Spread the Buzz – Becoming B Corp

 
 

We’re all jumping up and down with joy having been certified BCorp on 18th July 2023 – a major milestone in the Rawside history books.  We finally joined a community of like-minded businesses who are focused on creating positive change in the business community.

But what does this all mean? Is it just another mark in the swamp of certification? 

Well, no actually – this one means so much more – it means using our business as a force for good. Simply put, being B Corp means that we are a company that is committed to prioritising the environment and society in the way we do business.  So, how are we able to say this with confidence and conviction?  It’s all about the Business Impact Assessment that we had to go through to achieve B Corp status.  This is a rigorous process that takes a deep dive into key impact areas of your business – namely Governance, Workers, Community, Environment and Customers.  In each of these areas, you are asked a number of searching questions the answers to which have to be substantiated by quite extensive evidence.  To put the process into perspective, it took us 3 years to complete! 

Here is a link to a great video that explains B Corp Spread the Buzz

Being a B Corp is all about growing our business in a way that has a positive impact on our society and environment, creating a more inclusive and sustainable economy.  We have changed our articles of association at Companies House to reflect this which demonstrates our absolute commitment to ensuring all our decisions focus on the welfare of the planet, our people and our community – not just our profit.

We’ve always had absolute faith in our commitment to the B Corp principles, but getting this independently verified means so much more to us.  Now we can proudly shout about our commitment to the environment – not only through the design of our products, but the way in which we make them and the community that helps us to create them.

It doesn’t stop here – we are on a journey and we want to continuously improve.  We didn’t get top marks in our assessment, we achieved 88 (the threshold for certification is 80), so we know that we have room for improvement.  This year, we want to focus on improving our water management and our civic engagement as we have great room for improvement on our impact scores in these areas.

B Corp certified companies are re-assessed every 3 years and are required to pass the recertification process – so we know that we will be held to account in our commitment to continuously monitor our impact. 

If this all sounds like hard work, well to be honest, it is.  But we can absolutely say that the process has had such a positive impact on us as a team and a business, we’ll never look back.  If you’re thinking about embarking on B Corp certification, or just interested in the process, we’d love to help.  Drop Liz an email – liz@rawside.co

Spread the Buzz

Love Rawside x

 
 
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