Guest Blog from George Gordon More than ever before, people want to know how businesses and their brands are run and to see what they stand for. And with every new generation, responsible business practices become even more important in deciding what products and services to buy, and where they choose to work. As we […]
We were very interested to see this recent research from Opinium and Anthony Collins Solicitors – it is of course music to our ears! 91% of UK businesses are committed to becoming ethical, representing a profound shift in how UK businesses are operating, and the research draws out some of the ways they are seeking […]
On Wednesday 17th March, 2021 Julian joined Tony Danker, new Director General of the CBI, to discuss their mutual background and passion for responsible business, with great opportunities to champion the Good Business Charter. Our favourite quote from Tony at the end of the discussion was: “It’s a pretty good North Star about deep societal […]
When an organisation joins the Good Business Charter we suggest they promote the fact and we have been delighted to see so much activity over social media in recent weeks as new, enthusiastic members join the GBC and shout about it. We want members of the public to become aware of this accreditation and start […]
What is the Good Business Charter all about? Why should I join? How can I persuade my clients or suppliers to consider it? You might know people who are just not going to be interested in reading through our website but might appreciate a podcast to tune into when out on their daily run, or […]
This week we marked one year since the launch of the Good Business Charter with founder members Deloitte, Capita, Brompton Bikes and London City Airport. We were privileged to be able to mark our anniversary with an FSB webinar for businesses at the other end of the spectrum – some of the smallest now achieving […]
We are delighted to hear today news that the Prompt Payment Code is to be strengthened and that from July signatories will have to pay suppliers with 50 employees or fewer within 30 days rather than the 60 days currently established. Having worked with the FSB (Federation of Small Businesses) over the past few months […]
We were delighted to read in the Yorkshire Post about how one of our members has adapted to the pandemic by repurposing itself from making pizzas to Yorkshire Handmade Pies. We wanted to highlight this responsible business on our website also. Sturdy Foods lost 95% of their turnover almost overnight when the hospitality industry shut […]
It is so important to not just pay this lip-service. This is about genuinely leaning in to hear what employees have to say. I wonder how many times a consultant has waltzed in (or even the auditors) and made suggestions for change and when management implements them, the employees think: “Yes, we could have told you that […]
At the Good Business Charter we recognise there is significant overlap between seeking to do business responsibly and being employee-owned. We are excited to have 100% employee-owned Jerba Campervans Ltd as one of our founder members and recently caught up with Jerba’s co-founder and Director Simon Poole. Jerba Campervans started in 2006 with the conversion […]
Wouldn’t it be great to see the building societies flood the Good Business Charter membership? This was a comment at a webinar I did for building society Chief Execs at the end of last month about why they should consider Good Business Charter accreditation. As a sector that does not have its own specific accreditation, […]
We are delighted to be partnering with the Good Business Festival in a time where it has never been more important to shine a light on business purpose and conscious capitalism. As part of their Act One on October 8th, we have contributed a podcast to their OpenSource to complement what is said by speakers […]
Paying suppliers on time matters. It is particularly important in this pandemic as more businesses than ever are seeing their cashflow squeezed. Suppliers are people, with their own bills to pay and staff to support. This is why the Prompt Payment Code (PPC) is one of our 10 components – care for suppliers counts. The […]
When we designed the Good Business Charter we wanted to ensure that any organisation that cared about responsible business was in a position to sign up. We recognise the hugely important role that charities play in our society and the fact that donors care not just about the final beneficiaries of a charity but about […]
At the start of the summer I ‘met’ with Emma Stewart of Timewise which is a flexible working consultancy. As someone who has worked from home, flexibly, for the last ten years I can wax lyrical on the benefits it brings, not only personally as a mother, but also to the charities I run. There […]
The Good Business Charter displays to customers, suppliers, employees and potential employees that members care about responsible business. Our vision is to see it become such a recognised brand in the UK that people who care about responsible business will look for it when they enter a shop or choose a job to apply for. […]
The time has come for ethical capitalism, not as an optional extra, but as something that is critically important for consumer trust in business to flourish in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. The public is brassed off with businesses not paying their dues to society and their voices are getting louder. They are sick […]
It was a privilege to be involved in the CBI webinar series supporting SMEs impacted by coronavirus which was held on Monday 13th July and the recording is now available here. The speakers were: Deborah Fraser, Director – Regions, CBI (Chair), Callum Biggins, Director of Campaigns, CBI, Katie Dash, Head of Everyone’s Business, Campaigns, CBI […]
One of the industries hit most harshly by Covid-19 is without a doubt the events industry with events big and small cancelled throughout lockdown and still many question marks over when certain types of events can restart. These include the kind of big Races for Life that GBC member Phoenix Events East provides security for, […]
The CBI recently gave a great seminar on the issue of race and equality and it was fascinating to hear John Amaechi speak about some work his company has done on this. They asked 10,000 people what words they associated with blackness – ‘strong’ was the most common followed by beautiful, athletic, music, minority. They […]
This week is Fair Tax Week running from 13th-21st June. Fair Tax Week is a UK-wide celebration of the companies and organisations that are proud to pay their fair share of corporation tax; those who commit to following both the spirit and the letter of the law, creating a level playing field for business and […]
Following the collapse of their wholesale business due to Covid-19, one of our members, Raise Bakery pivoted into the online sale of flour. They have sold 10 tons of flour online and are on target to have one of their busiest months in their 11-year history. Raise Bakery is a Worthing-based family-run artisan bakery which […]
Our first case study looked at how a small consultancy firm had to adapt following the onslaught of the Covid-19 pandemic. For our second case study we look at how Richer Sounds adapted with the realisation its 52 stores would have to close. Julian Richer, author of ‘The Ethical Capitalist’ explained that the biggest challenge […]
This is our first case study of how our members are coping in the current crisis – read how a small company with a focus on well-being has adapted and responded to needs within the NHS. Boo Coaching and Consulting is one of our smallest members but is punching well above its weight at this […]
In this time where many businesses are facing immense challenges due to the coronavirus pandemic, what does responsible capitalism look like? What does the Good Business Charter and its ten components have to say on the subject?