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Sponsored Content Provided by Better Business Bureau
At Better Business Bureau Serving the Pacific Southwest (BBB), the definition of a better business has evolved. BBB has been recognizing businesses for doing the right thing and operating ethically for over a century, and now we’re elevating those using their platform to create positive change in their communities with BBB4Good.
BBB4Good builds upon BBB Accreditation, empowering people to choose trustworthy companies positively impacting our community through the power of business. This is especially important in the current marketplace as a changing consumer base seeks to do business with a company aligned with their values. As a business owner, changes can not only keep existing customers, but actually attract new ones. In fact, 71% of consumers would purchase from a purpose-driven company over the alternative when the cost and quality are equal. In the same survey by Porter Novelli’s, 86% of respondents said they would trust a company more if it was led by purpose.
4Ocean, a BBB Accredited and BBB4Good Verified Business, saw an opportunity to work backwards by starting with an environmental challenge and using a business model to help solve it.
“The motivation for 4Ocean was to see a problem and find a solution. Seeing the amount of plastic that’s in the ocean was a big trigger for us to realize how we can find a way to create a sustainable business model that could fund our cleanups,” shares Alexander Schulze, co-founder of 4Ocean.
There are countless ways a business can address sustainable development goals, including environmental, health, ending poverty, and inequity. Purpose-driven companies who offer employee volunteer hours, commit to environmental sustainability in their products, donate proceeds, tackle social issues or hire marginalized communities, may qualify to become a BBB4Good Verified Business.
By becoming a BBB4Good Verified Business, values and promotion go hand-in-hand. BBB’s trusted vetting process for accreditation, and now for BBB4Good, is achievable for any size business. The simple application provides the opportunity for small and Main St. businesses to highlight their impact. Verified businesses can display the BBB4Good Trustmark as a symbol of their commitment to operate under four standards as a vetted, purpose-driven business:
Higher Purpose
Purpose-driven businesses create accountability and transparency throughout the organization, showing the intent, strategy, and reasoning to support a higher social or environmental purpose.
Community Engagement
Purpose-driven businesses invest a portion of their time, talent, and treasures into community impact initiatives that align with their businesses’ purpose.
Authentic Marketing
Purpose-driven businesses focus on ethically and authentically communicating what they are doing to impact social and environmental issues, and genuinely encourage their customers to work together to solve these issues.
Impact Substantiation
Purpose-driven businesses invest their organization’s time, talent, and treasures to further their company’s purpose to support positive, community facing activities, and hold themselves accountable to carry out their commitments.
BBB recognizes the efforts of businesses using their platform to make the community a better place. Eligibility vetting for BBB4Good verification is free of charge. Qualifying businesses will be provided a license agreement to use the BBB4Good Trustmark. BBB’s 501(c)3 Foundation for Education and Entrepreneur Leadership accepts voluntary donations to support ethical education and help small and aspiring businesses gain confidence, grow the skills needed to be successful and make the community a better place.
By validating your social or environmental activities through BBB, you provide customers with the confidence you are committed to a higher purpose. Consumers turn to BBB for trustworthy businesses and now they can expand their search to find purpose-driven businesses.
Visit us at BBB.org or 4747 Viewridge Ave, #200, San Diego.
