Dedicated to my son, Billy
Last Thursday night at the B Corporation launch at Victoria State Library, Carolyn Tate & Co. was officially certified a B Corp! As one of 45 founding members of the Australian team of companies standing on stage with my peers, it was an emotional and proud moment.
What is a B Corporation?
B Corporations are a new kind of company which uses the power of business to solve social and environmental problems.There are over 1,000 Certified B Corporations from more than 60 industries in 34 countries with 1 unifying goal – to redefine success in business.
B Corps are important because they inspire all businesses to compete not only to be the best in the world, but to be the best for the world.Certified B Corporations meet higher standards of social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability.Unlike traditional corporations, Certified B Corporations are legally required to consider the impact of their decisions on each and every stakeholder.
Carolyn & Co-founder Bart Houlahan with the 45 founding B Corps
So why did I become a B Corp?
Over the last few years I’ve been learning so much about capitalism and why it’s doing more harm than good to humanity and the planet. And naturally I’ve been questioning my own contribution to this, both as a consumer and a businesswoman. But mostly I’ve been concerned about my son Billy and future generations. I’m ashamed that our generation and previous generations have wilfully plundered their inheritance for the sake of short-term profit.
And that’s why I became a B Corp. It’s a personal and professional commitment to continue to be the change I wish to see in the world and it’s a commitment to my son. And lastly, it’s my way of demonstrating to other independent small business owners like me that you absolutely can have a business (and life) that balances purpose with prosperity.
This last point is something I want to expand on. In 2013 there were 986,000 (ABS) independent workers/contractors/small business owners and freelancers providing their skills, knowledge and expertise in the Australian marketplace; coaches, trainers, marketers, consultants, book keepers, health workers, copy-writers, video-producers, designers, web developers, coders, journalists, artists and the list goes on.
We’re smart, talented and experienced with much to offer the business world, yet we’re often under-employed and under-paid and at the mercy of bigger organisations. In addition, we’re also being hood winked by business educators to compete with each other instead of collaborate. The person that gets the most fans, clients, dollars and public adoration is the winner and the rest of us are left to feel like we’re just not good enough.
So now we’re left questioning the business communities we belong to, the work we’re doing, who we’re doing it for and the value it’s really adding to the world. We know we don’t want to grow big and make millions. We just want to do work we love, with people we love, earn a good income, make a difference and care for our families and communities.
We want to be small and beautiful. We want to work for companies with B Corporation values. And we want to matter and have a voice.
If trends in Australia follow the US (by 2020, it’s estimated that 40% of the US workforce will be freelancers), collectively we could become a formidable force and we could truly be the change we want to see in the business world.
So, in a nutshell, that’s why I became a B Corp. It’s also why I launched The Slow School of Business (Slow School).
If you’re thinking of becoming a B Corp, don’t wait. It’s good for the planet, good for business and it’s good for you.
If you’d like to find out more about Conscious Capitalism, B Corporation or Slow School, drop me a note and let’s have a coffee!
