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Members of the B Corp community from a variety of sectors speak of the movement's values and what it truly means to be a "better business."
Throughout March 2021, Springwise will be exploring the five themes of B Corp Month. This week, we touch on all five by asking those in the B Corp community what they mean to them. Springwise, and our partners at Re_Set, are both proud Certified B Corporations.
What does it mean to be a better employer?
“The truth is that a better team makes for a better place to work, for which the employer gets the credit. While the employer has agency to set the tone, the culture of better is self-sustaining — everyone has stewardship.” — Tom Power, Co-Founder, Pura Aventura
“We practice open-book management, so all team members are aware of the financial state of the business and how they contribute to it. We believe that these employment policies help to make Equalize Digital a better employer, but also strongly contribute to our employees’ job satisfaction which brings the company better results as a whole.” — Amber Hinds, CEO, Equalize Digital
“It means investing in their wellbeing and respecting every single one of them as if your life depends on them. To me, it also means to be authentic. Diversity and inclusion should not just be buzzwords to attract talent, but a mindset to encourage every day in the workplace. Seeking diversity and encouraging the inclusion of race, gender, of personality too in a company are pillars to be a better employer in the new decade.” — Laura Galdi, Team Assistant, Re_Set
What does it mean to be a better steward to your customers?
“If you can impress your customers through your stewardship of the planet, the community, and deliver positive actions, then you can perpetuate positive change in the world. This takes longer than your business is likely to be around and potentially longer than you will be … it all boils down to our alternative and our values representing what the customer wants and hopes for — and them to then expect it from others. Each time we raise the bar and dazzle a customer, it’s to the long-term betterment of all.” — Hannah Williams, Business Manager, Good-Loop
“Being a better steward means being brave enough to push our clients forward, advise them on their strategy and deliver business value. We are proud to now be working with a number of companies who are working towards their own B Corp status but we’re also here for those who are purpose-curious or who need support with reaching their sustainability ambitions.” — Fiona Gildea, Partner, Strategy and Purpose, Milk & Honey PR
“Education is a key part of our services and we treat every engagement as an opportunity to empower our customers to make their websites more accessible and to become accessibility experts in their own right. Knowledge is power, and we believe that sharing ‘trade secrets’ with customers is vital to providing quality services.” — Amber Hinds, CEO, Equalize Digital
What does it mean to be a better steward of the planet?
“Being a better steward means finding ways to educate others — such as in our case, powering our ad servers exclusively with green energy, and making regular donations to offset our business footprint while we reduce it. We’re not perfect, and are as guilty of a single-use coffee cup as anyone -— but we’re conscious of it, and try to continually do a little better than the day before, and help others do the same — including our competition.” — Hannah Williams, Business Manager, Good-Loop
“We’ve been members of 1% For The Planet since we started, meaning we contribute directly with cash to environmental causes. On top of that, being a B Corp allows us to embed net zero and other targets in our operating model.” — James Bidwell, Co-Founder, Re_Set, Chair, Springwise
“It’s now an unsustainable business model not to factor in the environment and the impact of your company on society. With the environmental agenda becoming increasingly critical, all start-ups should hardwire sustainability into their DNA. The consumers of tomorrow are heavily engaged in the crisis now, and they will demand sustainable products and business practices.” — Simon Hombersley, CEO, Xampla
What does it mean to be a better steward to communities?
“As a remote company with employees in three states, ‘community’ is something that we define uniquely. Our community is not always the people around us physically, but are other developers, accessibility professionals, and freelancers in our industry. We specialize in WordPress website development and in my early days working with WordPress, I learned immense amounts from attending free meetup groups and low-cost conferences. I would not be where I am today without those educational opportunities, and our team actively works to ‘pay it forward.’ ” — Amber Hinds, CEO, Equalize Digital
“Focusing on ourselves isn’t enough. As a business, we have a responsibility to the community around us, globally and locally. We dedicate 5 per cent of employee time to volunteering each year. Internationally, our team spends this partnering with Plan International, helping to advance children’s rights and equality for girls. Being able to use our status to give back to our communities is what being a B Corp is all about.” — Fiona Gildea, Partner, Strategy and Purpose, Milk & Honey PR
“The Springwise global community is where we engage deeply and promote innovations that matter as well as inspire our readers to make positive change happen. We encourage business as a force for good through our editorial position and influence people in 190 countries across all industries every week.” — James Bidwell, Co-Founder, Re_Set, Chair, Springwise
What does it mean to be a better business?
“I don’t know, I’ll tell you when I get there. Isn’t it great that it’s happening though? We are living through nothing less than a paradigm shift as Friedman is gradually consigned to the dustbin of history and a balanced, purpose-driven capitalism comes to centre stage.” — Tom Power, Co-Founder, Pura Aventura
“Doing business in the 21st Century means thinking about your environmental and human impact as much as your bottom line. All B Corps are setting themselves up to grow in a sustainable way that works with their employees, communities and customers, whilst staying ahead of future regulation that could inhibit those who do not take action to be better businesses now.” — Simon Hombersley, CEO, Xampla
“Better business takes bravery as well as action. It means looking after your people, and getting the best out of them. It means improving your community. It means doing everything you can, wherever you can, to make a positive impact. And most of all, it means accepting that you can always be better.” — Fiona Gildea, Partner, Strategy and Purpose, Milk & Honey PR