Why B Corp Certification Matters to Quiip: Being Part of ‘Gen B’
This B Corp month, we’ve been reflecting on our journey as a certified B Corporation, community building for positive change, and what it means to be part of ‘Gen B’.
At Quiip, we believe that business can be a force for good and that striving to ensure social and environmental responsibility should be everyone’s business! That’s why we’re proud to be a B Corporation™—a certification that aligns with our values, culture and the work we do as social media and online community management specialists. We’re proud to have been among the first 250 companies in Australia to gain B Corp certification back in 2018. Seven years on, we’re joining B Lab Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand in celebrating B Corp Month and reflecting on what it means to be part of ‘Gen B’—a movement of almost 10,000 Certified B Corporations™ around the world that share our goal of having a positive impact on people and the planet.
What is a B Corporation?
Awarded by B Lab, B Corp certification is a globally recognised designation that a business is meeting rigorous standards of verified performance, accountability, and transparency on factors that range from employee benefits and charitable giving through to supply chain practices and input materials. B Corps are committed to considering the impact of their decisions on all stakeholders. In order to achieve B Corp certification, a company must demonstrate high social and environmental performance by passing B Corp’s risk review and by achieving a B Impact Assessment score of 80 or above. We’re proud to say our latest score was 104.2!
Why is being a B Corp important to Quiip?
A framework for staying true to our values
The B Corp certification is more than a mark: it’s a framework that reflects and helps us stay true to our values. Over our seven years of being a B Corp, we’ve continued to review and evolve many aspects of how we do business to ensure we remain a purpose-driven organisation with the goal of having a positive social impact. Achieving and maintaining our B Corporation certification provides us with a structured way to measure our impact, ensuring we stay accountable while balancing profit and purpose.
The power of the B Corp Community—‘Generation B’
Being a B Corp and part of ‘Gen B’ connects Quiip to a global community of companies that are redefining success and using business as a force for good. We’re proud to stand alongside fellow ANZ B Corps such as Australian Ethical, Bank Australia, Who Gives a Crap, Stone & Wood and Sendle, knowing that we share a common ethos.
This thriving community allows us to collaborate, exchange knowledge and participate in B Corp events—strengthening our commitment to having a positive impact and fostering innovative new ideas on how we can improve. As more businesses join the B Corp movement, we’re inspired by the collective drive to create a more sustainable and ethical future.
From our founder and CEO, Alison Michalk:
More now than ever, we need new ways of doing business, that values people and the planet. Seeing the B Corp movement grow rapidly is fantastic. It’s the change we need to urgently shift away from extractive and exploitative business practices.
Alison Michalk
Bringing B Corp to life in the work we do
While B Corp primarily influences how we run our business, it also informs how we deliver our services. As community management specialists, we create safe, impactful, and risk-aware spaces online, particularly for vulnerable and at-risk communities. Our commitment to the B Corp ethos ensures that our work goes beyond best practices in connecting and protecting people online, it actually helps to create a safer, more inclusive digital world.
How we measure and demonstrate our impact
Maintaining our B Corp Certification means continuously upholding the high standards of transparency and accountability we’ve been committed to for several years. Here are just some of the ways we have put our beliefs into practice.
Purpose-driven partnerships
In FY24, over half of our revenue came from purpose-driven projects, reinforcing our commitment to working with organisations that share our values. Through projects and collaborations with organisations such as Kinora, VicHealth, Turning Point, Movember and more, our work has contributed to initiatives that:
- Dismantle barriers to physical activity for women
- Improve road safety and decrease road deaths
- Help Victorians enjoy better health and wellbeing
- Increase awareness of mental health, testicular cancer risk and prostate cancer risk
- Support mental health and addiction treatment services
By prioritising purpose-driven partnerships, we ensure our work supports initiatives that have a real impact on the world.
Environmental commitment
We’ve committed to halving our emissions by 2030, with a goal to reach Net Zero by 2050. Our approach to decarbonisation focuses on two key areas:
- Encouraging our suppliers to measure and reduce their own footprint: we ask suppliers to join Trace, a platform that enables organisations to efficiently measure, report, and reduce their carbon footprint
- Supporting employees in switching to renewable energies: we encourage and assist Quiipees to make the switch to renewable energy at home.
As a fully remote business, we also significantly reduce commuting emissions and we offset business-related travel.
Social impact/Supporting non-profits
Since 2019 we have donated at least 1% of our revenue—not just our profits—to non-profit organisations that are chosen by our team of Quiipees. This ensures that we continually support the causes that matter most to us. Some of our recent donation recipients include Seed Mob, The Climate Council, Karrkad Kanjdji Trust and UN Women Australia.
Beyond financial contributions, we also provide discounted services to non-profits and have a pro-bono program, making world-class community and social media strategy accessible to organisations driving positive change.
Employee wellbeing
With an entirely distributed remote workplace, we prioritise our Quiipees’ wellbeing through flexible work arrangements, wellness bonuses, and professional training opportunities. We also launched our Employee Share Ownership Plan in 2023, which enables employees to acquire a stake in the business.
From our founder and CEO, Alison Michalk:
“Employees are integral to our success, and I believe in the redistribution of profits. I’m proud as it’s a unique initiative that not many companies undertake. Leading the way as a B Corp is a challenge that keeps me going!”
Supply chain ethics
Supporting positive change goes beyond our own business practices. We always make an effort to partner with other B Corps, businesses owned by women, and ethical suppliers across all our needs. We proudly work with suppliers such as fellow B Corps Freerange and Hot Toast, and we screen suppliers on criteria related to environmental impact and diversity in the supply chain. As part of our RAP (Reconciliation Action Plan) goals, we are also committed to supporting First Nations businesses.
Quiip is proud to be part of ‘Gen B’, proving that business can be a force for good, and look forward to sharing more of our journey, as we continue our work towards leaving a positive trace!
Interested in B Corp certification and becoming part of Gen B? Please reach out, as we’re always happy to chat. Or head over to www.bcorporation.com.au for more information.