Reflections on Ashfold’s B Corp journey… so far
We were recently contacted by Ben Sawicki-Hughes, a Masters student at the University of Warwick, who is evaluating the impact of entrepreneurial ecosystems on small B-Corporations. We have contributed Ashfold as a case study, to help his research. He is looking to understand where and how the environment around successful sustainable businesses can best be suited to their needs. Our interview with Ben, together with his complementary survey, are what inspired me to consider writing more about our B Corp story, and this article is the result…
Throughout my working life I have been interested in the ideas of low energy and sustainability, without really having a professional opportunity to make a difference.
Ruth Rabin joined me towards the end of 2020 on a part-time basis to provide technical support, enabling me to work more productively and focus on my core function of providing project management to my clients. Ruth’s background is in Civil Engineering, IT services and office management.
On Becoming a B Corp
Late in 2021, as part of my Pandemic reading, I read about B Corp. It piqued my interest, but stayed at the back of my mind for a while. Subsequently I attended a seminar hosted by Elliott Wood about the work of B Corps and how the organisation was taking off in the UK. We decided to carry out an initial impact assessment and in March 2022, having surpassed the minimum threshold score to qualify, we became an accredited B Corp.
Each year subsequently we have written an Impact Report that is divided into the five areas that B Corp measures:
- Governance
- Team
- Community
- Environment
- Clients
How we approached gaining B Corp accreditation
Over an extended period from October 2021 up to our certification in March 2022, Ruth and I set aside time, principally via Zoom since we were still in the grip of the COVID pandemic, to go through the B Impact Assessment questionnaire. We estimate we spent a total of about 60 hours to achieve accreditation.
Ashfold had already secured ISO 9001:2015 (Quality Management) status and many of the steps we took were to refine our existing processes and information, principally related to record keeping and business analysis. However, we had to find out answers to several questions that were completely unrelated our ISO 9001 qualification, such as social mobility, environmental standards and deprivation statistics for our current and recent projects.
Considering the 200 or so questions posed in the questionnaire provoked much thought and introspection, as well as several pieces of really interesting research. When we started, we had no idea whether we would come anywhere close to reaching the required target score, and we worked hard to gather the data and evidence to verify our answers and scores.
The B Corp approach
We thought the impact assessment questionnaire was very vigorous and a good way to demonstrate a business’s sustainability. We were not only asked to score ourselves for each question on the assessment, but also subjected to random tests of the validity of our statements. It also helped us to consider wider issues within the business more objectively, notably, the engagement and satisfaction and the wellbeing of the people who work with us.
Poignantly, our final assessment took place via video call with a B Lab assessor working from a café in Mexico City.
Is Sustainability an overused word?
Yes, I believe this is true! I think sustainability is a widely over-used and misunderstood term. It has different meanings for different industries. Most people accept climate warming but very few are prepared to make real changes to businesses or industries that would make any meaningful difference.
Has being a B Corp brought any benefits?
The tangible benefits of being a B Corp are still very difficult to measure. I used to delight in saying at interview, “we’re the only B Corp that you will be interviewing for the role of Project Manager”. That is no longer the case as competitors TFT have become a B Corp. We believe that we have not won any projects on the strength of being a B Corp; but that is not the same as it giving us a marked commercial advantage. We are contacted regularly by other B Corps but these tend to be thinly discguised marketing campaigns. We are aware that several London developers are B Corps – General Projects, Fore Partnership and Stanhope to mention a few. I am working hard to help advance the B Corp profile in the construction and property industry, principally by harping on about it to anyone who will listen … and plenty of people who won’t!
Has B Corp status helped you to develop the business in a certain direction?
Culturally, it relied a lot upon my interest, and Ruth’s support in sharing that interest, in how we could become more conscious of our profile in ESG issues. Whilst we were reasonably well-informed about building carbon footprint, we were not thinking about our own supply chain, transportation, energy infrastructure, governance and wider social issues. It has made us realise that we all volunteer significant hours in our local communities, which is largely unrecorded within the business.
What is the next step in the B Corp journey?
There is definitely a spirit of cooperation as regards sustainability. I think that additional building models based on financial success will need to be modified in the light of the looming (some may say, current) climate crisis. You could say sustainability will become integral for all business decisions in the future. Governments will also need to wake up to this change and set minimum standards that all suppliers should be able to achieve. Realistically they may have to fund more training and awareness of the climate issues that suppliers need to consider. Areas such as the circular economy and distance travelled by materials will need serious government intervention/partnering if change (in time for 2030) is going to occur.
> Read our latest B Corp Impact Report here.