The Business Case For B Corp Certification
Nathan Stuck, Co-Founder and Chair of B Local Georgia / 5 Minute Read
Using the gold standard of Corporate Social Responsibility to differentiate your brand and stand out to employees and consumers
Back in 2022, I was sitting in a panel discussion at B Lab’s Champions Retreat conference in Philadelphia when I heard a crazy statistic. An executive at Intrepid Travel told the room that there were 188 “sustainability” certifications in the travel industry. “And the only one we chose to get was B Corp,” he shared.
That quote has stuck with me, and I use it often when I am invited to speak to university classes, civic organizations, business conferences, and employee retreats. Simply put, B Corp Certification is becoming the most valuable seal of approval a business can earn.
What is a B Corp?
B Corps are for-profit businesses certified by the nonprofit B Lab to meet high social and environmental standards. Companies go through a five-part assessment that includes a rigorous vetting of all documentation and data required for verification. And the process doesn’t stop there. B Corps must re-certify every three years, and the standards continue to evolve — a reflection of B Lab’s commitment to continuously raise the bar for business.
Since 2006, the B Corp movement has grown to encompass over 9,500 B Corps in 102 countries, spanning 160 industries. With bigger and bigger brands investing years of effort to earn a B Corp Certification, it’s becoming clear that good business isn’t just a different mindset; good business is good for business.
That quote has stuck with me, and I use it often when I am invited to speak to university classes, civic organizations, business conferences, and employee retreats. Simply put, B Corp Certification is becoming the most valuable seal of approval a business can earn.
What is a B Corp?
B Corps are for-profit businesses certified by the nonprofit B Lab to meet high social and environmental standards. Companies go through a five-part assessment that includes a rigorous vetting of all documentation and data required for verification. And the process doesn’t stop there. B Corps must re-certify every three years, and the standards continue to evolve — a reflection of B Lab’s commitment to continuously raise the bar for business.
Since 2006, the B Corp movement has grown to encompass over 9,500 B Corps in 102 countries, spanning 160 industries. With bigger and bigger brands investing years of effort to earn a B Corp Certification, it’s becoming clear that good business isn’t just a different mindset; good business is good for business.
It’s becoming clear that
good business is good for business.
The ROI of B Corp Certification
I have spent the past eight years of my life working in the B Corp community, founding B Local Georgia in 2018, launching BLD Southeast in 2020, teaching a B Corp class in the MBA program at the University of Georgia since 2021, and running my own B Corp consultancy for the past three years. And I have worked with countless companies on their certification, which means I’ve been able to help these same organizations improve their transparency, their worker pay and benefits, their community impact, their environmental footprint, and their customer experience.
I am seeing the “evolution of society” — to borrow words shared by W&A Engineering CEO Jon Williams on my podcast — where these values are championed by workers and customers alike. And business owners like Williams are taking notice. Things like paid volunteer time off, implementing an environmental management system, and investing in ongoing training are no longer considered a cost center. Rather, they are an investment in attracting and retaining the top talent. They are also an investment in market share, customer acquisition, and customer lifetime value.
I have spent the past eight years of my life working in the B Corp community, founding B Local Georgia in 2018, launching BLD Southeast in 2020, teaching a B Corp class in the MBA program at the University of Georgia since 2021, and running my own B Corp consultancy for the past three years. And I have worked with countless companies on their certification, which means I’ve been able to help these same organizations improve their transparency, their worker pay and benefits, their community impact, their environmental footprint, and their customer experience.
I am seeing the “evolution of society” — to borrow words shared by W&A Engineering CEO Jon Williams on my podcast — where these values are championed by workers and customers alike. And business owners like Williams are taking notice. Things like paid volunteer time off, implementing an environmental management system, and investing in ongoing training are no longer considered a cost center. Rather, they are an investment in attracting and retaining the top talent. They are also an investment in market share, customer acquisition, and customer lifetime value.
Don't risk getting lost in the noise
of shifting consumer markets.
Even if you’re already doing good…
I hear this a lot: “We’re already doing good; I don’t see any need to pay for a certification.”
With all due respect, 90% of the amazing companies I have worked with couldn’t meet the 80-point threshold for B Corp Certification at first. We had to work through the assessment B Lab offers and identify opportunities for improvement that made sense for that unique business. From establishing KPIs to publicly reporting purpose performance to implementing a company volunteering plan, we worked together to go from good to great.
Even if your organization is built upon the foundations of environmental and social stewardship, chances are your brand may still get lost in the noise. You still must match up against every competitors’ commitments and an increasingly skeptical next generation that doesn’t trust business. Even further, the prevalence of irresponsible advertising and false claims have destroyed consumer and employee confidence in marketing and brand positioning.
I hear this a lot: “We’re already doing good; I don’t see any need to pay for a certification.”
With all due respect, 90% of the amazing companies I have worked with couldn’t meet the 80-point threshold for B Corp Certification at first. We had to work through the assessment B Lab offers and identify opportunities for improvement that made sense for that unique business. From establishing KPIs to publicly reporting purpose performance to implementing a company volunteering plan, we worked together to go from good to great.
Even if your organization is built upon the foundations of environmental and social stewardship, chances are your brand may still get lost in the noise. You still must match up against every competitors’ commitments and an increasingly skeptical next generation that doesn’t trust business. Even further, the prevalence of irresponsible advertising and false claims have destroyed consumer and employee confidence in marketing and brand positioning.
Reshape capitalism
into something that works for everyone.
Take the assessment
If you’re still reading this, and even if you’re a little skeptical about the value of B Corp Certification or how your business practices stand up against these standards, I encourage you to take the B Impact Assessment. Like I tell my clients when we kick off a new consulting project, to sustain and grow your business, you’re going to first have to take a long, hard look in the mirror and see how “who you think you are” measures up to “who you actually are.”
But the process is going to strengthen your business, make it a more attractive place to work, and help you stand out from your competitors. B Corp Certification aligns your company with a set of best practices and a community of successful businesses growing and thriving and reshaping capitalism into something that works for everyone, and for the long term. It is society evolving, in action.
If you’re still reading this, and even if you’re a little skeptical about the value of B Corp Certification or how your business practices stand up against these standards, I encourage you to take the B Impact Assessment. Like I tell my clients when we kick off a new consulting project, to sustain and grow your business, you’re going to first have to take a long, hard look in the mirror and see how “who you think you are” measures up to “who you actually are.”
But the process is going to strengthen your business, make it a more attractive place to work, and help you stand out from your competitors. B Corp Certification aligns your company with a set of best practices and a community of successful businesses growing and thriving and reshaping capitalism into something that works for everyone, and for the long term. It is society evolving, in action.
Photo credits: Alison Phillips and B Corp
Author Profile
Nathan A. Stuck
Nathan is an award winning leader in the B Corp community and the Founder of Profitable Purpose Consulting, a culture, impact, and B Corp consultancy. He founded and chairs B Local Georgia and serves on the board of B Academics, a nonprofit committed to research and experiential B Corp learning opportunities.
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Earth Pulse is an advocacy blog produced by Better Earth. It is intended to help inform and educate about the urgent issues around sustainability, the environment, and social justice, through posts from a variety of authors.
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