There are a lot of places that can help you certify, if that is all that matters to you. But there are very few, and almost none in the Southeast, owned and operated by someone that spent over five years working at a B Corp, overseeing certification and recertification, driving B Corp KPIs around culture, retention, diversity, environmental & community impact, and crafting the brand narrative and culture around all things B Corp.
Our CEO, Nathan Stuck, has been entrenched in the B Corp world for over six years, chairs and runs B Local Georgia, and teaches an MBA-level class on B Corps at the University of Georgia. In addition to being an expert on the certification, Nathan is also well versed in business and marketing and understands how to make your B Corp certification an asset to your organization.
Certified B Corps (short for benefit corporation) are the gold standard of corporate social responsibility. Much like “Leed” to a building or “Certified Organic” to food, there is a rigorous assessment and verification process that analyzes your company’s performance with five key stakeholder groups: your employees, your community, the environment, your supply chain and customers, and the transparency of your business to the public.
A minimum score of 80 is needed to certify and all companies undergo a thorough audit performed by the certifying non-profit organization B Lab.
No greenwashing here, B Corps are more than just a marketing campaign–they’re walking the walk.
Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past ten years, you’ve noticed a growing shift in consumer and employee sentiment as both groups demand more accountability from businesses in how they behave. The downside to this is that every marketing team and brand agency knows this, which means everyone is touting their latest sustainably made widget, best in class employee benefits, and commitment to diversity and inclusion.
B Corps break through the noise with one simple logo, the circle B, that lets current & potential employees, consumers, and their community know they mean business…for good. They find it easier to recruit and retain younger Gen Z & Millennial workers, differentiate their products and services, and win larger contracts as bigger brands look to find more ESG-friendly alternatives in their supply chain.
Everything else you need to know.
Yes! Some companies have undertaken this endeavor on their own, but most companies that do go this route eventually end up needing help–and we’ve worked with a lot of them. Unless you have an internal team for things like HR, Impact, and Sustainability, you’ll probably spend a lot of time researching and writing policies, doing cost-benefits analysis, and researching best practices.
You’re in the business of running your business, so let us use our knowledge and experience to do the heavy lifting. From earning the certification to integrating it into your brand and culture and getting your team excited about it, we’ve been there and done that for companies across the southeast. We’re also respected and connected throughout the global B Corp community, so we’ll open doors and make introductions so you start realizing a return on day one.
In the grand scheme of things, not much. There is an initial submission fee to get the certification audit rolling, then an annual certification fee when your company has completed the audit and is ready to officially be a B Corp; these fees are based on your company revenue. B Lab also offers equity discounts for companies owned by members of underrepresented groups. You can check out this B Lab page to get an estimate of how much your company can expect to pay.
The costs for hiring someone like us to help with your certification can vary depending on the complexity of your certification, how hands-on you want to be, and how much implementation help you want on the back end. The average project typically costs somewhere in the mid four-figures to low five-figures.
Yes. To certify as a B Corp, your incorporating articles must specifically include stakeholders as key considerations for any decisions. For LLCs, there is a simple amendment to your operating agreement. S Corps and C Corps will have to reincorporate as Public Benefit Corporations (if your state has enacted such legislation).
But don’t worry, we have a good relationship with lawyers all over the country that have helped our clients through this process. You can also use your own attorney when we get to the legal requirement of the certification.
Absolutely not. Our experience working with the B Corp certification process has made us experts in what makes great companies excel. We can use the same framework to make improvements at your company in whatever section or sections you’re looking for help in.
We’ve used this assessment to work with clients on mission, vision, & values, closing the culture gap, and their impact storytelling. Whether you want to certify or just improve your triple bottom line, our team of Trained B Consultants are here to help!
You’re on your way to becoming a certified B Corp