We hope that you’ve all noticed the B Corp community being a bit louder over March, celebrating B Corp Month with the #WeGoBeyond campaign by showcasing the many ways B Corps have chosen to pursue a more impactful path and are going above and beyond for all people and the planet. As a certified B Corp, with two current and two previous portfolio brands also certified (and a few more in the pipeline), we’re hugely proud to be part of it. Our wall (photo above) when you come into our Notting Hill home is testament to that.
The UK now has one of the strongest B Corp communities in the world, with over 1,200 companies certified. These businesses are making it increasingly aspirational to other businesses and recognisable to consumers by adding it to their packaging, websites and job ads.
We are often asked about how to become a B Corp and what investors think of it. We are seeing a big increase in the number of B Corps that come to see us. We wanted to share our top five reasons to invest in a B Corp, followed by some examples from two of our portfolio brands.
- Great for culture.
It’s the everyday action that truly make a B Corp – implementing inclusive hiring practices, buying sustainable office supplies, reducing waste in manufacturing and warehouses, creating mental health support groups or simply changing to sustainable toilet paper. Everyone in the business has a role in making change happen. B Corps are great at making their team feel like they have a vested interested in growing a great business, which leads to individuals and small groups of people taking the initiative to drive positive change. - Increased employee engagement and retention.
With a lack of people and skills in all sectors, attracting the best people from diverse backgrounds and keeping them for a long time is paramount to a growing business. B Corps have far higher engagement and retention levels. Recruiters actively tell us that candidates ask about the sustainability of businesses now and want to work in B Corps. - Inspires strategy.
The B Corp assessment emphasises the need to document policies but also strategies. It is a wonderful galvaniser in making businesses write down and implement strategies, while ensuring that there are clear responsibilities for delivering it. This can be easily missed in smaller founder-led businesses. - Drives investor ESG strategy.
Beyond evidence that B Corps are growing faster than the rest of UK businesses, legislation is changing to hold investors to account for their investments. Already in the EU, investors are legally required to publicly disclose their ESG strategy and 55% of funds have committed to being somewhat or wholly focused on positive impact. UK legislation is coming soon. Investing in B Corps is a helps fulfil these commitments. - B Corps are future-proofed.
Businesses are now affected by societal and environmental shifts in many ways, from employee retention to consumer buying habits, carbon taxation and extreme weather impacting resources. The B Corp assessment makes companies face these challenges ahead of the curve, making them naturally future-proofed.
Want to learn more about B Corp? B Lab (the organisation that managed the B Corp certification) has launched a free course called Introduction to the B Corp Movement.