Achieving B Corporation™ certification

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™ under V1.6.

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 companies verified as meeting B Lab™ Standards for social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability.

What did Responsible Business Consultants do

Responsible Business Consultants, completed the Business Impact Assessment (BIA) on behalf of the client and guided them through the verification process. The comprehensive questionnaire assessed the 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.

Result

The client exceeded the minimum required verified score and became a Certified B Corporation™ in 2018 under V1.6 of the Standards. They were welcomed into the B Corporation™ community and were 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.