Share a little B-Love

B can stand for a lot of things - some important to me? Bassett, Beer, Business, Duke Basketball (I just threw that one in there for my boyfriend) and today's B goes to Benefit.

I have been thinking a lot about how structure dictates behaviour and if a company's structure dictates its behavior - what would it look like if that were changed.  I imagine this is a similar question that the folks at B Corporation thought about and then did something around.  In their case B stands for Benefit Corporation where their Declaration of independence says it all:

We envision a new sector of the economy

which harnesses the power of private enterprise to create public benefit.

This sector is comprised of a new type of corporation the B Corporation

which is purpose-driven and creates benefit for all stakeholders, not just shareholders.

As members of this emerging sector and as entrepreneurs and investors in B Corporations,

We hold these truths to be self-evident:

- That we must be the change we seek in the world.

- That all business ought to be conducted as if people and place mattered.

- That, through their products, practices, and profits, businesses should aspire to do no harm and benefit all.

- To do so requires that we act with the understanding that we are each dependent upon another 

and thus responsible for each other and future generations.

While B Corporation didn't start certifying companies until 2007 they already have 381 companies covering 54 different industries.  As social and environmental responsibility starts to percolate deeper into the various aspects of business companies are going to step it up to authenticate their values.  Being certified will be important to build that trust with the investment and customer communities. Keep thinking of all of these initiatives as a part of a building momentum to moving our mainstream business climate in the direction of embodying social and environmental factors for all of our survival.