B Corp
Creative Energies is a Certified Benefit Corporation (or B Corp) and part of a community dedicated to business for good. B Corp companies focus on using the power of business as a force for environmental, social, and economic good. Essentially, it means we care about a lot more than just profit.
Businesses are given a wide variety of paths to earn points toward certification. Some of the areas in which Creative earned points include:
- All employees earn a living wage
- Internal promotion of employees
- Amount of job-related training
- Year-end profit sharing
- Work schedule flexibility and predictability
- Local ownership
- Partnerships with and donations to local nonprofits
- Policy advocacy work
- Energy efficiency and renewable energy at our offices
B Corp evaluations also help steer the way for future improvements at Creative Energies. There is more we can do and we intend to continue improving on these themes, using B Corp standards and our vision as a guide.
"It is our intention to continue improving, using B Corp standards and our vision as a guide." - Creative Energies Co-owner Scott Kane
Creative Energies is a Certified B Corporation.
What's a B Corp?
The short answer is that Certified B (Benefit) Corporations, or B Corps for short, are for-profit companies dedicated to using business as a force for good. A more in-depth answer can be read here. Unlike traditional corporations, B Corps are required to consider the impact of their decisions on all stakeholders: customers, workers, communities, and the environment. Some of our B Corp colleagues include Patagonia, Seventh Generation, Ben and Jerry's, and more locally, Cotopaxi, Barebones Living, and Roadhouse Brewing. See the full listing and lots of good business ideas at B Corp.
Certified B Corporations are businesses that meet the highest standards of verified social and environmental performance, public transparency, and legal accountability to balance profit and purpose. B Corps are accelerating a global culture shift to redefine success in business and build a more inclusive and sustainable economy.
Society’s most challenging problems cannot be solved by government and nonprofits alone. The B Corp community works toward reduced inequality, lower levels of poverty, a healthier environment, stronger communities, and the creation of more high-quality jobs with dignity and purpose. By harnessing the power of business, B Corps use profits and growth as a means to a greater end: a positive impact on their employees, communities, and the environment.
Certifying as a B Corporation goes beyond product- or service-level certification. B Corp Certification is the only certification that measures a company’s entire social and environmental performance. The B Impact Assessment evaluates how your company’s operations and business model impact your workers, community, environment, and customers. From your supply chain and input materials to your charitable giving and employee benefits, B Corp Certification proves your business is meeting the highest standards of verified performance.
Positive impact is supported by transparency and accountability requirements. B Corp Certification doesn’t just prove where your company excels now—it commits you to consider stakeholder impact for the long term by building it into your company’s legal structure.
The B Corp ethos aligns with Creative Energies' business model and we pursued B Corp status in 2016. Every 3 years, a B Corp must undergo an evaluation process to become recertified. The assessment examines all aspects of the business and rates us based on our positive impact on our workers, the community, customers, and the environment.
