Becoming a B Corp Diary

So I thought it might be helpful if I kept a public diary of my experiences registering The Cornish Place as a B Corp so that others can learn from my mistakes and also show how it’s not as difficult as it might appear.

Why become a B Corp?

I want to start with a quick reminder about why I think becoming a B Corp is the right thing for our small cottage retreat in Cornwall. When we were thinking about our big move from London to Cornwall we were determined to build a more sustainable life for ourselves and also to make a positive contribution to our new surroundings. We also wanted to stand out from all the hundreds of holiday cottages for rent in the county.

So we decided to build a brand for our retreat and create an authentic experience that was unique to us- so The Cornish Place was launched with a mission to create an escape for people to fall in love with the best of Cornwall and to have a positive impact whilst visiting.

As part of our offering, we are trying to combine luxury and sustainability that works for all our visitors, families on holiday including dogs, couples getting married, or groups looking to host events. So becoming a B Corp has always been a step I wanted to explore as it seems the most logical way to help demonstrate our mission to others and increase bookings as a result! So let’s get on with it!

I think a good first step is a bit of self-assessment to think through the B Corp application from each of the core areas - Workers, Community, Environment, and Customers. This self-assessment will help me understand where our strengths lie and where there's room for improvement. This is easier for the Cornish Place as we are a young SME, not a corporate giant but the need for some initial thinking and discussion is the same.

But actually, the most important first question is the fifth B Corp stipulation - Governance. I will cover this in my next posting as if we are not happy to change our legal company status there is no point in carrying on with the process.