This month, Teak proudly celebrates its 5th year as a Certified B Corp. As one of 2,595 companies in 60 countries that are committed to corporate social responsibility, Teak has a triple bottom line of serving people and the planet in addition to making a profit. Being a B affects every decision Teak makes from which clients Teak represents to which cleaning products we use in our office. It’s unusual for a PR firm to be a Certified B Corp. Teak is the only PR firm in New England that is a Certified B and just one of a handful across the country.
Over the past few years, and especially since the start of 2018, business has been moving in the direction of being a force for good. Wal-Mart and Dick’s Sporting Goods instituted stricter gun sales policies than the U.S. government after the Parkland school shooting. American, Frontier, Southwest, and United airlines refused to transport children separated from their parents by the U.S. government. Warren Buffett, Jeff Bezos and Jamie Diamond have come together to revolutionize healthcare, and employees are demanding that their employers take a stand on major issues within 24 hours of breaking news. This is not business as usual and those of us who are keeping score are very hopeful that conscious capitalism is the way of the future.
But B Corps take corporate responsibility to an even higher plane.
B Corps are businesses that meet the greatest standards of verified social and environmental performance, public transparency and legal accountability. Companies that are Certified Bs go through a process that examines and analyzes their purpose and practices. The ratio between the lowest and highest paid employees must meet the sanctioned number. Benefits and employee policies are examined. Supply chains are investigated just as closely as the company itself. Financial information is shared.
I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous each time Teak was up for recertification. Having just gone through the process for a third time, it does get easier. But it’s still time consuming to gather the necessary information and it makes me self-conscious to know that my company’s insides are being viewed by others.
But, it’s worth it. I love that Teak is part of the B Corp community. Going to B Corp regional and national conferences, and local meetings here is Boston, is always a treat. Who could complain about being with like-minded business owners and colleagues who believe to the depths of their souls that businesses have an obligation to be part of the solution, rather than part of the problem?
The point of being a B is this: We cannot rely on government and nonprofits alone to solve the major problems in our world. In the U.S., businesses make up 90% of the GDP, leaving nonprofits to make up the final 10%. Said differently, this means that businesses have nine times the capital necessary to make change.
Although Teak has only been a B for five years, the truth is, we’d been operating like one all along. As a company that promotes nonprofits and responsible companies only, Teak has always been committed to improving the world. We do this by helping the companies and organizations that do great work shine through increased recognition, credibility, and revenue that are the result of media, messaging, and marketing. We will continue to do as much as we can to help the B Corp and responsible business movement grow. It’s going to take all of us working together to overcome mass incarceration, poverty, climate change, racism, educational inequality and so many of the issues we face today. Teak is proud to be one of the companies working for change.
