Here’s how Mightybytes operationalizes foundational certification requirements based on new B Corp performance standards.
Using Our Business as a
Force for Good
Under new B Corp standards, Certified B Corps are expected to support foundational requirements in order to qualify for B Corp certification. This includes corporate structure, target industries, legal compliance, and transparency in clear communications.
New B Corp standards requirements differ from company to company based on a variety of criteria, including company size, location, and revenue. The standards below reflect those required for a small service business with a minor environmental footprint, which is the category Mightybytes fits into.
In a company’s certification journey, its first step is meeting the Foundation Requirements. This sequencing ensures companies are meeting fundamental eligibility requirements before they progress to the Impact Topic requirements.
— B Lab, Explore B Lab’s New Standards
1.1.1 The company is confirmed to be:
- an incorporated business entity
- in operation for at least 12 months
- generating a majority of revenue from a competitive market.
1.1.2 The company does not fall into any of the following categories.
- Business divisions, brands, or units, or businesses that are not complete and distinct from their parent or group of affiliates
- Franchisors who do not own a majority of global franchisee locations, or franchisors without geographic distinction from independent franchisees
- Non-profits or Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), foundations, or charitable entities, unless otherwise approved by B Lab
- Governments, government agencies, government ministries, or state-owned enterprises, unless otherwise approved by B Lab
- Company legally registered in regions not covered by operationally by B Lab and not part of a larger group registered in a region covered by B Lab.
Our Certified B Corp
Qualifications
Mightybytes is an independent, privately owned service firm (digital agency) headquartered in Chicago and conducting business primarily in the U.S. and Canada. We have been a Certified B Corp since 2011.
Governance
Mightybytes is an Illinois S-Corporation and has been a Public Benefit Corporation since 2013.
Experience
The company has worked with impact organizations since opening our doors in 1998.
Partnerships
We partner with other mission-driven organizations to create impact and generate income.
Cross-Sector
We have incorporated a nonprofit to advance our mission and keep us accountable.
1.2.1 The company generates less than 1% of annual revenue from causing or contributing to the impacts on affected stakeholders of the listed industries:
- Fossil fuel producers
- Gambling
- Pornography
- Prisons and detention centers (including prison or detention center labor)
- Tobacco
- Weapons
1.2.2 For financial services companies, less than 1% of the company’s assets under management are in the listed industries.
1.2.3 For electric utilities and power generation companies, less than 50% of their product portfolio or energy mix is from fossil fuels.
Building a Regenerative Business
How and with whom we conduct business are important components to achieving our mission as a social enterprise digital agency.
- Mightybytes does not work with organizations in controversial industries.
- Because of this, 0% of our company revenue comes from fossil fuels, gambling, pornography, prisons, tobacco, weapons, or related industries.
- Mightybytes offers website hosting services through a third-party provider that include commitments to renewable energy, but we are not a utility or power generation company.
1.3.1 The company complies with all applicable local and national laws and regulations.
1.3.2 The company signs the Agreement for B Corporation certification.
Responsible Compliance
Mightybytes complies with all applicable local, state, and national laws when conducting business. We also devote resources to understanding new standards and regulatory guidance as they evolve.
The tech sector leads in some compliance areas and lags in others. Here’s how we stay ahead of emerging legislative compliance and regulatory guidance as a digital agency.
- With impact business models in accessibility, sustainability, and education, we ensure deliverables comply with existing local, regional, and federal legislation, such as disability rights and security best practices.
- Similarly, we commit to understanding and sharing resources about emerging legislation and regulatory guidance. This is especially critical for data privacy, climate-related regulations, renewable energy, and legislation meant to provide more guidance around responsible AI use.
- Finally, as co-authors of W3C’s Web Sustainability Guidelines, we also prioritize shifting our industry toward adopting new responsible technology standards that inform legislation and regulatory guidance.
1.4.1 The company shares accurate and complete information by:
- using credible evidence and data source
- having a clear understanding of B Lab’s resources
1.4.2 The company shares accurate and complete information at all times:
- in its B Impact Assessment
- in providing information to assurance providers authorized by B Lab
- in all communications with B Lab personnel.
1.4.3 The company signs the Agreement for B Corporation certification.
Communications Requirements
B Corp certification plays a critical role in how we tell our company story, hold ourselves accountable to high social and environmental standards, and communicate clearly and transparently with business stakeholders, including B Lab. This is especially important each time we re-certify as a B Corp.
As a digital agency, we use data to drive company and client decisions. We couple this decision-making with responsible and more sustainable data strategies that include people and the planet as stakeholders.
Finally, as a cofounder of B Local Illinois and several other B Corp networks, we have a clear understanding of the resources B Lab provides.
