A B Corp, short for Benefit Corporation, is a type of for-profit company that seeks to balance its pursuit of profits with a commitment to social and environmental objectives. Unlike the traditional business model, where the bottom line defines almost all decision-making, a B Corp strives to make a difference and provide purpose behind their profits.
At Veneziano Coffee Roasters we have upheld these business principles since the beginning, and just a few short months ago, we became a new member of this high-achieving cohort.
Becoming a B Corp is not a short and simple task; it has been a project that we have been working on very diligently for the past three years, and we’ve aspired to become certified for longer still.
How it works?
The process all starts with the self-driven, and zero-cost online Impact Assessment, which takes the form of a few hundred questions across the five categories of Governance, Workers, Community, Environment and Customers. With some time and effort, this impact assessment will give a business a good understanding of the strengths, gaps and opportunities to improve.
We are incredibly proud to have completed this endeavour, and prouder still that after an intensive auditing process conducted by B Lab, our score was finalised at 90.3 points, 10.3 points above the minimum score required to become certified. Over the next few weeks, we will take you deeper into the assessment and our experience on our journey to becoming a B Corp.
The Impact Assessment is a fantastic tool for any business wanting to measure and improve its working methods (remember, it's free!). The B Corp Certification, for us, is far more than a little B in a circle, what’s important to us is what it stands for. To us it represents a second pair of eyes looking over some of the fantastic things our group of people have done over the years. We're not done; our future goals include increasing our score and continuously improving our impact on the environment, our people, and the communities across the world we work with.
