19 Mar What it Means to Be a B Corp: Our Journey and What It Represents
Happy B Corp month! When people hear that Broughton Consulting is a certified B Corporation, we often get one of two reactions: complete confusion about what that means, or enthusiastic recognition from other B Corp companies and those who are familiar with the movement.
At its core, our B-Corp certification means we’ve committed to using business as a force for good. We’ve met verified standards for social and environmental performance. The B-Corp certification process is a rigorous, third-party assessment that holds us accountable to all stakeholders: employees, customers, community, and the environment.
Let us explain why this certification matters so much to us and what it represents for the future of business.
What is a B-Corp?
B-Corp Certification is a rigorous, independently verified commitment to meeting high standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency. The B Corp movement represents over 10,000 companies worldwide working toward a shared goal of transforming our global economy to benefit people and the planet.
This community includes household names like Patagonia and Ben & Jerry’s, alongside thousands of smaller businesses like ours, all committed to proving that business can be a powerful force for positive change.
The B-Corp certification process isn’t easy. B Corps must complete a comprehensive assessment that evaluates everything from governance and community impact to environmental practices and customer stewardship. We’re held accountable not just for our intentions, but for our actual impact on all stakeholders.
Broughton Consulting’s B-Corp Commitment
At Broughton Consulting LLC, we consider the impact of every decision on employees, customers, suppliers, the community, and the environment. We believe in transparency about our practices and continuous improvement over time.
We earned our initial certification in 2017 and have been recertified twice since then. Most recently, we earned our highest score ever: 88.3 out of 100, compared to the median score of 50.9.
Our B-Corp Impact Score
Our overall B Impact Score of 88.3 reflects performance across four key areas, each revealing different aspects of how we operate as a purpose-driven business.
Community (34.6 points) represents our strongest area, which makes sense given our mission. This section evaluates our engagement with communities where we operate, including inclusion practices, economic impact, civic engagement, and supply chain management. It also recognizes business models designed to address community-oriented challenges, which is exactly what we do when we help create employee ownership structures and more equitable workplaces.
Customers (22.7 points) measures how we serve our clients through quality services, ethical practices, and addressing social problems. A significant portion of our score here comes from “Impact Improvement” – reflecting our work helping other businesses become more socially and environmentally responsible. We also earn points for serving populations in need, as our employee ownership and open book management work especially benefits workers who traditionally have little voice or access to wealth-building opportunities.
Governance (16.3 points) evaluates our mission, ethics, transparency, and formal commitment to stakeholder consideration. This is where our “mission lock” comes into play. We’ve legally committed to our purpose through our corporate structure.
Environment (14.5 points) assesses our environmental management practices and impact on climate, water, land, and biodiversity. As a consulting firm with a small environmental footprint, our score here reflects our operational practices rather than innovative environmental products or services.
We’re proud to share our measurable commitments to running our business in a way that benefits many.
How Do We Live Our B-Corp Values?
Our B-Corp certification connects us to a network of like-minded businesses tackling society’s most pressing challenges. Whether it’s addressing wealth inequality, climate change, or worker empowerment, B Corps are collectively pushing the boundaries of what responsible business can achieve.
But perhaps most importantly, being a B Corp signals something crucial to our clients, partners, and community: We practice what we preach. We can’t credibly help other businesses create more equitable, transparent, and purpose-driven cultures if we haven’t done the work ourselves.
The rigorous recertification process every three years ensures we’re continuously improving, not just maintaining the status quo. As global challenges evolve, so do B Corp standards, pushing all certified companies to raise their impact.
For us, B Corp certification is a foundational framework for accountability. It’s a public commitment that our business will always prioritize purpose alongside profit. In a world where “purpose-washing” and empty sustainability claims are all too common, B Corp certification provides independent verification that our values aren’t just words on a website.
We’ve worked with several great B Corps implementing Great Game of Business open book management, including Counter Culture Coffee, The Black Sheep Agency, and Neighborhood Sun. B Corps love to work with other B Corps, and Broughton Consulting is the only firm of its kind that is a certified B Corp.
As we look toward the future, we’re excited to be part of a movement that’s redefining what business success looks like. When businesses commit to benefiting all stakeholders, everyone wins – and that’s exactly the kind of economy we’re working to create. How can you learn more and support B Corps? As it happens, March is B Corp month! You can read more about B Corps and how you can support them here. Follow #BCorpMonth to read more stories of B Corps and their impacts.