B Corp certificate – the next step in our social impact journey

Few people fully realise the importance of single steps in our lives. Meanwhile, whether you’re climbing Mount Everest or planning the strategic goals of your business, you need to take a certain number of steps to eventually get where you want to arrive – at the very top. Admind has just taken another big step on the road to a more conscious business. Our agency has become a B Corp Certified company!

What is the B Corp movement?

Let’s start with B Lab. It is a nonprofit organisation transforming the global economy to benefit all people, communities, and the planet by networking businesses with shared values and positive purposes. Based on a set of standards and a thorough certification process, the network leads economic systems’ change to support the collective vision of an inclusive, equitable, and regenerative economy. The network includes iconic and impactful brands such as Patagonia, TOMS, Aesop, and Ben & Jerry’s. There are currently (October 2022) over 5000 Certified B Corporations in more than 70 countries and over 150 industries, with around 1200 in Europe and Admind becoming the 7th company obtaining the certification in Poland.

You can find out more about what B Corp is in our article on becoming a Certified B Corporation.

What does B Corp certification mean for Admind?

Today, as we announce our certification, we’re filled with pride and joy. Becoming a B Corp is a great success, and every success should be celebrated, so that’s where we’ll start.

“What our B Corp status means for our team and clients? In short, the certificate’s meaning is that from now on we are formally committed to serve the best interests of people and our planet in the long run. It answers many ESG topics and proves that we fulfill strict rules of being a sustainable company. I can say that simply we are happy. This effort has put us in a much better place as a company. It opens a new chapter in Admind’s history. It is a reason to be proud of, and one more to continue on this route we took up towards conscious improvements in what we do, how we do it, and with whom.”

Krzysztof Langer, co-founder of Admind

Moreover, the process has shown us how we can improve in the future (read about our next steps below). Joining the B Corp network is also a huge opportunity for our company to collaborate with other organisations with similar purposes. We look forward to establishing valuable relationships and joint initiatives. It’s also a chance to recruit new employees with a like mindset.

What was the B Corp certification process like for us?

Our B Corp certification process involved a lot of data collection and presentation, as well as analysing and delivering evidence. It definitely wasn’t a walk in the park, but an extensive, insightful journey. On the way, we obtained an objective audit of what works well and where there is room for improvement. The B Corp certification results are calculated and based on data only, including the ratio of women in management, minorities on the team, the waste management system implementation, the efficiency and transparency of the recruitment process, as well as the local and independent suppliers’ ratio, and the transparency of business operations.

“The B Corp certificate is a confirmation that the company went through a rigorous assessment process and meets the highest standards of social and environmental performance, public transparency and legal accountability to balance profit and purpose. Again, I want to thank all our employees, especially those who were directly involved in this long procedure. Your engagement, work and attitude were crucial on the way to achieving this success. Still, there is a lot to do. We will be putting an effort to raise our standards in every area that makes us sustainable. As well, we work on strengthening our value proposition. We want B Corp standards to be beneficial for our customers.”

Mateusz Zabierowski, co-founder of Admind

Impact Assessment survey

The B Impact Assessment comprises 236 questions divided into 5 fields of focus: Governance, Workers, Community, Environment, and Customers. It comes along with an extensive disclosure questionnaire. In the process of verification, we participated in two live interviews of two hours each. Additionally, we were requested to deliver several dozens of complex follow-up answers, proofs, and data sets. The B Corp Certification is a brilliant roadmap, regardless of whether you decide to take on the challenge of the certification process or simply read through it. Going all-in allowed us to clarify our plan to drive our business sustainably, consciously, and holistically – for the good of the world we all share.

What is our B Corp commitment about?

Becoming a part of the B Corp global community and network means that we stay true to our brand values. We commit to encouraging our team, clients, and partners to pursue conscious development and transparent, inclusive communication, establish powerful and honest brands, benefit our planet, and change lives for the better. We believe that creativity done together has a positive impact on our people, the community, governance, the environment, as well as customers.

Constant development

The idea behind B Corp is constant development. Every year, each company has to publish an impact report documenting its operations and progress, as well as undergoing recertification every three years. We will strive for this and take up the following steps on the way. We are moving toward further growth, improvement, and new challenges. Our plan is to constantly better ourselves and improve our score.

What are our social impact goals in the nearest future?

We have set ourselves new goals including:

Governance

For the B Corp movement, it is important who manages the company and how the organisation strengthens policies and practices pertaining to its mission, ethics, accountability and transparency. Our goals:

• Employee training & activities focused on social and environmental issues
• Encourage speaking up and involvement in social impact opportunities and potential
• Assessment of our impact on clients, society, and the environment

Workers

B Lab checks on what a company does to contribute to employees’ financial, physical, professional, and social wellbeing. This is where we received the highest score. Our goals for further improvement are:

• Continued surveillance of wages to ensure fair and equal pay for all employees
• Further strengthening of a professional development program
• Continuous employment satisfaction and engagement surveys & benchmarks

Community

This category is about what the company does to contribute to the economic and social well-being of the communities in which it operates. Our goals here are:

• Focus on our philanthropic efforts and engagement
• A volunteer policy to encourage employees to take action
• Review and monitor the supply chain to ensure it meets our standards

Environment

As a company that is not engaged in manufacturing, we impact the environment by educating our stakeholders, reducing waste in our offices, saving energy or choosing the right suppliers. We also have an indirect impact by influencing the brands we work with. Our goals:

• Update recycling and sustainable practices for Admind Offices and our team’s home offices
• Certify our waste management system
• Calculate, observe, lower, and offset emissions

Customers

As a branding agency, we have an impact on our clients and our expertise is in conscious branding – building a brand around its values. Here’s what we’re planning:

• Update policies for conscious branding and customer engagement
• Monitor process satisfaction
• Host sustainability and conscious branding training

The B Corp process is a shared effort. We are honoured and happy to have gone that far and are excited about what is to come. Thank you to our team, and we hope to make a positive impact on the network itself as well as on the world around us. Businesses can often do more than governments and NGOs, and we are ready and willing to take this action towards a better future.

If you found this article interesting and want to keep up to date with our next steps, I encourage you to follow our social media profiles. And if you have an idea for an exciting collaboration, feel free to contact us.