Our Journey to B Corp Certification

At Definition IP, our mission has always been to drive positive change through innovation and intellectual property. In June 2024, this commitment culminated in an exciting milestone: our certification as a B Corporation!

Here, I share the highlights of our B Corp journey, as well as some of the challenges we faced, and the insights we gained along the way.

Why We Started
The decision to pursue B Corp certification was driven by a fundamental question: How can we ensure that our business practices align with our values? Eimear Sampson, one of our founding Directors, became aware of the B Corp movement early on in Definition IP’s growth. She was struck by how closely the ethos resonated with the values of the company she was trying to build with fellow Directors, Dan Mercer and Claire Rutherford. The principles of social and environmental responsibility, transparency, and ethical practices deeply resonated with the vision they had for Definition IP. As a firm, we wanted to be part of a movement that uses business as a force for good and we really believed that a business can be both profitable and purposeful.

Some insights on the Certification Process
Initial Assessment
My part in the journey began with the B Impact Assessment (BIA), a comprehensive tool that measures a company’s impact on its workers, community, environment, and customers. The assessment is rigorous, with hundreds of questions that require detailed documentation and evidence. The first time I saw it I can honestly say that I didn’t even understand what some of the questions were asking (what on Earth are Scope 2 emissions!?), never mind how we might go about answering them. But by this point, Eimear had already done a lot of the legwork, attending workshops and gathering information and advice on the process (and a huge shout out goes to Sarah Blake at Earthology, Andy Hawkins at Business on purpose, and Graham Gillen at Eccountinc for the support they gave Eimear and the team). Slowly but surely it started to make sense. We chipped away at the Assessment point by point, revisited it, made adjustments, reviewed our processes, learned a lot (I now know what Scope 2 emissions are!) and, eventually, everything started to fall into place.

Engaging the Team
One of the most rewarding aspects of the process was the engagement it fostered within our team – everyone got on board and became invested in our success. It was fantastic to learn that many team members had a particular area of interest or expertise that we could draw on in the process: I became more aware of environmental issues and got excited about improving our office recycling processes; Alexander was keen to get everyone more involved in his existing role as Diversity and Inclusion Officer; Stephanie advocated for a formal volunteering policy to be put in place; and a ‘staff forum’ was created as a space for all staff to share their ideas for improvement. Our usual morning meetings became a time for collaboration as we discussed our progress and brainstormed ways to improve our practices and policies.

Understanding the Rigor
We knew the process was rigorous, but we hadn’t appreciated the amount of work involved for a small company. The level of detail and documentation required was extensive and at times challenging from a resource perspective. However, this rigor adds real value to the process. It ensures that the certification is meaningful and that our commitments are backed by verifiable actions. We were already doing so many good things but the certification process has really benefited us by providing a framework to both assess real and measurable impacts within the business; and to do more.

Documentation and Verification
Compiling the necessary documentation was a meticulous process. We had to collect evidence of every one of our relevant practices and their impact, which we knew would then be reviewed by B Lab (the non-profit that certifies B Corps). The verification process involves multiple rounds of review and clarification, ensuring that every claim is substantiated – we needed to be sure that we could back up all of our answers.

The Impact Assessment covered four main areas:
Governance: We evaluated our transparency, accountability, and ethical practices. This included formalising our mission in our corporate governance documents (an essential part of becoming a B Corp was amending our Articles of Association to consider the impact of our decisions on all stakeholders, not just shareholders) and ensuring our leadership was aligned with our social and environmental goals.
Workers: We focused on employee welfare, enhancing benefits, ensuring fair wages, and promoting a positive work environment. Employee satisfaction surveys and feedback sessions were crucial in understanding and addressing the needs of our team.
Community: We deepened our community engagement by formalising a volunteer program, supporting local suppliers, and implementing initiatives to promote diversity and inclusion within our workforce and the wider community.
Environment: We conducted a thorough review of our environmental impact, from our carbon footprint to waste management practices. This led to initiatives such as improving recycling facilities, introducing energy efficiency policies, encouraging staff to monitor and reduce their own personal carbon footprint, and training and discussion around the impact of our digital carbon footprint.

Scoring and Feedback
We knew that we needed a minimum score of 80 points by the end of the process in order to achieve certification and that most businesses lose points during the verification process. We probably could have gone on trying to improve our answers and our score forever but eventually, in October 2023, we found the courage to press “submit” and move our application on to the next stage. This was a big moment! Our preliminary score was around 88 points and highlighted areas where we excelled and areas needing improvement. This feedback was invaluable, guiding us to refine our practices further – the assessment was still editable initially, and we wanted to do more. By the time our application passed the initial verification stage and the assessment became locked, we had over 90 points. Our final verified score: 91.4!

How the Process Helped Us
Going through the B Corp certification process has been transformative for Definition IP. It has provided a structured framework for evaluating and improving our impact as we move forward and grow. The rigorous assessment helped us identify areas for improvement that we might not have otherwise considered, and enhanced collaboration and commitment among our team. It has fostered a sense of accountability and transparency within our organisation, pushing us to engage more deeply with our stakeholders, ensuring their needs and perspectives are at the forefront of our decision-making.

Goals and Plans for the Future
Achieving B Corp certification is just the beginning. Our future goals include:
• Continuous Improvement: We plan to regularly reassess our practices, striving to increase our positive impact. This involves setting ambitious targets for reducing our environmental footprint and enhancing our social contributions.
• Stakeholder Engagement: We aim to deepen our relationships with all stakeholders, including employees, customers, and the community. This involves regular feedback mechanisms and initiatives to ensure their needs and perspectives shape our decisions.
• Innovation for Good: We are committed to leveraging our expertise in intellectual property to drive positive change. This includes supporting sustainable innovations and promoting ethical practices within our industry.
• Leadership and Advocacy: We aspire to be leaders in the B Corp community, sharing our experiences and advocating for the movement. This includes participating in B Corp events, collaborating with other certified businesses, and promoting the B Corp ethos.

Conclusion
Our B Corp certification journey at Definition IP has been long, engrossing, difficult (at times), but absolutely worthwhile. It has reinforced our commitment to having a positive impact on those around us and has inspired us to continue pushing the boundaries of what a responsible business can achieve. We are excited to embark on this new chapter and look forward to sharing our progress and learning from the incredible community of B Corps worldwide. Onwards and upwards!

A Personal Perspective
I was asked to help out early on in the B Corp certification process and became increasingly invested in it as we progressed – not just in gaining the final “stamp of approval” but in all the positive practices we were trying to cement within our company culture. I’ve always thought of myself as a generally responsible and ethical person but I have learned so much over the last 18 months. The experience has inspired me to adopt more sustainable and ethical practices in my everyday life: I now natter at friends and family to recycle more (with varied levels of success!); I’ve replaced household products with more eco-friendly versions; I look for B Corp, Fairtrade and other worthy certifications on the products I buy; and I’ve even bought an electric car. These are little changes that I can feel good about but won’t change the world. More importantly, my awareness of these things and why they are important has increased massively – I want to know more, understand more and do more.. and to encourage others to do the same. I am genuinely enthusiastic about helping Definition IP increase the positive impact it can make as a business, and to be an Ambassador for the business’s values, its amazing team and our commitment to the B Corp community. If I can help answer any questions from other aspiring B Corps, please do feel free to get in touch!

Helena Peat
Senior Associate (Trade Mark Attorney) Definition IP Limited
[email protected]

For information about B Corporations and the certification process, visit: The UK B Corporation Movement