We are proud to be a B Corp. Like other B Corps, we’re using our business as a means to create positive change in the world. To do this, we’re committed to follow best practices guidelines and we check our progress every two years against a global benchmark. We started the process of becoming a B Corp in 2015, taking the Quick Impact Assessment (QIA) and we worked through the process with B Corp. One of the many benefits of becoming a B Corp—fulfilling the assessment requires a high level of planning which really helps you set sustainability goals that impact your employees, your community and the environment.
Steps to becoming a certified B Corporation:
- Take the Quick B Impact Assessment:
It’s free, and takes about 20 minutes. The questions are straightforward and any business that claims to be sustainable should be able to complete it. A friendly B Lab staff member follows up, and can help you decide if you’d like to go further. For more info, go to: How to Become a B Corp
- The full B Impact Assessment:
Becoming a B Corp--and staying a B Corp—means taking a 200 question assessment and achieving a score of over 80 points. Some find the assessment daunting, but it’s a way to take big steps down the sustainability pathway. A B Corp business runs on:
- Metrics
- Employee retention
- Payroll
- Sales
- Income
- Bonus payments
- Greenhouse gas emissions improvements!
All these numbers are housed somewhere. Spend some time going through the assessment and set up a spreadsheet of the metrics you’ll need to answer the questions. GloryBee’s full time sustainability manager, Shandy Carroll, worked on the assessment for over a month before passing it over to the executive committee for review.
- Resist the desire to ‘quickly’ improve something!
It’s so tempting to quickly want to improve something, write a policy you’ve been meaning to get to, or wait a few months until some new benefit kicks in. Resist it! It’s so much better to roll out those projects fully, taking the care needed. Those extra points will be there for the next re-certification in two years. Do things right.
- Desk Audit – the three hour conversation
The final step is to speak with B Lab and complete a desk audit. Ours took 3 hours! They help you answer any questions that may have been missed, and ask for proof of different numbers. A few lucky companies get an onsite audit. This increases the transparency and reliability of the assessment.
Sustainability is a journey, not a destination. Five years ago having a breakroom composting program was cutting edge. In 2018 an onsite recycling and food waste management program is a minimal expectation for a sustainable business.
B Corp is helping GloryBee navigate this sustainable journey and keeps us moving forward. In the next few weeks we’ll talk more about the importance of using business as a force for good, making decisions based on our business values, and creating positive change from the ground up!