B Corporations are companies on a mission to make a positive difference in the world while creating a sustainable business model.
Firstly, B Corporations believe the certification is the standard for all successful businesses in the future. Because they believe they can address the current world issues of depleting natural resources, environmental destruction and various societal and community threats.
In other words, By making bold moves to right the past wrongs, B Corps are setting the foundation for a much more harmonious and responsible existence that’s sustainable.
How do companies become B Corporations?
To summarize, a B Corporation gets certified by subjecting itself to a rigorous independent assessment by the B Corporation Certification Board. Points are awarded to a company for it’s positive impacts on communities, people and the environment as a result. You could think of them like superheroes trying to clean up messes created by other companies focussed more on profits rather than their environmental and social impacts.
Which companies are B Corporations?
Patagonia
Allbirds
Cotopaxi
Ben & Jerry’s
Frank And Oak
Ethique
Are companies becoming B Corporations a gimmick and/or a fad?
I believe the following words from Bryan Welch from bethechange.com said it best. “If you think about the nature of change in society, if you feel at all skeptical that the business community might be undergoing this revolutionary change, I would just remind you of the history of human flight.
We tried to fly and failed miserably for 3,000 years. Based on historical record, we failed over and over again, often at great human cost and a line of critics. All of sudden, the Wright brothers got their glider to lift off the ground. For a short distance at Kitty Hawk North Carolina in 1903.
Within 6 years of that glider flight you could buy a ticket on an airliner! And 66 years after the glider flight, we went to the Moon. So basically, during 3,000 years of failure, nothing changed. Humans did not fly, it was all just imagination. Then, suddenly we learned to fly and took off from there. The point is that meaningful change can be realized very suddenly. We should all buckle up and hang on. We’re about to experience another huge and meaningful shift.”
How many companies are B Corporations?
There are currently 2500 B Corporations globally
How long does it take companies to become B Corporations?
The certification process time frame varies based on a company’s size and complexity.
Completing the B Impact Assessment requires several hours. The verification process to finalize a company’s score typically takes from several weeks to a few months.
What happens if B Corporations slip with their commitments?
B Corps are audited regularly. So this ensures they still meet the criteria.
How does this help my business?
Firstly, by becoming a B Corp, the company has effectively aligned itself to a higher industry standard. A standard that carries a certain gravitas and authenticity. Secondly, the certification promotes a great deal of transparency and by default makes the company more trustworthy and credible. As a result, companies putting their operations under a magnifying glass for social and environmental good probably don’t have anything to hide? Weather you’re a start-up, micro business, emerging company or established organization bcorporation.net would be your next stop to learn more.
Next up… self employed, an entrepreneur and a micro business, what’s the difference?
