guiding light.”
What’s the best think about being a B Corp
“The best thing about becoming a B Corp is we're part of a select community who can proudly say they've undertaken rigorous steps to demonstrate their commitment to people and the planet.”
Andy Broadwood – Founder and Creative Director, Underexposed
What's the one thing you wish you'd known before you started the B Corp process?
“We’ve still got a way to go – we’re only part way through our B Corp journey, but what’s really come to the fore already is the value of the process itself. It’s bringing up a lot of internal questions on the way we do things, helping us look at the business in different ways and making us more mindful of our everyday decisions.”
What made you decide the start the process?
“It’s something we’d been thinking about for a while. It’s really a signal of intent about who we are as a business and what we’re stiving to be. We’re looking forward to being part of the B Corp community as well and being able to connect with businesses who share our values.”
Nick Howe – Founder & CEO, Uniform
What's the one thing you wish you'd known before you started the B corp process?
“It's more what we did know really. I'd done my reading around the subject and knew how important it was to understand the process properly. From Yvon Chouinards book Let My People Go Surfing, the B Corp website, and following other businesses journey's like Ustwo, we’d got a pretty good understanding of what to expect.”
What's the best thing about becoming a B Corp?
“I've always believed in the idea of business as a force for good, beyond simple shareholder value or profit, and the B Corp movement seemed to encapsulate lots of ideas that we’ve obsessed about for a long time, like our culture and our wider impact in the world. B Corp provides some validation of that work, in a global community where it’s recognised.”
Laureece Nuttall – Project Coordinator at Form
What's the one thing you wish you'd known before you started the B Corp process?
“The B Corp process was very rigorous and took us over nine months to complete. We had to source answers and information from all over the business – although it took time it was a useful exercise in getting everything in once place to review holistically. We got some great initial guidance from David at the 2030hub which was extremely helpful in navigating the process at the start.
In short, I guess, be prepared to spend a lot of time a lot of time answering questions on the B Impact Assessment – and expect a lengthy process overall (it won’t happen overnight) as wait times are currently 6-8 months for certification.”
What's the best thing about becoming a B Corp?
“Joining a community of likeminded businesses working towards building an inclusive and sustainable economy that works for everyone.
Becoming a B Corp not only allows you to recognise all the great stuff that you are practicing but it also highlights areas that could do with improvement – so it will keep us accountable and always improving.
It’s great to have a series of goals we want to achieve over the next 12 months. Covering everything from strengthening our focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion, supporting charities, and starting to communicate to clients the environmental impact of their projects with us.”
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Ready to embark on the journey? Here are some great places to start:
B Lab UK: https://bcorporation.uk/
The 2030 Hub: https://the2030hub.com/