Submitted by Sustainable Connections
Sustainable Connections has partnered with BALLE (Business Alliance for Local Living Economies) and B Lab to provide a free online tool for businesses to measure what matters.
The new tool, a Quick Impact Assessment, is a free confidential tool that is targeted specifically toward small and medium sized businesses to help them benchmark their social and environmental impact. The assessment helps businesses improve by setting goals for continuous improvement.
It is similar to a check up to see how socially and environmentally healthy a business is and how it compares to other businesses. The tool is also meant to give businesses a baseline on their progress so they can identify opportunities to strengthen efforts and move forward in a meaningful manner.
“It’s a great tool to assess how companies perform in regards to best practices on social and environmental impact. Businesses can see how they stack up against other businesses and create a plan to improve,” notes Mark Peterson, Sustainable Business Manager at Sustainable Connections. “We are really excited to partner with B Lab to offer this free assessment to local businesses.”
The tool is available through the Sustainable Connections website, and Sustainable Connections’ staff will also be walking businesses through the free online assessment at a November Member Lunch on Thursday, November 6, from 11:45 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Attendees will walk away with metrics that compare business performance to others, get a baseline on best practices, and create a plan to improve. Attendees can purchase a local lunch for $10 or bring a brown bag for free.
The Quick Impact Assessment is powered by B Lab, the non-profit organization dedicated to using the power of business as a force for good. While the measure what matters Quick Impact Assessment takes about 45 minutes to complete and is free, businesses are also able to take a more in-depth survey and become B Corp certified. B Corp certification is to sustainable business what LEED certification is to green building or Fair Trade certification is to coffee. There are over 1,000 Certified B Corps world-wide including Patagonia, Dansko, Numi Organic Tea and Seventh Generation. Locally, companies such as Brenthaven, Vital Choice and Moon Valley Organics have all been B Corp certified and a few more have already taken the Quick Impact Assessment.
