Article: Our Team Share The Journey To B Corp™ Certification
Our Team Share The Journey To B Corp™ Certification
As we join the B Corp™ community, our dedicated sustainability team share their experience of the certification process and what it was like to help The Art File become a Certified B Corporation™.
In 2024, we made the decision to begin the process of becoming a Certified B Corporation™. We knew it would be a big project and so we put together a team from different departments to work together on the application.
We asked our Managing Director (Ged), Finance Controller (Chris), Marketing Manager (Annabel) and Production Coordinator (Raisa) to lead the way with the certification. Every member used their skills and experience to work on the application and help us become a Certified B Corporation™.
In order to pass, our team worked together to complete a rigorous assessment and pass with at least 80 points. Together our team worked for two years on the assessment and in May 2026 we were proud to certify. (You can find out more about what B Corp™ is and what it means to us in our previous article on the process.)
Over the past month we've been celebrating this amazing milestone with our wider team, and reflecting on the process to becoming a Certified B Corporation™. We asked each member of our sustainability team to share their experience of the process, and what B Corp™ means to them. Here's how each person found the process of the B Corp™ application...
GED, MANAGING DIRECTOR
How did you find the B Corp™ process? Was it what you expected?
I found the whole process inspirational and hugely beneficial to the company in so many ways.
The detailed method of questioning and progression through each stage allowed us to reflect on how we view our business, our team, our customers, our suppliers, our wider community and our impact on the planet. Are we better for having gone through the process, absolutely.
In what ways do you think B Corp™ has impacted The Art File?
As a company, we are now more conscious of the impact of the choices we take and this will, undoubtedly mean we make better decisions in the future. Setting clear and measurable ambitions in our annual Impact Report means that we will always be striving to improve everything we do.
How do you feel now that The Art File have passed?
I am so proud that we have achieved B Corp™ status and I am especially grateful to our project team, Annabel, Raisa and Chris, and the extraordinary work they did to help us achieve this dream.
What’s next for The Art File and B Corp™?
The Art File has so many exciting plans for the future, and being a member of the B Corp™ community means that we will be judged by our values and the positive impact we can bring as our breathtaking adventure continues.
RAISA, PRODUCTION COORDINATOR
How did you find the B Corp™ process?
I was really excited to be chosen to be part of the B Corp™ team, but at the same time I felt some trepidation. Once we all had our dedicated areas to focus on, however, it became really interesting. We all worked extremely well together as a team. The help we received from Gavin at Future Shift was invaluable; his knowledge, guidance and positivity gave us the enthusiasm and confidence to really get stuck in.
Which area of the process were you able to give insight into?
I focused on helping to develop new company policies and the employee handbook, updating supplier reviews, audits and accreditations, and identifying environmental and sustainability areas of the business that we can continue to improve.
Was the process what you expected?
It was definitely more in-depth than I had imagined, but once we began our weekly meetings and discussions, and started working on our own areas it became really exciting and engaging.
In what ways do you think B Corp™ has impacted The Art File?
I think going through the B Corp™ process has already had a positive impact on The Art File, particularly in relation to our workers, community, consumers and the environment. It has helped turn suggestions and good intentions into something more tangible through formal policies and clear action plans. It has also given us defined areas to prioritise and improve upon moving forward.
How do you feel now that The Art File have passed?
I am extremely proud and excited that The Art File has achieved B Corp™ certification. I believe it will be a great asset to the business as we continue to grow. The real work starts now, as we continue to focus on our goals and encourage everyone across the company to participate in helping us improve further.
What’s next for The Art File and B Corp™?
The next stage is to continue the work of the B Corp™ team, with dedicated project leads, focusing on specific areas where we can maintain our standards and further improve our performance. We can achieve this through regular B Corp™ update meetings involving all members of The Art File team, ensuring everyone remains engaged and contributes to our ongoing progress.
CHRIS, FINANCIAL CONTROLLER
How did you find the B Corp™ process?
The process was thorough and challenged us to look closely at how we operate as a business. It required collaboration across multiple departments and encouraged us to think beyond purely financial performance.
Which area of the process were you able to give insight into?
From a Finance perspective, I was involved in providing financial and governance information, supporting the evidence
-gathering process as well as reviewing employee-related data, policies and benefits. The process gave us an opportunity to assess the information we held and identify areas for improvement.
Was the process what you expected?
It was more detailed than I initially expected. The level of evidence required meant that we had to carefully review existing processes and demonstrate them clearly, rather than simply describing what we do.
In what ways do you think B Corp™ has impacted The Art File?
The process has helped us formalise and strengthen a number of practices that were already part of our culture. It has also increased awareness across the business of how our decisions impact colleagues, customers, suppliers, the community and the environment.
How do you feel now that The Art File have passed?
I'm proud that we've achieved certification. It reflects the hard work of many people across the business and provides independent recognition of our commitment to responsible business practices.
What’s next for The Art File and B Corp™?
Achieving B Corp™ certification is an important milestone, but it's not the end of the journey. The focus now is on continuous improvement, building on what we've achieved, and ensuring that responsible business practices remain embedded in how we operate and grow.
ANNABEL, MARKETING MANAGER
How did you find the B Corp™ process?
I found the process both refreshing and challenging. I'm very interested in sustainability so it was really fascinating to see what was included in the assessment and to learn from the experience. Parts of it was challenging - there was a lot of information to go through and it required us to provide detailed documentation on lots of different areas of the business.
Which area of the process were you able to give insight into?
I was heavily involved in coordinating our assessment and ensuring we had completed all of the documentation. I was able to provide insight on anything marketing related and I worked with Raisa on updating company policies, the handbook and other promotional materials.
Was the process what you expected?
It was more in-depth than I imagined it would be and I was surprised by how much time had passed when we certified. It was a very thorough assessment and it required a lot more from us that I had first imagined. The content of the assessment was mostly what I had expected but the time it took to go through the process was much longer than I had initially anticipated.
In what ways do you think B Corp™ has impacted The Art File?
The assessment has impacted The Art File in so many different ways. From updating our policies and processes to strengthening our employee wellbeing and increasing our knowledge on our environmental impact, it's benefits have been widely recognised by all of us.
How do you feel now that The Art File have passed?
I feel very proud that we have passed and that we are now part of the B Corp™ community. It's been a big part of my role over the past two years and it's very fulfilling to say we have achieved the certification.
What’s next for The Art File and B Corp™?
The B Corp™ way is now an important part of our journey and its principles will now be a part of everything we do. Looking ahead, we'll continue to promote B Corp™ and soon be preparing to re-certify on the new standards.
OUR B CORP JOURNEY CONTINUES
Our recent B Corp™ certification is just the beginning of our sustainability work. We'll be using B Corp as a valuable tool to help us to continuously be a force for good, for both people and planet. Find out more about our sustainability journey in our previous B Corp article, and keep an eye out for our Impact Report, which we will cover everything we achieved in 2025, coming very soon.
