I'm really pleased to announce that we've achieved a long time goal of becoming a Certified B Corporation.
What is a B Corp?
Since we started in 2014, Matt and I have always tried to do business the right way, so we can look back on what we've done and be proud of what we achieved.
The idea behind the B Corp movement is that businesses can be a force for good, they can make a positive contribution towards people and the planet, as well as making profit.
We're aligned with that belief. Timetastic is a success, we are self funded and profitable, the team here are very happy and so too are our customers. But that needn't, and hasn't, come at the cost of the environment or people.
What changed at Timetastic?
Sure we had the B Corp ethos, but as we found, walking-the-walk is a different level. We had no structure to work to, no way to measure our ethical standing.
The B Corp process was just what we needed. They look at you through a microscope, to make sure you're meeting the highest standards of social and environmental performance.
And to meet those standards we've had to make a lot of changes. There's too much to list but I'll give you some of the highlights:
- Our incorporation documents now legally bind us to consider the environment and society in our decision making. You might call this the triple bottom line approach.
- We joined 1% for the planet - donating 1% of our annual revenue to environmental based charities.
- We changed banks, shifted away from a large high street bank to Starling, a tech focused bank with decent ethics.
- We've introduced a host of benefits; 5% profit share scheme, private health insurance, death in service, unlimited budget for training and education. And of course our time off policy is generous ☺️
- We launched a discount scheme for good causes.
- Plus a whole range of measures that come under headings; Governance, Workers, Community, Environment, and Customers.
Just the beginning
We join the ranks of Patagonia, The Body Shop, Bookshop.org, Abel and Cole. A community of over 3,800 businesses worldwide working to the highest standards of environmental and social performance.
It's been a long process to achieve the standard, and it doesn't end here. We'll continue to learn from the B Corp community, we'll pick up a few tricks from other businesses and share some of the stuff we've learnt along the way.
You can be part of it too
Anyone can do a self assessment against the B Corp standard, have a go, see how you get on. Maybe you can join the movement too 👍