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Away day – the entire firm was taken offsite to discuss Muckle strategy for the upcoming year , with everyone contributing ideas on how they could influence the firm ' s success moving forward .
and your people , but it ’ s also not about reinventing the wheel . Speak to other businesses about their experiences and use that to shape your own journey .
Hugh says : “ If we can agree that we ’ re doing this for the benefit of the community at large and not to be self-serving , then there is no need to worry about ‘ copying ’ of work .
“ If we ’ ve found something that ’ s worked well , we ’ re happy to share in the hope that it works for another business because , ultimately , it ’ s the causes we ’ re trying to help who ’ ll see the difference .
“ That ’ s what is so great about B Corp , it encourages businesses in the B Corp community to collaborate and learn from each other . Not only can you share ideas , but you can also pool resources .”
YOU ' RE ALREADY DOING A LOT Many businesses carry out a vast amount of social value , they just don ’ t measure it . Once you do , you ’ ll actually be surprised at how much of an impact you ’ re already having .
Hugh says the firm needed to change very little to achieve its B Corp accreditation : “ Running the firm with an eye on supporting the community has been part of who we are for a long time . Over the last few years , we ’ ve made a conscious effort to be better at measuring what we do , but the B Corp accreditation process really makes you look
at every single aspect of your business .
“ I think the reluctance to measure goes back to worrying that it will look like an exercise in self-promotion , but if you don ’ t measure it , you can ’ t manage it . That ’ s why we were excited to pursue B Corp accreditation – it holds you accountable for continuous improvement .”
TO B OR NOT TO B ? B Corp takes the concept of business as a force for good to the next level ; doing well , ie making a profit , should be the result of doing good . Businesses don ’ t have to feel guilty that they ’ re seeing the benefits of being ethical because profit and purpose are balanced – the more profitable you are , the more purposeful you can be .
People want to work with businesses that have strong social and environmental commitments , so attracting talent , staff retention and customer loyalty are just some of the ways B Corps have reported improvement .
Research by B Lab UK also shows that the average annual turnover growth for B Corpcertified SMEs was 24 per cent , compared to the three per cent average for all others .
Many businesses carry out a vast amount of social value , they just don ’ t measure it . Once you do , you ’ ll actually be surprised at how much of an impact you ’ re already having .
Muckle is only at the start of its B Corp journey , but Hugh says the firm has seen the benefits of its long-term community strategy reap rewards over the years . He said : " Last year we were named as the Best Place to Work and Business of the Year at the North East Business Awards , I feel confident in saying that being a responsible business played a part in that .
“ Becoming a B Corp is a natural progression in our journey toward a more sustainable and responsible legal practice , and it will be interesting in 12 months to see how we ’ ve built on and adapted it as part of that journey .”
To find out more about Muckle ’ s ESG journey , visit their website at muckle-llp . com .
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