Beyond Profit: Why (and How) We Made It Official with B Corp

When I first started working on getting Float B Corp certified, I knew it wouldn’t be a quick or easy process. Having done the certification process before at other companies, I was familiar with the level of rigor and dedication required. But going through it with a SaaS company—an industry where B Corp certification is still pretty rare—came with its own set of unique challenges and learning moments.

Only 3% of B Corps are SaaS businesses: this is the future we believe in

We talk a lot about transparency, accountability, and making decisions that benefit not just our company but our team and the broader community. B Corp certification was a natural next step for ensuring we had a credible framework to measure and improve our impact.

We also observed a growing trend that now, more than ever, people care about the values of the companies they work for and whom they do business with. Only 3% of B Corps are SaaS businesses 🤯 Since 2011 Float has been self-funded, profitable, and growing. We’re a fully remote team (aka, no physical HQ) working asynchronously around the world. In other words—we’re not shy about challenging the status quo 🤘

Becoming a B Corp meant holding ourselves accountable to a higher standard. We’d be publicly accountable for committing to continuous improvement (one of our Float values) and be part of a movement that believes in business for good.

We were up for the challenge.

The certification process requires proof, not just goodwill

Getting certified isn’t a simple application. It’s an intensive process that requires a deep commitment from organizations and their people. We worked through extensive documentation, policy updates, and accountability measures with B Lab, the certifying body.

B Corp certification holds organizations to a level of accountability that goes beyond internal goodwill and trust. It’s easy to say we’re committed to something, and internally, people may believe it. But this process requires (serious) proof. It demands tracking and measurement, which is essential for being held accountable. Demonstrating our impact through structured data not only validates our efforts but also provides us with a powerful framework to build upon. It was incredibly rewarding to establish these foundational tracking mechanisms to ensure that we continue to improve and uphold our commitments.

One of the biggest challenges we experienced was fitting Float’s business model into a certification process that was originally designed for consumer goods and manufacturing companies.

As a SaaS company, we had to get creative in explaining our impact and ensuring that we met B Corp standards.

Being an anomaly didn’t deter us; instead, we doubled down on our commitment to making it happen! We worked with Conscious Brands consultant Rob Sinclair, who helped us navigate complexities like fitting our SaaS model into the more traditional B Corp framework and keep the process moving forward efficiently. Having someone in my corner to help navigate the language, think through, and define our position within the B Corp framework made a huge difference. As someone who’s gone through B Corp certification both with and without a consultant, I can confidently say that this external guidance significantly fast-tracked the process.

It's changed how we work and who we work with

While we already embodied many of the practices and values of a B Corp, one of the more significant changes post-certification was our approach to procurement. We now prioritize working with other B Corps and prefer partners who align with our values. For example, we recently were looking for a financial operations partner and ended up choosing Armanino—an organization that is also B Corp certified 🎉

Internally, we strengthened how we track employee benefits, perks, and time off usage. One of our biggest wins was introducing a health insurance stipend that offers all team members, regardless of location, access to quality healthcare.

One of the more technical aspects of our B Corp certification was developing an emissions tracking system. Since Float is a remote-first company, our environmental impact is tied to where our employees live and the regional electricity sources they rely on. To address this, we worked through and implemented a methodology (developed with Conscious Brands) that calculates our footprint based on factors like hydro vs. coal power usage in different regions.

A common misconception is that B Corp certification is a marketing press tour, ahem, I mean, initiative 🙃 In reality, it’s an opportunity for people operations teams to drive real policy changes that have a meaningful and measurable impact. At Float, our people operations team played the central role, using the B Corp framework to shape and strengthen our existing policies around emissions tracking, employee benefits, and governance.

A lesser known step that B Corp certification requires is to legally change the structure of your company. B Corp certification isn’t just about checking boxes—it embeds social and environmental responsibility into the foundations of how we operate.

Ownership has to be committed, not just in spirit but in governance.

This ensures that the B Corp values are upheld long-term. And in doing so, it doesn’t shift power; it strengthens it! It amplifies the voices of the people driving policy by makng sure they have a seat at the table, which is something traditional corporate structures often fall short on.

Since becoming B Corp certified, we've been thinking bigger about how we support our team—enhancing perks, benefits, health coverage, mental health support, and learning opportunities with a focus on access and enablement. Beyond that, we’re looking at our operations through a sharper lens, being more mindful of our impact and influence on the global economy, and seeking lead by example, e.g., by choosing partners that align with our values 🤝

Certification is a (serious) continual commitment

What’s next? Getting certified was a big milestone, but B Corp certification isn’t a one-and-done achievement. We have to re-earn our certification every three years to prove that we’re still meeting the high standards of social and environmental responsibility—another reason why those tracking frameworks are so valuable 😉 And, as B Lab is also committed to continuous improvement, it means that the standards we're held accountable to will continue to evolve as the world needs it to—as will we.

For anyone considering the journey, my advice is simple: be prepared for a rigorous process, build a strong internal team, and don’t hesitate to seek outside expertise. The work is worth it—not just for the certification, but for the lasting impact it has on your organization and the people it serves. As one of the few B Corp-certified companies in the SaaS space, we know the challenges firsthand, and we're here to support others on this path. If you're thinking about it, don’t hesitate to reach out to me on LinkedIn 👋 I'd love to chat and share more about what I’ve learned!

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