We’re Taking A Stance—And You Should Too
Your choices reflect your values. Super Tuesday has come and gone, and the “big election day” isn’t until November, but voting is something we all do day in and day out.
We “vote every day” with the choices we make and the businesses we support, work for, and work with.
In today’s world of social media and internet connectivity, people are making their choices more public than ever. Whether they realize it or not, everyone’s readily advertising their values (or what they want their values to appear to be). They share where they’re shopping, what products they buy, their political opinions, what events they attend, and even what and where they eat for dinner.
You can learn a lot about a person and what they stand for without ever even speaking to them.
Take the time to think about your choices. What do you stand for?
We chose to become a B Corp because we want to be part of the global movement that’s showing the Business Can Be a Force For Good. We have a responsibility to protect our planet, our people, and our profits, and we’ve based our business on this triple bottom line.
We’re looking at investing differently. It’s our mission to provide investment options for people at all income levels, not just for the wealthy. And we’re showing that investments aren’t just about making money, but also about funding causes that we care about.
Whether it’s supporting causes like climate change, poverty alleviation, gender equality, clean water, or alternative power that lights you up, there are ways that you can make a positive impact.
By supporting B Corps, you’re using your voice and your vote to take a stance—to say that you care about how businesses impact the environment, their workers, and their communities. You’re voting to support businesses that have pledged to consider their impact on everyone that they touch. Every day is election day.
We’re taking a stance–we want a better, sustainable future for generations to come.
Are you with us?
Are there causes that you’re passionate about? How do you want to change the world? We want to hear from you! Contact us and share your favorite causes and why you choose to support B Corps.
Lindsay Hope is a copywriter and marketing strategist with CoPeace. As a forward-thinking holding company, CoPeace is building a portfolio of carefully selected for-profit companies with measurable social and environmental impact. To learn more about impact investing, check out CoPeace’s Intro to Impact Investing.
B Corps Reflect the True Cost of Business and Reward Stakeholders
Since the very beginnings of commerce, businesses strived to earn superior financial returns by maximizing revenues and minimizing costs. Revenue generation by satisfying market demand is straightforward for most businesses. However, the cost side of the profit equation is subject to a variety of ever-changing expense factors such as labor, raw materials, facilities, utilities, legal and environmental compliance, and overhead. In the most basic terms, businesses with the highest net incomes and resultant cash flows (total revenue minus total expense) are rewarded by investors with the highest market valuations for their reliability in generating consistent positive operating results. Up until very recently, most businesses viewed their missions to maximize shareholder value rather than stakeholder value.
The “true cost” of doing business considers all stakeholders, not just the company shareholders. Question: what true costs are missing from the profit equation in a maximize shareholder value company strategy?
Answer: the cost of negative impact on society and the environment.
If a company solely pursues maximizing shareholder value, such companies do not fully bear the costs of negative externalities resulting from the production of goods and services such as air pollution, water pollution, noise pollution, excessive carbon dioxide output, unfair or illegal labor practices, and traffic congestion. These costs are often borne disproportionately by society as a whole and not reflected in the underlying cost structure of individual businesses. Government regulatory practices vary widely around the globe in an effort to shift some of these costs back to the offending companies; however, society as a whole has shouldered the majority of the financial, environmental and social burden.
What is the solution for investors? Invest in companies which take all stakeholders into account. Such companies can take many forms but one way to positively screen for companies who care and want to do good is to choose to invest in Certified B Corporations.
Certified B Corporations are a new kind of business that balances purpose and profit. They are legally required to consider the impact of their decisions on their workers, customers, suppliers, community, and the environment. This is a community of leaders, driving a global movement of people using business as a force for good.
Each of us has the opportunity to choose which companies we invest in for a better future for ourselves, family, friends, and people we don’t know or will never meet. B Corporations are required to meet the highest standards with respect to verifiable social and environmental impact, transparency, and accountability. As investors and consumers, we can make positive choices on a daily basis to engage with businesses who share the vision of doing business with a balance of profit and purpose. B Corporations provide a means for everyone to make positive investment and consumption choices that take all stakeholders into consideration.
Ed Tepper is the Chief Operating Officer and Chief Finance Officer at CoPeace. As a forward-thinking holding company, CoPeace is building a portfolio of carefully selected for-profit companies with measurable social and environmental impact. To learn more about impact investing, check out CoPeace’s Intro to Impact Investing.