In July, after many months of hard work, my company E.C.One was officially certified as a B Corp business.
Becoming a B Corp (or Benefit Corporation) is a rigorous process. It involves a comprehensive assessment of how your business operates, including detailed questionnaires, in-depth interviews, and a full evaluation of your impact on workers, customers, community, and the environment.
Started over a decade ago by a small group of businesses in the US, the B Corp movement has grown to include more than 3,000 certified companies across 64 countries and 150 industries. From independent makers like us to global brands such as Patagonia, Ben & Jerry’s, Danone, and Innocent Drinks, all B Corps share one unifying goal: to use business as a force for good.
In the current economic climate, I’ve been asked more than once: why make things harder for yourself? Wouldn’t it be easier to carry on as we are, hoping to survive in an industry that often feels battered?
So why would I recommend becoming a B Corp?
1. Customers want to feel part of something meaningful
In the digital age, engaging customers and offering a genuine experience is essential. People don’t just want to buy something impersonal from a faceless platform. In my experience, they want to connect with passionate people who care about what they do and how they do it.
We’re open with our customers that we’re not the cheapest option. Instead, we explain why - where our materials come from, who has been involved in making each piece, and the standards we refuse to compromise on. B Corps are built around using business for good, and customers increasingly value that transparency.
Jewellery often represents love, commitment, and personal milestones. Customers want reassurance that those symbols haven’t come at the expense of someone else’s wellbeing.
2. Certification clarifies your purpose and values
More than 50,000 businesses have completed the B Impact Assessment (BIA), a free tool that evaluates how a company treats its workers, customers, community, and the environment.
One of the most valuable outcomes for us was being forced to clearly define why we exist. Not simply to make money - but to be the best jewellers we can be, to source responsibly, to train goldsmiths, and to keep traditional hand skills alive.
These values emerged through honest discussions with the whole team. Without the structure of the BIA, we may never have taken the time to ask those difficult but necessary questions.
3. Customers are willing to pay a premium
It’s still early days, but repositioning E.C.One around responsibility and sustainability has increased both sales and profits compared to last year. That wasn’t our motivation - but it’s an encouraging outcome.
We regularly see customers choose us because they trust what we stand for. In fact, just last week, two separate couples came to us for engagement rings specifically because we are a certified B Corp.
According to B Lab UK, 35% of certified businesses say becoming a B Corp has helped them attract new audiences. People don’t buy on price alone - they buy from businesses they trust.
4. It attracts passionate, values-aligned employees
Having the right team is fundamental to any successful business. Research shows that many people, particularly millennials, actively seek employers whose values align with their own.
Among B Corps, 48% report that prospective employees were attracted specifically because of their certification. Within our own team, involving everyone in the process had a positive impact on morale, engagement, and pride in what we do.
When people believe in the purpose of a business, it shows in their work.
5. It’s better for the environment and society
B Corporations are required to meet high standards of verified social and environmental performance. For a manufacturing jeweller, this means taking a hard look at sourcing, materials, and production methods.
As a result of the assessment, we committed to using only recycled and Fairtrade gold and silver. We’ve changed suppliers, absorbed higher costs in some areas, and spent considerable time sourcing traceable, responsibly mined stones.
It isn’t easy, and we don’t claim to have all the answers, but asking difficult questions and pushing for better systems is how change happens. Research suggests that 60% of consumers are more likely to buy from businesses with clear social and environmental values. Becoming a B Corp makes those values visible and accountable.
As B Lab puts it:
“By harnessing the power of business, B Corps use profits and growth as a means to a greater end: positive impact for their employees, communities, and the environment.”
I hope you’ll join us on this journey.
Watch our bespoke making process in the video below...
The Making Story - EC One from EC One on Vimeo.
