Using your business for good?
Shout about it - publicly declare it.
It is important for companies to seek out external recognition for the actions they take. For many stakeholders, business achievement badges help them make decisions about a company.
Why gain a badge?
A survey by B Lab in October 23, revealed that more than half of UK adults (58%) use business certifications to make decisions about businesses to buy from and to work for.
In October 24, Climate Partner released the results of their survey, where 64% of respondents said they would prefer a product if the packaging included information about the manufacturer's commitment to climate action.
How do I help?
I love helping companies gain third-party recognition to show how they are using their business for good, starting with which of the plethora of sustainability-related pledges, accreditations, and certificates in the market awarding a badge aligns best with your service or product.
I recommend and introduce you to the experts in the fields you need to support your actions.
B Impact assessment
A great place to start is to use B Lab’s free Impact Assessment (BIA) tool as a framework to help you understand the What, Why, How, and When of your business.
https://www.bcorporation.net/en-us/programs-and-tools/b-impact-assessment/
The BIA asks a lot of questions about how your business operations affect all your stakeholders. It is divided into 5 categories; Governance, Workers, Community, Environment, and Customers.
Points are allocated for your answers with a minimum of 80 needed to pass! Every point is hard won. The points are weighted to the positivity of the impact your actions and policies deliver.
Example of a byen service
My B Corp initial package, consisting of 1-2-1 sessions over the course of 5-6 weeks, takes you through this rigorous assessment by section to see what makes sense for your business, and the way it operates. I recommend implementing changes that are good for all your stakeholders and provide guidance on what B lab is looking for, saving you time and adding value to the process.
With a focus on the areas, you can improve easily and look at how to start the change in those that may take some time.
And an introduction session for your team to engage everyone in the process, promoting engagement, fairness, and transparency.
Really chuffed to say that as of 24th Dec 2022 Supple Studio became a certified B Corporation (or B Corp if you’re in the know). We’re joining a growing group of companies reinventing business by pursuing purpose as well as profit. It’s been a great journey getting here and one only made possible by the guidance and sage advice of Jo Lord.
Massive thanks Jo
Supple Studio, Jamie Ellul, Founder & Creative Director.
We found byen to be extremely helpful and supportive in applying for B Corp certification and thinking more about sustainability and the environment.
Mytton Williams, Bob Mytton, Co-Founder & Creative Director.
Your help, guidance and input has so far been invaluable. Our conversations have been so thoroughly thought provoking that it has been worth it for that alone. It really helped us think what good business means to us.
Realise Product Design, Sophie Adams-Foster Business & Strategy Director.