The Rise of the B Corp Movement and How (and Why) To Join It 

In 2021, I was very excited to get on to a highly competitive training course to become a B Leader. As one of only two people in Northern Ireland trained to help companies through the rigorous process of certifying as a B Corporation, I expected to be quickly inundated with requests for support, but it’s only now, almost three years later that those requests are starting to ramp up. It seems the awareness and understanding of what it means to be a B Corp and why (and how) to go about it, are pretty low in Northern Ireland, so let me tell you more…

March is B Corp Month and over 8,000 companies around the world are celebrating what it means to be a B Corporation. The theme is ‘This Way Forward’ and it’s all about progress – evolving what it means to be a better business and looking to a more positive future. B Corps are businesses that balance people, planet and profit and that have changed their legal status to commit to operating for the benefit of all stakeholders. The movement was started in the USA in 2006 by three friends with a vision for how business could be a force for good. Since then it has spread across the world and today there are more than 8,000 B Corps in 90+ countries and across 162 industries.

Almost a quarter of those B Corps are in the UK, where 1,900 companies are now certified and interest is growing year on year. In Northern Ireland, we’ve been a little slower to the table and so far we have just nine companies certified as B Corps, but the buzz is increasing as more companies understand what it means and the benefits it can bring. 
 

Business is the engine for economic success, but increasing numbers of businesses are recognising that they can (and should) play a vital role in shaping a positive future for people and planet. Many of those businesses are certified as B Corps, or in the pipeline for certification. All are on a journey to consistently improve how they operate in balancing profit and purpose. 

Because being a B Corp isn’t really the end goal – for many companies it’s the start of their journey to better business as they commit to continuously improve the impact they have on their employees, customers, local communities and the environment.

In 2022, GIRAFFE Associates supported Newry-based sandwich manufacturer Deli Lites through the B Corp certification process and founders Brian and Jackie Reid have been vocal advocates for the process. Jackie has said “For Deli Lites, officially becoming a B Corp certified business provides confirmation that we are meeting the high standards of social and environmental performance that we strive for and encourage throughout the business. It means being part of a wide community of like-minded organisations that prioritise people and positive change alongside profit.”
 

Towards the end of 2023, I was asked to help a hairdresser in County Wicklow, Susan Collin Home of Hair, with her certification. In January, she became the first independent hairdresser in Ireland and Europe to achieve certification and a more passionate champion you could not find.

For Susan, it’s about running a business that aligns with your values, joining a community of changemakers, supporting the movement in Ireland and attracting like-minded talent. For years, she has only used products from other certified B Corporations in the business, such as Davines shampoos and colours, Scrummi towels and salon waste is managed and repurposed by The Green Salon Collective. 

The benefits may differ a little from company to company and industry to industry, but this list of seven top benefits from B Corp certified consultancy Tyler Grange should apply to most businesses:
1.    Win over conscious consumers
2.    Retain customers and build loyalty
3.    Attract investors with shared values
4.    Achieve cost savings
5.    Collaborate with fellow B Corps
6.    Improve employee engagement
7.    Attract talent more effectively
 

So, if everything so far resonates with you and you’re considering certification, how do you go about it?
It starts with an online assessment using the Business Impact Assessment Tool. This is free to use and anyone can set up an account to do the assessment and see how they fare. There are five sections to the assessment – Governance, Workers, Community, Customers and Environment, plus a disclosure section with questions about the types of work you do. There are broadly 200 points available (it can change a little depending on the size and sector your business operates in) and to be eligible to submit, you need a minimum score of 80 points.
Sounds easy? It’s harder than you might think to get 80 points, but working with a trained B Leader can really help in navigating the assessment and understanding fully what’s required in terms of evidence to support your answers, as well as interpreting the questions.

Once you’ve submitted and paid the submission fee (£300), you move to the Evaluation Queue, where you prepare for review by B Lab and use the time (2-3 months) to improve your score and get your evidence in order. You then move to Evaluation where you’ll take 1-3 months to have your assessment health-checked and confirmed as eligible. The next stage is Verification, where you’ll be interviewed to verify your claims and asked to upload supporting documentation. This will take 1-4 months and finally, if all is well and you’ve stayed above the 80 point threshold, you’ll pay the certification fee and be certified as a B Corporation. Certification lasts for three years.

Of note to Women in Business members, is the fact that additional points and an equity discount are available for businesses that are 50% or more owned by women, people of colour and ethnic minorities, LGBTQ+ or people with disabilities for their first certification. 

What I’ve outlined here is the current process for certification. This is under review and scheduled to change from 2025, with the details still being finalised, but the likelihood is that rather than the current 80 point threshold across the full assessment, companies will be required to show they meet a threshold in every section of the assessment, so if you’re thinking about it, there’s no time like the present to get started!
 

As I’ve said, any company can complete the B Corp certification process itself if it has someone with the time and knowledge to take the lead. The assessment can seem daunting however, so working with a B Leader could be good option for smaller companies with more stretched resources. 

B Leaders can provide:

Expert guidance: Leveraging their knowledge and experience to help you implement sustainable practices and meet certification requirements.

Tailored support: Customized assistance in addressing unique challenges and optimizing business operations for social and environmental impact.

Access to resources: Using B Leader networks and resources to stay updated on best practices and industry trends.

As reporting and legislative requirements around sustainability and ESG commitments continue to grow, standards and certifications such as B Corp can be an excellent way to demonstrate your commitment and increase competitiveness, while making your company more resilient for the future. 
Becoming a B Corp is not for the faint hearted. The process is robust and rigorous and it will take anywhere from 5 to 10 months from submission to certification, but the benefits, for businesses that truly are purpose-driven and want to keep on improving, are significant. 

Working with a B Leader isn’t mandatory in any way, but it could help to smooth the process and provide you with an additional, insightful resource to support your journey to certification. If you’d like to know more, please reach out to gillian@giraffeassociates.com for an initial chat.

Looking more widely, I’d love to see the growth of the movement here in Northern Ireland as it’s a fantastic way to drive sustainable business practices and contribute to a more inclusive and environmentally conscious economy and who can argue with that?