A historic global culture shift is underway to harness the power of business to help address society’s greatest challenges and to build a more inclusive economy.
There is lots of press coverage about Build Back Better, Business On Purpose and the B Corp movement… but what is a B Corporation? Who becomes a B Corp? And why might you aspire to be one? All good questions not just for companies interested in greater purpose, but also for their suppliers, workers, customers and clients.
B Corp certification is the gold standard for better business practices, providing the rigorous standards and accountability necessary to certify truly environmentally and socially responsible companies.
The B Impact Assessment
To become B Corp certified, companies have to complete the B Impact Assessment (BIA), a comprehensive questionnaire that determines a company’s impact on their community, employees, the environment, and beyond.
The BIA measures companies’ social and environmental impact through a deep dive into their internal policies, partnerships, environmental outputs, social contributions, metrics used for tracking impact, and methods employed to ensure that impact is positive.
building a better business
“People want to work for, buy from, and invest in businesses they believe in. B Corp Certification is the most powerful way to build credibility, trust and value for your business.”
After completing a wide range of questions, companies generate their B Impact Report that breaks down how they did in each section of the Assessment.
The B Impact Report includes an impact score. To be eligible for B Corp certification, that score must be at least 80. And “at least” in no way describes the accomplishment. A score of 80 is an impressive accomplishment and to get there requires very intentional steps to build a sustainable business model.
To better support our community, we are now able to support companies through the process of completing their BIA and help you do more Business On Purpose.
The questions require raw, quantitative data and information to accurately evaluate how your business impacts the world around it, near and far. The BIA is free to use and not exclusive to companies going through the B Corp certification process. Completing the Assessment does not commit anyone to being reviewed.
This free tool can be used by anyone who wants an impact audit regardless of whether that means certification or not.
B Corp certification represents the highest standards for better business practices across the industry.
Not only is the Assessment a great tool to measure and monitor your company’s impact, but it is outrageously educational. Discover aspects of social and environmental impact you have never considered finding a solution for, or maybe haven’t even recognised as a problem.
Certified B Corps consistently outperform the market, attract and retain the best talent, clearly communicate your company’s ethics and values – all of which is especially good for People, Planet and Profit.
BUSINESS ON PURPOSE’S B CORP Support As A Service
The BIA process is not simplistic, so a range of support options are available depending on your specific needs and requirements.
A “Couch to 5k” approach is taken, to ensure that you progress at a steady pace that is not too time consuming for a busy business committed to improving their impact.
Option One
BIA Ten Step Programme – weekly support
The Ten Step Programme is split into two separate phases (normally across 3 months). Phase One covers the first five steps, each of which covers one of the five sections of the B Impact Assessment. At the end of Phase One a RAG report is produced to help guide the following few sessions then focus on any issues and gaps that need to be addressed, together with ensuring that the appropriate evidence is in place. Assistance with all necessary documentation, policies, processes and surveys are also provided. Support with Companies House is included to make any required changes to articles and objects together with a trial audit process for the BIA score and evidence. For smaller companies (sub £2m) the programme is delivered as part of a cohort.
Option Two
Post BIA Submission Support – monthly support
Once the BIA has been submitted, there will be a wait of approximately six months before the formal B Corp audit takes place. During this time, some companies require additional support to improve processes and policies, gather additional evidence identify further opportunities for improvement and implement changes.
Costs per month
| Annual Turnover | Option 1 | Option 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Up to £160,000 | £150 | £50 |
| £160 - £2m | £300 | £100 |
| Up to £5m | £600 | £200 |
| £5m - £10m | £1,000 | £300 |
| Over £10m | £1,500 | £400 |
Costs are excluding VAT
Andy Hawkins, founder of Business on Purpose, has been in business for more than 30 years helping companies transform the way they work using technology.
He also spent 5 years doing community development in Africa and a further 5 years in environmental services.
These experiences are now helping clients assess and improve their Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) utilising the B Corp process and B Impact Assessment.
Having supported dozens of clients across a range of sectors, as a B Leader he is well placed to provide support how, where and when it is needed.
For more details and information email andy@businessonpurpose.uk