Be a B Corp

By Dani Babineau

As B Corp Month comes to an end, we want to leave you with one clear message: if we can do it, you can too.

We’ve written before about the “18-month” (or longer) process of becoming a certified B Corp, but we want to be clear that it’s not impossible for anyone else to do this - far, far from it. And although we’re enormously proud of the accomplishment, that’s more because it’s something that is immensely important to us. The certification process had its challenges, but they surely weren’t harder than any of the other challenges we’ve had to face as a very small business in a capital-intensive industry that has spent literally half of its short existence in a pandemic.

And if a very small business in a capital-intensive industry that has spent literally half of its short existence in a pandemic can do this, then many other businesses can, too. 

The truth is that the B Corp certification process is designed to not be all that daunting. Here’s how:

It’s Flexible for Your Business

From the get go, the certification process is specific to your business size and industry. Additionally, your score is calculated across five key areas: governance, workers, environment, community, and customers - and you don’t have to excel in all areas. That means you can focus on the priorities that are most important to your business. 

For example, we scored highest in the “community” and “environment” categories. But King Arthur Flour, for example, scored highest in the “employees” category. There are many ways to be a B Corp!

If being a socially conscious business is already important to you, the certification process will meet you where you are.

The Process Provides Guidance and Ideas

One of the best things about the B Corp certification is that it provides structure around what might otherwise be vague concepts. If you know what your principles are but aren’t exactly sure how to translate those to real-world actions, the certification process can help.

For example, we knew we wanted to be a more ethical and transparent company - but what exactly did that mean? The certification process actually gave us concrete ideas. Did we have a written data privacy policy, or a marketing ethics policy? Did we provide policies and training to employees? Was someone assigned to oversee and track these efforts? The process itself provided a roadmap to making us a more ethical and transparent company. 

It Costs Nothing Up Front

As a very small business in a capital-intensive industry that has spent literally half of its short existence in a pandemic, this was very helpful. You only pay B Lab (the nonprofit that administers B Corp certifications) after you achieve certification. And at that point, the fee was a no-brainer; the marketing, networking, and insights provided to us by being a B Corp are some of the best assets we have. Additionally, the fee is on a sliding scale based on the size of your company.

But that also means that you can test out the B Corp certification process - and even use it to improve your business - at no cost. And if you decide to move ahead with certification, you’re already on your way.

We believe in the B Corp movement because we know the impact that businesses have on their communities, and we feel that if more businesses committed themselves to being a force for good in their communities and the world at large, we can create a lot of change. And we know that most entrepreneurs want to impact the world in some way - but committing your business to social good is daunting in a number of ways.

The good news is that B Corp certification makes it easier. For us, certification wasn’t about clearing a hurdle, it was about unlocking a tremendous asset to making our business better at achieving our goals.

And, honestly, it wasn’t that hard. If you’re not sure if you can do it, we’re here to tell you that you can.

Learn more about becoming a B Corp at https://bcorporation.net/