Our dream is to see the GBC Accreditation Stamp well recognised by the general public and displayed on shop windows, websites and literature so that the ever-growing population who really care about ethical capitalism and treating others well, will actively look out for the brand and reward companies that are accredited with their custom. The longer-term dream would be for government to give their procurement/contracts only to GBC companies!
Key benefits of GBC accreditation
- a clear signpost to customers, employees, suppliers and other stakeholders that you put people first
- a framework to help you communicate your values, attract top talent and foster loyal customers
- an accreditation that sets you apart from the competition because you can meet our 10 minimum standards
Research shows that customers value responsible organisations
An excerpt from our consumer polling research in collaboration with TSB.
We found that 97% of people think it is important that a business acts responsibly. Most consumers want more consistent information from businesses and more than half polled would value a simple independent certification. This is exactly what the Good Business Charter seeks to be. It is independent, it is a certification, and it is simple to understand. 10 components, businesses need to commit to all 10 in order to achieve GBC accreditation.
What accreditation offers
Accreditation is first and foremost about making a clear commitment to all 10 of our components (9 for public and third sector) and be part of a movement to make this behaviour the accepted norm for how organisations in the UK operate. The Good Business Charter has been designed to work for all sectors and the CBI and TUC helped draft a robust accreditation that takes into account the voices of both workers and businesses. It is currently a bar many organisations cannot reach which therefore sets accredited organisations apart, something we will vigorously champion.
On accreditation, we make available to members a library of resources including artwork, podcasts and articles for their use. We send monthly, informative mailshots with relevant updates and share good examples of how organisations are using the GBC in their journey of responsible business behaviour.
Improves accountability
This Good Business Charter improves accountability. It is a voluntary accreditation and one that we hope companies, charities and public sector organisations will be enthusiastic to join. There are a lot of good organisations and entrepreneurs in the UK that already operate to the GBC principles, and who are keen for accreditation to recognise their responsible behaviour. We hope that others will modify their behaviour so that they can gain this accreditation. We already have many examples of businesses that have done just that!
We dedicate resources to increasing brand recognition among the general public which we hope will result in more customers seeking out the GBC brand and rewarding those organisations that have the accreditation with their custom. See more on our Promoting your GBC accreditation page.
The GBC is non-partisan
The GBC hopes to nudge even more organisations towards responsible business behaviour by getting them to focus on all the components of the Charter. The GBC does not work on the basis of achieving an average score or picking and choosing different aspects to adhere to. Rather it is a simple In/Out accreditation with a holistic recognition of those organisations operating responsibly in all of these key areas. We hope that employees will wish to work for organisations that sign up to the Charter; that customers will use their buying power to favour accredited organisations and that investors will favour GBC members also.