B Corps: To B or Not to B, That is the Question

While there are many accreditations, awards, and certifications for businesses to utilise, very few carry the weight of the Benefit Corporations (B Corp) model. This is due to the rigorous assessment process involved but also the aim of the B Corp Movement itself.

Created by B Lab, a non-profit network, the initiative was created with the intention of inspiring and enabling people to use businesses as a force for good.

With B Labs across the world, which form the B Global Network, the international network’s strategy is rooted in the global theory of change. The theory guides B Lab’s mission to transform the economic system into a more inclusive, equitable, and regenerative global economy.

Within the past few years several print and signage companies have become certified B Corps, which have been verified by B Lab to meet high standards of social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability.

In this article we take a look at the advantages, advice, and aspects to remember when applying to become a B Corp.

Doing it for the Right Reasons

Patagonia, the Jamie Oliver Group, and Ben and Jerry’s are just some of the big global brands to have achieved B Corp status. The assessment evaluates a company’s operations and impact on workers, customers, the environment, and communities, making it extremely important that a company is fully dedicated to the application process and all that comes afterwards.

Paul Hargreaves, a speaker, author, and B Corp ambassador, is one of several voices in the world of UK business who is encouraging companies to make a positive impact on the world through their practices. Hargreaves is chief executive officer of Cotswold Fayre, a speciality food and drink wholesale business which was one of the UK’s founding B Corps in 2015.

Speaking of becoming a B Corp, Hargreaves says: “There are numerous benefits to becoming a B Corp – credibility and trust; attracting talent; resilience and long-term value; and investor appeal. But there are also challenges.”

Hargreaves emphasises that the certification process is time-consuming, something that has been backed up by many print and associated businesses over the past two years. Recent B Corp certified businesses in the industry include PaperCut, Allwag Promotions, Foilco, Eight Group, Datagraphic, Reuseabox, and HelloPrint.

My hopes are that in the future, every company will have the principles of B Corp deeply rooted into their DNA, so that a separate ‘stamp’ is not needed anymore

Speaking about becoming a B Corp, Hans Scheffer, chief executive officer and founder of HelloPrint, says: “We're active in the print industry, a highly polluting industry of massive size. In that industry, there's a lot of room for different approaches, and with our large network and size, we want to play an active role in transitioning our industry into a much more sustainable one.”

HelloPrint, which is headquarted in Rotterdam, operates across Europe and in the United States. Scheffer says the company is aiming to become the world’s largest and most sustainable platform for customisable printed products with the help of its network of 300 manufacturers.

Scheffer adds: “HelloPrint achieved its B Corp certification last year after an intense three-year trajectory. This journey was not only fuelled by trends in our industry, but also by the desires of our workforce; a highly involved and engaged international diverse group of people who are conscious about the world of tomorrow.”

Speaking about the application process, Hargraves says that companies need to carefully evaluate and document their practices across various areas, which can be particularly difficult for smaller businesses with fewer resources.

There is also the challenge of maintaining certification, especially as this requires ongoing effort and commitment as companies must recertify every three years and demonstrate continuous improvement.
Hargreaves adds: “At their best, B Corps represent a new kind of business that balance’s purpose and profit – a model for companies committed to solving social and environmental problems.”

However, Hargreaves emphasises that he has concerns for the future of the movement as businesses treat certification similarly to an ISO standard by tweaking a few elements but largely carrying on the same as before.

Hargreaves stresses: “Becoming a B Corp cannot just be a box-ticking exercise and doing just enough to creep over a line; it must be the start of a journey that will foundationally challenge everything we do and how we do it. We may even decide to completely change our business model. If a business really is going to help restore our broken planet and bring radical social justice, then it isn’t just a case of doing business better, but about creating better, different businesses.”

Becoming a B Corp cannot just be a box-ticking exercise and doing just enough to creep over a line; it must be the start of a journey that will foundationally challenge everything we do and how we do it

Scheffer agrees with Hargreaves, when asked about the advantages of certification he says: “B Corp is not about gaining advantage, it's about becoming part of a movement and deeply incorporating sustainability principles into the DNA of the company. The results are that our team is developing its products and services with a different view, leading to a much more sustainable product portfolio that appeals to our larger customers.”

When it comes to applying to become a B Corp, Scheffer suggests starting small but with big ambitions: “Only do it because you have the intrinsic motivation to do so. Becoming a B Corp is not setting some checkmarks, it's changing your complete business philosophy. This starts with inspiration, with engagement of your team, with accountability, and with implementation. It's a long journey, but it's worth it."

Beyond B Corp

This year, certification for B Corp is changing so that companies are required to reach a minimum standard in ten different areas. Continuing his concerns about the purpose of B Corp, Hargreaves questions how radical a change this might be.

Reflecting on his experience with B Corp, Hargreaves says: “Excited by our first few years of a B Corp and wanting to encourage more businesses to become a force for good in the world, I wrote my first book, Forces for Good, which was published in 2019. However, in the writing of that book, I came to the strong realisation that if we are going to change the world for better, socially, and environmentally, then we also need to transform ourselves. It is not just about a new mindset but about tapping into our other dimensions. We must become people and leaders with more compassion, more heart, and more soul.”

Although Hargreaves' approach may appear very optimistic, his main aim is to set new intentions for businesses and create more “regenerative” businesses that don’t just think of the well-known motifs of people, planet, and profit.

In 2021 print and marketing company, Webmart, achieved B Corp certification, which it saw as a reflection of its 25-year old journey to building a business that balances profit with purpose. The certification came after the business launched its enviromail brand, took part in the Laptops for Kids initiative, and committed £300,000 to rewilding its Oxygen Farm.

The latter initiative is an example of how a company’s values and beliefs can encourage its workers to strive for better actions in both work and personal life. Hargreaves emphasises that: “your people’s purpose needs to relate to the company’s purpose”, meaning that companies need to make bigger efforts to help individuals discover their own purpose in life.

For Webmart that has meant embracing its “do good, be kind” spirit which it utilised at the end of 2023 when its employees responded to the felling of Sycamore Gap. Webmart planted ten sycamore trees at its eco-asset in Grange Wood, a voluntary decision that came collectively from the Webmart team when its founder Simon Biltcliffe was away, demonstrating the passion for sustainability that runs through the entire company, not just its founder.

“My hopes are that in the future, every company will have the principles of B Corp deeply rooted into their DNA, so that a separate ‘stamp’ is not needed anymore,” says Scheffer, from HelloPrint. “My expectation is that more and more companies will see the importance of balancing profit, purpose, people, and planet in a better capacity, especially since a new generation is more conscious than ever before. They will be the drivers of the future, and they will act differently, so my hopes are high.”

Hargreaves concludes: “Yes, the B Corp framework is a fantastic tool for helping us to become a better business, but we need more than that. In today’s broken world full of injustice on a rapidly degrading planet, we need leaders and businesses that are connecting in compassion and love to nature and people. We need the people within our businesses to engage at a heart and soul level as well as at a mind level. We need our workplaces to be those where there is depth and creative life.

“It is different and not always easy, but we can’t carry on as we are, can we? It’s not working.”

To find out more about becoming a B Corp, visit https://bcorporation.uk