Tag: B Corp

Solopreneurs can Help the Environment, Small Companies Can Make Mighty Impacts!

Do your little bit of good where you are; it’s those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world.

Desmond Tutu

Small solo companies can do a lot! We often look to large companies to make the biggest positive impacts on the environment. And yet, the Tax Foundation shows “Sole proprietorships comprise the majority of all business forms. According to Census data, 73.1 percent of all businesses were sole proprietorships (20.3 million firms). ” Collectively we who work alone and often from home can make some MIGHTY ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS!

When work and home intersect., we, the Mighty solopreneurs can do a lot for the environment. If you work from home or a place with outdoor space here are some ideas:

• In the garden look into Gold Certified Backyard Habitat. and National Wildlife Habitat Certification
• grow food
• join a community garden
• volunteer with local organizations, in my area there’s Friends of Trees and Growing Gardens

The impacts we can make:

• reduce watering
• create habitat for pollinators, other vital insects, birds, worm and more
• the more plants and variety of canopy the more carbon drawdown
• natives plants and mulches (leaves) improve soil health
• grow food

Making a Difference in Office and Home

Indoor plants clean the air and bring joy as well! If you don’t have a yard, consider indoor plantings. Plants can make terrific gifts as well!

Mighty Clean

Another way I’m converting my home office to a greener one is by eliminating as much plastic and unnecessary packaging as possible. It’s really difficult to get to zero, but we’ve made a big dent through a variety of companies that have plastic free cleaning and laundry. Blue Land a B Corp, ec30, Kind Laundry and Thrive Market, a B Corp are but a few of the choices. Ziplock bags can be replaced with silicone reusable such as Stasher. There are more and more to choose from as innovators are creating earth friendly products. We can all do away with a lot of disposable and plastic items and replace them with greener products for work and home. Even food purchases can turn into benefits by buying locally grown, look for farms that practice restorative agriculture. Beyone local there are companies like Imperfect Food and Thrive, both B Corp. How we choose to eat and source food can make significant impacts by reducing animal suffering, reducing energy for transportation and packaging and a lot more. There are many options and innovations are happening! Here are some of the impacts:

• Reducing packaging and plastic waste means less to be made for our use (note plastic manufacturing is increasing). Less in landfills and recycle bins.
• Making something to use once takes energy and fossil fuels. By choosing items that can be reused such as silicone bags and lids, there’s less waste and less manufacturing using carbon energy.
• Using non-toxic, environmentally friendly cleaning and laundry supplies is better for waste water and reduces packaging
• Reducing is much better than recycling.
• Picking locally grown options reduces a lot of energy and supports the local economy. And those who do eat meat can choose local 100% grass fed, free range from local farms.

Giving to Make Impacts

One of the work from home or near home benefits is less need for transportation which is always better for the environment. We all need connections in person, and we can consider digital and in person balance to reduce communiting and still be engaged.

Mighty Epiphyte is a long time contributor to 1% for the Planet to enhance environmental impacts beyond my work space. We also support Friends of Trees, Growing Gardens and other organizations that focus on the environment. Where I can’t make an impact with my business, my money can through these organizations. What can you choose in your area? We can also be intentional in our choices of suppliers, contractors, and other stakeholders who can (we can be good leaders) and do have strong values and impacts.

Bonuses

This is a blog from ec30 What is Biodiversity? Nature teaches us about the beautiful importance of biodiversity, it’s a collaboration, relationships, support and sharing. By creating a little bit of biodiversity around our lives and our work, we can all make Mighty Impacts on the environment! Pollinators can be our best friends, leaves make music, blossoms are art and plants are food and our yards become habitats. Working from home creates a lot of possibilities with or without a yard! We can reduce energy, waste, with 73.1% of companies that are solopreneur, we can collectively make a difference. That’s a lot of environmental change for good when we focus on work and home changes.. The lines between work and home can blur, and in both we can be a way to do better for the environment.

How Do You Tell A B Corp From a Benefit Corporation?

Mighty Epiphyte Consulting Advocates for Your Impacts!

Kim Allchurch Flick is a B Corp and Benefit Corporations for Good expert, helping companies measure and improve impacts while reaching employees, customers and community through social and environmental good works. I have B Lab version 6 experience with a variety of companies, I’m her to help you as well!

Mighty Epiphyte Consulting LLC | mightyepiphyte@gmail.com | @mightyepiphyte | 503-200-0201

A Mighty Congratulations to JSDA + Associates for certifying as B Corp with the help of Mighty Epiphyte Consulting! JSDA is an amazing digital design firm that weaves social enterprise into their designs, work, stakeholder relationships, volunteer work and connections to community.

B Lab Assessments take time. Version 6 is the current version. Janice and I worked through a lot in 2019. First coming through the assessment and providing relevant documentation, then waiting for the cohort. Mighty Epiphyte played a role as liaison with B Lab and researcher for needed background information. B Lab assessments can feel like a “hurry up and wait” scenario, and it’s worth it. The hours put in are also a time for reflection and future planning. Janice has a heart of giving, of concern and community building. She does pro-bono work with the local HOA, and supports clients in need.

The work load for completing an assessment with B Lab includes providing documentation for all relevant portions of the assessment and completing the templates B Lab provides. Conversations with a B Lab coordinator occur when the cohort. For this client Mighty Epiphyte helped with time burden by uploading documents and working directly in the assessment.

Congratulations Janice Stevenor Dale and Associates JSDA + Associates on becoming B Corp and for always being values driven and caring of our communities and the environment!

Mighty Epiphtye Consulting provides business fundamentals analysis and advising support. Focusing on measuring and improving impacts we nurture companies through certifications when that is the goal. Template creation and data collection are very important on an annual basis, we make the process easier! Contact us for a no cost evaluation. Kim has years of business and entrepreneur experience plus and MBA and MIM Masters of International Management, is a Business Advisor and Program Director at Small Business Development Center for Encore & Solo Business Builders and Global Trade. She is also a PSU MBA student mentor and MIM Capstone Advisor, Built Oregon Mentor. She holds a certification in Business of Social Innovation from PSU.

Mighty Epiphyte Consulting | @mightyepiphyte | mightyepiphyte @ gmail