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Writer's pictureNatalie Beecroft

Our journey to submitting for B Corp certification – embracing a purposeful path



We’re thrilled to share that we’ve recently hit the ‘submit’ button on our B Impact Assessment for B Corp certification. Whoop! It has been an enlightening and transformative journey over the past few months, filled with valuable lessons and exciting changes, but it’s also been a lot of fun.


For those considering joining the B Corp movement or want to know more, I thought I’d share our experiences of how we ended up on this journey and some of the things we’ve learnt along the way.


It all stemmed from a Design Business Association (Design Business Association (DBA)) Member’s Forum back in late January, where the idea took root. As a family-owned business, we were already bringing to work our eco-conscious but joining the B Corp movement would enable us to align our business and values with a greater purpose. Being more aware of the B Corp movement and exploring further, we discovered that many of our favourite brands were B Corps (funny how that works!). With that inspiration, we resolved to trying to become a B Corp in 2023.


Having explored the B Lab website (these are the guys running the B Corp certification), reading testimonials, watching videos, and understanding the certification process, we took the next step and signed up for the B Impact Assessment (BIA). This is a free, self-assessment tool (like a detailed multiple choice questionnaire) that covers the below aspects of your business:


🌱 Governance - Policies and procedures

👥 Workers - Financial, physical, professional and social wellbeing of employees

🌍 Community – Contributions to the communities we operate in

🌿 Environment – Environmental stewardship and sustainability efforts

💼 Customer - Delivering value to our customers


As we began answering the questions, we soon realised that this assessment went beyond a mere, fun questionnaire! Overwhelmed at first, we sought guidance from a B Corp B Leader (@AnnaStanley), who offered invaluable insights into the B Corp process. She guided us through each section of the BIA, helping us navigate the questions and understand their implications. Additionally, she assisted us with the necessary legal amendments. A key part of committing to B Corp.


Working through the questions allowed us to re-evaluate our business practices from a fresh perspective. Coincidentally, we were already in the process of refocusing our service proposition, so it was the perfect opportunity to revamp our internal and external operations. This included a rebranding and name change! hashtag#Waggleteaser


The journey has been invigorating, inspiring us with new ideas and a clearer vision to become a better business. From implementing internal policies that benefit our employees and customers, to finding ways to engage with our local community through volunteering and philanthropy, every step has been uplifting.


It was a surprise to realise that it has only taken six months to get to this “first-finish” milestone (as there are more stages to come).  It feels like it’s been a relatively quick process, but maybe it’s because it’s been six months of feel-good learning, development and implementing best practice, that it feels like it’s not been a burden. In fact, it’s been a privilege to experience. 


We now eagerly anticipate the next stages of verification and certification but in the meantime, we’ve got the right framework and mentality in place to be a better business.


So to summarise our key learnings so far:

  1. The process is not as daunting as we initially thought. 

  2. Working through the BIA has set us up with a robust internal framework for assessing our performance in key areas.

  3. Embracing B Corp values has already influenced our day-to-day operations, both internally and externally.


If you’re considering becoming a B Corp or the values resonate, my advice is just give it ago. There’s no commitment and the process of working through the BIA alone, will deliver tremendous value and insights. Equally, if you want to have a chat and know a bit more of what is involved, just reach out! I’d love to share.


Let's shape a better future together! 🤝 

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