I am genuinely really pleased that the law firm that I work for has achieved B Corp status. Why is this important, and why might your business think about becoming a B Corp?

When we surveyed over 300 businesses, as part of our preparations for the Ethical Business Project, one of the most significant findings was that whilst business owners wanted to demonstrate their value-driven credentials, they acknowledged their need for guidance in how to do it. They felt the pressure to show how they are different.

This is in a context where increasingly, people are realising that doing business and meeting the needs of people, society and the planet are not mutually exclusive. Indeed, they are and need to be seen as inextricably linked.

UK businesses are under more pressure to demonstrate positive values than ever before. The human and economic disruption of Covid-19, combined with an escalating climate crisis and a strong focus on social inequalities – partly brought about by movements such as Black Lives Matter – have put businesses of all sizes under the microscope. Rightly so.

No one is suggesting that B Corp status is a panacea or the last word on being an ethical business. But it is a rigorously assessed, externally verified certification which confirms that we are seeking to be what we talk about.

We at Anthony Collins Solicitors recognise that this is emphatically not the end of the journey. The assessment process has given us things we need to work on. But we recognise the value in saying that we are a distinctive business, with an aim that goes beyond the generation of profit and commits us to having a positive impact on the people, communities and wider society around us.

Why not join us on the journey?