1.5.1 The company shares basic details for its B Corp public profile through the B Impact Assessment platform.
1.5.2 The company agrees to publicly share information as required by the B Lab Standard.
1.5.3 If the company is a wholly-owned or majority-owned subsidiary, or a large public company, it makes its entire B Impact Assessment report public and identifies any majority owners.
1.5.4 The company agrees that B Lab can make its B Impact Report and basic profile information available on the B Lab Global website and other B Lab and Sistema B Global Partner websites while the company is a Certified B Corp.
1.5.5 The company signs the Agreement for B Corporation certification.
Transparent Performance
To meet our mission, combat greenwashing, and reduce any potential for mis/disinformation, Mightybytes takes the following actions.
- We maintain a publicly available community profile on B Lab’s website and comply with B Lab’s data sharing requirements.
- We include B Corp standards data in each annual impact report published on our company website.
- The publicly available B Corp Impact Hub on our website contains relevant documentation for each impact area in the new standards.
- We incorporate information about the B Corp movement and our certification in our marketing and communications whenever relevant.
2.1.1 The company adopts an entity type or an amendment to its governing documents to require stakeholder governance (meaning it considers stakeholders in its decision-making). The company adopts stakeholder governance in accordance with the B Corp legal requirement, and as applicable to its legal form and jurisdiction.
2.1.2 If the company cannot adopt a stakeholder governance legal form because of local laws, it signs the B Corp Agreement and commits to:
- working with B Lab to determine the appropriate legal pathway
- advocating for benefit corporation legislation in its jurisdiction
- amending its formation documents or adopting a new legal form if one is enacted through local lawmaking.
2.1.3 The company signs the Agreement for B Corporation certification.
Illinois Benefit Corporation
Mightybytes has been an Illinois Benefit Corporation since the legislation first became law in January 2013.
The company also produces annual impact reports to comply with Illinois Benefit Corporation legal requirements.
2.2.1 The company commits to the shared collective purpose of the B Corp community, as set out in the Declaration of Interdependence.
2.2.2 The company signs the Agreement for B Corporation certification.
Our Community’s
Shared Purpose
Through six certifications since 2011, Mightybytes has publicly reinforced the B Corp movement’s collective purpose to transform the economy to work for everyone.
The B Corp Declaration of Interdependence
We envision a global economy that uses business as a force for good. This economy is comprised of a new type of corporation – the B Corporation – which is purpose-driven and creates benefit for all stakeholders, not just shareholders.
As B Corporations and leaders of this emerging economy, we believe:
- That we must be the change we seek in the world,
- That all business ought to be conducted as if people and place mattered,
- That, through their products, practices, and profits, businesses should aspire to do no harm and benefit all.
To do so requires that we act with the understanding that we are each dependent upon another and thus responsible for each other and future generations.
3.1.1 The company creates a risk profile using B Lab’s risk profiling tool.
3.1.2 The company meets any additional Impact Topic sub-requirements that the risk profile activates.
3.1.3 The company agrees to a summary of the risk profile being displayed on its B Corp public profile.
Understanding
Risk & Resilience
Risk profiles are unique to new B Corp standards. Mightybytes is actively working on a risk profile and identifying was to reduce risk and improve our resilience.
Our Biggest Risks
As a small digital agency, we currently understand our biggest risks relate to stakeholder-based decision-making.
- Customers we choose to do business with
- Policies that impact our team and help us maintain regulatory compliance
- Suppliers whose products or services we choose to purchase
- Claims we make as a company, especially related to environmental, social, and economic performance
In our nearly fifteen years as a Certified B Corp, we have actively worked to improve each of these. We look forward to learning more as we complete B Lab’s Risk Profile.
Related
Content
Finally, to help others, Mightybytes publishes articles on our website and on B the Change, the storytelling platform for the global B Corp community. We cover important lessons learned during our journey to run a successful social enterprise agency.
Check out the list below to learn about our journey and apply our lessons to your own.
- Our B Corp Community Profile
- Our Code of Ethics
- Mightybytes Green Hosting
- Client, Partner, and Supplier Screening Tools for Positive Impact Supply Chains
- Mightybytes is an Illinois Benefit Corporation
- Frequently Asked Questions Regarding the Illinois Benefit Corporation Act
- Company impact reports
- Help us Establish Environmental Standards for the Internet
- Making a Difference with Web Standards
- Improve Your Company’s Inclusion Practices By Doing This
- How to Prioritize Digital Accessibility and Sustainability
- How Web Content Accessibility Guidelines Improve Digital Products’
- W3C Web Sustainability Guidelines
- How to Design a Sustainable Data Strategy
- Understanding Data Inequality
- Sustainable Data Governance for Marketers
- How to Improve Your Digital Resilience
Still have B Corp Questions?
Want to learn more about how Mightybytes uses our B Corp certification to create positive change across communities and ecosystems? Schedule a conversation with Tim.