As a purpose driven business, our client understood the benefits of a being a ‘business for good’, it was something that they practiced everyday. But how could they easily communicate how they approached business to potential customers? One way was becoming a Certified B Corporation.
Problem/the brief
The client didn’t have the time or expertise to complete the assessment, they were too busy growing their business!
Background
Certified B Corporations are businesses that meet the highest standards of verified social and environmental performance, public transparency, and legal accountability to balance profit and purpose
What did Responsible Business Consultants do
Responsible Business Consultants, completed the assessment on behalf of the client and guided them through the verification process. The comprehensive questionnaire assesses an organisation’s environmental and social impact on workers, suppliers, customers and their local community. The project involved reviewing internal policies and procedures and working closely with management to accurately respond to the questionnaire.
One of the benefits of the B Corporation assessment is identifying any gaps in internal systems. As the client was a new and growing business Yvonne identified actions for Management to consider in order to improve processes and operations (and increase their future B Corporation score).
Result
The client exceeded the minimum required verified score and became a Certified B Corporation in 2018. They have been welcomed into the B Corporation community and been approached by new potential customers and partners.
An additional benefit for the client was the development of several policies and procedures. Responsible Business Consultants developed a Employee Handbook (in draft) after identifying a gap in human resources related procedures during the B Corporation certification process.