Have you been asking: “Is B Corp certification worth the cost and paperwork?”
The debate gets louder each month, especially for organisations with tight budgets and lean teams. New rules are coming. Some owners feel shut out; others worry the label is turning into a mere sticker.
So, we hosted a live panel event with experts who live and breathe this stuff. We asked for straight answers, and they didn’t hold back. Below are their stories and lessons.
(Short on time? TL;DR at the end.)
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B Corp is still the best-known badge for companies that balance profit with people and planet. The assessment runs to 200 questions; score 80 points or more and lock stakeholder protections into your legal docs.
Ben Horrigan of Studio 91 Media likes the rigour: “The framework worked well for us because we were already doing lots that fit within it, just not always written down… It’s very hard to cheat the process.”
Yet the points game has drawbacks. Alex Smith of FuturePlus says: “Score 79.5 and you fail; hit 80 and you pass. That’s a bit bizarre.” A half-point swing can brand a firm “good” or “bad,” which feels more like decimal roulette than a fair measure of impact.
B Lab, the non-profit who issues B Corp certification, is changing how it measures an organisation’s social and environmental performance.
You need to meet minimum requirements
Version 7, released earlier this year, drops the single score and instead sets minimum requirements in seven impact topics (workers, climate, governance and so on). Miss one requirement and you don’t certify, no matter how strong you are elsewhere. The aim is to stop point-trading and build trust.
Built-in continuous improvement
Each B Corp will have formal check-ins in years three and five, which means they must plan and make sure they are always improving against their goals.
Third party verification
All B Corps certifications will be verified by a third-party to boost credibility and consumer trust, and to align with internationally recognised directives from the likes of the EU.
Hannah Cox of Better Business Network is cautious: “In practice, it’s likely to be harder for small businesses… it feels like they’re being left behind in favour of larger corporates.” She also notes the slow rollout: “They’ve taken three years to finalise the new standards. As a B Leader, I still don’t know what the new process will be.”
Lucy, our Impact Lead says, “For us, although we have some concerns over brands becoming B Corps who perhaps you wouldn’t feel would align, if it inspires changes within those organisations, and that the new standards hold them to account, this is an inherently good thing.”
So, the badge remains powerful, but the rulebook is shifting. Whether the new model raises confidence or raises barriers will depend on how clearly B Lab fills the gaps.
B Corp’s biggest strength often lies behind the scenes. The process takes good intentions and turns them into something more solid, like policies and clear priorities. Jon Berry sees this first-hand at Tyler Grange: “What we wanted was a framework that would make us better environmentally, socially and operationally. The value for us is in the transformation.”
Lucy also says: “For our business, B Corp has meant that we’ve made strategic changes that have enabled us to prioritise our impact and rigour that has ensured it’s happened. It’s also had wider benefits, like helping us make the working environment better for our team, ensure we have adequate development plans in place, helped expand our understanding of DEI and make incremental changes across the business.”
Jon Berry found simple changes to save money: “We discovered we were still using Amazon for next-day delivery. The B Corp certification process made us stop, review our entire supply chain and switch to ethical suppliers, like Honest Mobile, which saved us a considerable amount of money overnight.” Even soap has a story: “Our hand soap now comes from a community of refugees in Orkney. That’s the kind of return I want: to have a story to tell.”
External wins follow the internal ones. Studio 91 Media is still the only video-production B Corp in Greater Manchester, yet its client mix shows how things have changed. “Only three of our clients are B Corps. That said, the proportion of purpose-led clients we work with has gone up from 66% to 71% since certification and that’s got to count for something.”
Volunteering pays off too: “We do monthly volunteering. One led to a poetry film project that’s now turning into a full production. Another led to a British Council-funded collaboration in Malaysia. It starts with small partnerships and sometimes grows into something big.”
Alex Smith sees confusion everywhere: “There’s so much overwhelm, confusion and misinformation. B Corp works for some, but it isn’t the only way.” She argues that “What businesses need is an accessible, achievable framework with clear actions and continuous support.” Her answer is FuturePlus, a continuous-improvement platform.
For a light pledge, 1% for the Planet keeps it simple. Members pledge one per cent of revenue to vetted environmental projects, a commitment that is easy to explain and quick to put into action.
Peer groups fill the gaps that platforms and badges might miss. The Better Business Network, founded by Hannah Cox, and informal meet-ups like People Planet Pint give owners a place to swap tactics and pressure-test ideas.
Badges can open doors, but habits change businesses. Whether you choose a platform, a pledge or a local network, pick something that gets you acting and measuring. If it moves you forward, it earns its place.
It’s not just a question for the leadership team. It’s one worth asking across your whole business. Who’s going to do the work and why are you doing it? Jon Berry made it clear that surface-level purpose isn’t enough. The cultural shift takes time and trust. If you can’t commit to that depth of change, the process might stretch your team too far.
Then there’s the question of ROI. What are your expectations? The personal connections paid off for Studio 91 Media. Returns can be real but slow. “All of this has been a driver of our wider business growth as well as our impact,” Mike Pye, our Managing Director, encourages.
Looking good helps, but what you do matters more. Alex Smith isn’t fussed if a company’s reasons are mixed: “If the badge gets businesses to take meaningful action, even for commerical reasons, that’s still progress.”
Berry urges radical openness: “Put a QR code on the B Corp logo that links straight to your impact report or your values. Consumers deserve clarity.” And strategist Mike Pye leaves a final nudge: “Don’t just display the badge. Weave impact into every part of your brand, like Tony’s Chocolonely. That’s how you build trust.”
And remember, impact doesn’t have to wait for certification. Every ticket for this event supported Caritas Salford and Farms for City Children. Money going where it’s needed.
We’re far from anti-B Corp. As Mike puts it: “I feel that it’s a force for good and has been a major milestone in the development of our business and has helped turn vision into reality.”
But no single label has all the answers.
Keep asking tough questions of any framework, and of your own team. If another tool, pledge or community suits your values better, go that way. What matters is clear action and steady progress. Keep the conversation going and choose the route that helps you do the most good, right now.
It’s not just a question for the leadership team. It’s one worth asking across your whole business. Who’s going to do the work and why are you doing it? Jon Berry made it clear that surface-level purpose isn’t enough. The cultural shift takes time and trust. If you can’t commit to that depth of change, the process might stretch your team too far.
Then there’s the question of ROI. What are your expectations? The personal connections paid off for Studio 91 Media. Returns can be real but slow. “All of this has been a driver of our wider business growth as well as our impact,” Mike Pye, our Managing Director, encourages.
Looking good helps, but what you do matters more. Alex Smith isn’t fussed if a company’s reasons are mixed: “If the badge gets businesses to take meaningful action, even for commerical reasons, that’s still progress.”
Berry urges radical openness: “Put a QR code on the B Corp logo that links straight to your impact report or your values. Consumers deserve clarity.” And strategist Mike Pye leaves a final nudge: “Don’t just display the badge. Weave impact into every part of your brand, like Tony’s Chocolonely. That’s how you build trust.”
And remember, impact doesn’t have to wait for certification. Every ticket for this event supported Caritas Salford and Farms for City Children. Money is going where it’s needed.
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