Three things we do differently since becoming a B Corp
It seems fair to say that society’s most challenging problems, from climate change to income inequality, cannot be solved by governments and nonprofits alone. If they coulda, they woulda. So, as a society, we need to harness all of the tools at our disposal to create the kind of world we want to see, and that includes business.
Business is no longer a dirty word
For many people, ‘business’ is often associated with corporate greed, men in power suits deciding the fate of people on the other side of the world, and making money no matter the cost to people and the planet. While, historically, that may be pretty accurate – it’s not the whole truth. And, it’s certainly not what ‘business’ means to the B Corp community.
For those who haven’t come across the ‘badasses of the B Corps world’ yet (unfortunately, no, the ‘B’ doesn’t stand for badasses, *sad face*) – you’re going to want to listen up. Over the last few years, there’s been a groundswell of people who not only believe that business can do better, but they have made doing better their business.
To B or not to B
The B Corp movement, which has grown sevenfold in Australia and New Zealand to nearly 270 companies in 2019, envisages a global economy that uses business as a force for good. It is a movement of social enterprises and businesses, of which Digital Storytellers is proud to be one, that build ‘giving back’ as well as environmental, social and ethical responsibilities into the very fabric of their companies. Their products, practices, and profits, aspire to do no harm and benefit all. It’s using business as a force for good.
July is B Corp Month and, to celebrate, we are sharing what being a B Corp is all about. Let’s start by looking at three things that we, at Digital Storytellers, do differently because we’re a B Corp…
- B picky about who we work with
Storytelling can advance many causes both good and bad, and if we didn’t stick to our values we could certainly make more money – but at whose expense? As a B Corp, we made the call to focus on working with fellow purpose-driven organisations and tell stories that align with our personal and organisational values. While it may have felt a bit risky to turn down potential work at first, it was absolutely the right decision. The people and causes we have the privilege of working with are creating the kind of world we want to live in. This commitment to living our values is energising, it’s good for our brand, and it’s good for the world. See for yourself some of the awe-inspiring projects we get to work on.
2. Chickens roam free
At Digital Storytellers, we don’t have staff, we have chickens; and we don’t have coops, we roam free. Ok, so that’s not entirely accurate but since becoming a B Corp we do have a work from anywhere, anytime policy called Project FreeRange. Project FreeRange is a working strategy where we are aiming to facilitate working at home or from the road, in order to enable our team to have more balanced lives in accordance with their personal needs. We have built processes, infrastructure and a culture that supports our people to do what they need to do to get things done. Meet our awesome team here.
And, as part of sharing our company culture from the inside out this B Corp month, we thought you’d like this Gross Team Happiness Index that we’ve started to develop to help us create a workplace that maximises our team’s wellbeing.
3. Purpose, purpose, purpose
An integral part of being a B Corp is having your evolutionary purpose be your guiding light, your true north. For us that means being driven by creating a better narrative for the world through telling stories that matter, and sharing our knowledge and resources to empower a more diverse community of storytellers. To that end, we choose to align ourselves with movements that are creating the kind of world we want – one that is connected and where people and the planet are in balance for the benefit of future generations. So, you guessed it – being part of the B Corp movement is a central part of that.
By becoming a B Corp, we have had the opportunity to help some pretty amazing businesses tell their stories and demonstrate the impact of the work they’re doing. To be able to support the storytelling of the B Corp movement in Australia and New Zealand is a privilege, and we’re stoked to be part of it. Check out the B Corp community sourced and funded video and start spreading the word about the power of this movement to change the world!
If you would like to learn more about the B Corp Movement or how you could get involved, visit bcorporation.com.au