A B C’s of becoming a B Corporation
Certifying businesses that take on social and environmental problems More and more entrepreneurs are going into business and growing their enterprises with a broader focus than building shareholder returns. Instead, these purpose-driven leaders see the potential for a much broader impact, one that includes society and the environment. “Increasingly there are businesses that want to create value for all their stakeholders, not just their shareholders. These companies are competing not just to be best in the world, but best for the world.” B Lab Founder Andrew Kassoy Certified B Corporations are leading a global movement to redefine success in business. Companies that achieve B Corp certification have agreed to voluntarily meet higher standards of transparency, accountability, and performance. They know that they can stand out in a cluttered marketplace through their higher purpose and a shared vision that businesses can create benefits for all stakeholders; not just shareholders. What’s driving business
Doing Good Through Business
Social entrepreneurs create impact beyond the bottom line Sharing economy, food security, social impact, community building, climate resilience – these are topics that I’ve seen trending in my network and into daily conversations. I learned from a visionary, risk-taking entrepreneur that when he heard people talk about a trend at least three times, he had to act on it. Are you an aspiring entrepreneur based in the Sea to Sky who is looking for a way to seize a trend and turn it into a business opportunity? Then attend the 2016 Social Venture Challenge kick off event in Whistler: Doing Good Through Business on Friday, March 18. The essence of the Whistler Centre for Sustainability’s Social Venture Challenge is to get business ideas off the ground, particularly those that provide solutions to social and environmental challenges unique to the Sea to Sky corridor. The Canadian Social Entrepreneurship Foundation describes what
A year’s worth of planning on one page
How to summarize your marketing vision into a tool you will use Having a great product or innovative service will help to stand out in a crowded space. Growing your business and becoming an industry leader is the next step. Entrepreneurs often get caught up in the busy-ness of running their business instead of setting time aside to set goals and plan ahead. Marketing might get pushed to the side of the desk or even worse, happen in a haphazard way – dabbling here, spending a bit of time there, not understanding what is generating the best value for their time. This reactive pattern continues, then at year-end, all they have is anecdotal evidence or someone’s gut ideas as to what marketing has achieved for the business that year. Sound familiar? What if you could boil down an entire marketing plan for the year onto one single page? Would you make time
Confidence-Building Tools that Move Ideas into Action
Game-changing communications skills Brands created with purpose have inspiring stories to tell. Beyond selling a product or service, these types of brands may have a purpose focused on improving society, making lives easier and healthier, or tackling an environmental problem. Often, it’s easy to frame an elevator pitch around what you do, but this misses the chance to connect with people at an emotional level. Strategic marketer Simon Sinek’s research shows how companies that ‘start with why’ instead of ‘what’ are more likely to succeed and build strong, trusted brands. With the right confidence-building tools, business leaders can reframe how they communicate purpose, moving their ideas forward into action. “People don’t buy what you do. They buy why you do it.” Simon Sinek, Start With Why Sharing brand purpose confidently helps attract and connect with the ideal target audience. Once they learn about the brand’s purpose and connect with it, consumers are more likely to engage and trust these brands. Effective communication skills and
Why Become A Certified B Corporation?
Building a global economy that uses business as a force for good In 2015, Seeds Consulting became a Certified B Corporation. A growing network of businesses across the globe, ‘B Corps’ are for-profit companies certified by the nonprofit B Lab to meet rigorous standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency. It’s a standard that will not only guide the company forward as it grows, it is a beacon that pulls like-minded businesses together and sends a signal to target customers that we’re serious about using business as a force for good. [bctt tweet=”‘Whistler-based Seeds Consulting is now a Certified B Corporation, joining 150 Canadian brands “] As a curious kid who asked lots of questions, my aunt thought I would become a lawyer as I had a deep sense of what was just and fair. At my first job, I learned that business was not always what it
Whistler-based Seeds Consulting Announces Partnership with 1% for the Planet
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE For more information, contact: Barbara Friedsam 1% for the Planet barbara@onepercentfortheplanet.org +1 (802) 496-5408 Whistler, British Columbia, December 16, 2015 — Seeds Consulting, a marketing and communications consultancy, has joined 1% for the Planet (1%), pledging to donate 1% of annual sales to support non-profit organizations focused on sustainability. ”Signing on to 1% for the Planet shows that Seeds Consulting has a strong commitment to investing in sustainability efforts,” says John Tashiro, Interim CEO. “They’re using business as a tool to engage and motivate their stakeholders while partnering with environmental organizations that complement their brand. We’re excited to welcome Seeds Consulting to our global network.” “At Seeds Consulting, we work with many passionate business leaders who play as hard as they work in British Columbia’s beautiful outdoors. Focusing our charitable giving through 1% for the Planet on environmental causes that are close to home not only aligns with our values and