We started the process of becoming a B Corporation early in 2013 after being exposed to it through HubOttawa in January. Initially it seemed like it would be an interesting way to more officially support the kind of work that we've been doing since we began in 1999. There are plenty of people who see starting a web business as a type of get-rich-quick scheme. I started OpenConcept for a very different reason; I saw that running a small business could be a way I could work to make the world better.

I was surprised though when I first took the online assessment at how much better OpenConcept could be. The folks at B Labs have done a great job putting together a very interesting survey that I would recommend any CEO review. There are just so many ways in which a business can do a better job to serve its employees, its clients, its community and our world. The process of documenting what we do is even more important, and the process of becoming a B Corporation has really helped us improve our own internal processes.

Corporations play such a large role in our society, that we really can no longer afford for profit to be the only measure of worth. Business plays such a huge part of our economy, and the corporate legislation has undermined sustainability and community health.  

The "B" stands for "beneficial", indicating that certified organizations voluntarily meet certain standards of transparency, accountability, sustainability, and performance. Organzations that become B Corps understand that they need to create value for society not just profits for their shareholders. 

Earlier this week we officially became a Certified B Corporation with an initial score of 108/200 according to the B Imact Assessment.

We don't think that there will be many changes that our existing clients will notice, other than the references to B Corps in some of our communications. Our team now has a greater understanding of OpenConcept's commitment to being responsible employers however, and we are confident that this will help us attract more talent in the future. It is through investing in our staff and the Drupal community that we can continue to provide long-term, high quality, affordable service to our clients.

If you have any questions about OpenConcept or B Corps, feel free to let us know.