A balance of purpose and profit: Widgit's B Corp journey

October 2025

At Widgit, we’ve always believed in purpose, driven by our values of quality, integrity and kindness in all that we do. From ensuring our software remains as accessible as possible, to donating our time and resources across the community, particularly in support of vulnerable individuals, our drive as a force for good continues to shape our place in the world. For years however, we’ve been searching for the right way to demonstrate these qualities to the business community, and beyond.

Despite our commitment to putting people first, we’ve sometimes been perceived as a purely commercial entity or ‘big corporate’ company. In other words, we’ve found it challenging to express who we are in a way that resonates with others on a similar path: those balancing purpose with performance, and social impact with sustainability. As we’ve grown, it’s become increasingly clear that our greatest opportunities lie not just in what we create, but in how we go about it and the people we work with, from our own staff members to partners, organisations, and individuals who share our belief that business can, and should, bring about positive outcomes for all.

The search for the right fit

As a result, this recurring frustration led us to explore different avenues. Should we establish a charitable arm? For many businesses, donating a percentage of profits makes sense. But for Widgit, the good we do is so deeply woven into the fabric of our products and services, that separating it into a charity felt like an unnecessary bureaucratic hurdle.

We also considered becoming a not-for-profit or social enterprise. While these models align more closely with our values, they often come with their own set of challenges, particularly when engaging with larger organisations who might perceive them as ‘too small’ or lacking the corporate structure needed for significant partnerships.

The B Corp revelation

The idea of B Corp certification had been floating around for years, first mentioned by our colleague Fred, long before our merger with Logotron in around 2010. It always sounded like an aspirational goal, something for much larger, more established organisations. We found ourselves asking: could Widgit really achieve that?

The turning point came through two key conversations. First, our board member Jeff Halliwell, who had previously chaired Cafe Direct, brought up B Corp during a board meeting. Intrigued, my colleague Kiran and I met with the CEO of Cafe Direct. What we learned was truly enlightening: B Corp wasn't just for massive corporations, and much of what they needed to evidence, we were doing already! It wasn't about a radical shift, but about rigorously documenting our existing good practices.

Soon after, during a training session with Risk Evolves - a company we’ve worked with for years - their CEO Helen Barge casually mentioned they were a B Corp and even offered a service to help others achieve it. This was the push we needed.

Our journey to certification

Following this realisation, Kiran and I dove straight into the B Corp assessment, meticulously reviewing each question. We identified what we could already answer, what needed better evidence, and where we needed to grow. Risk Evolves conducted an initial audit, confirming that no ‘showstoppers’ would prevent us from pursuing certification. The path was clear, but the scale of work became apparent.

We quickly realised we couldn't do this alone. A significant portion of the assessment focuses on how a company treats its staff. While we've always prided ourselves on treating our team with empathy and respect – going far beyond standard policies when personal situations arise, such as bereavement – we needed to formalise these practices. We hired two lovely new individuals, including a dedicated HR professional and a writer, to help us articulate and embed our ‘Widgity’ way of doing business into formal policies and procedures. This ensures that as we grow, every manager, at every level, makes decisions aligned with our core values.

The certification process itself, which spanned over a year (roughly from November 2023 through 2024 and beyond), has been transformative. It wasn't a chore, as we initially feared, but a catalyst for positive change.

Beyond certification: a mindset shift

The impact of the B Corp journey extends far beyond compliance. It has fostered a company-wide mindset shift. Our team is now more acutely aware of our collective and individual impact, from energy consumption to charitable contributions. Our growing team of ‘Widgiteers’ continue to embrace the challenge, actively seeking ways to reduce our environmental footprint as a business.

Our initial internal audit score was around 60, and we aimed to cross the 80-point threshold for certification. To our delight, we're currently scoring 117.8! This wasn't just about ticking boxes; it was about truly living our values. We've learned the importance of evidencing our positive impact, especially in areas like customer reach. We know we're in over half of primary schools in the UK, but we need the data to prove the genuine good that we do.

The B Corp framework has also provided peace of mind, particularly concerning compliance. Our compliance manager Fred passionately champions human rights and data privacy. This focus means we're already well-prepared for evolving legislation, mitigating risks that could otherwise lead to frantic scrambling.

Perhaps one of the most surprising insights came from a staff survey before we brought in our HR team. Our team felt we weren't doing enough in terms of corporate responsibility. This was a revelation because we've always said ‘yes’ to donation requests and community support, but we never ‘sang our own praises’. We were humble to a fault. This experience taught us to celebrate our positive impact – not for ‘brownie points’, but to genuinely acknowledge the good work we do.

A call to action for other businesses

For any business owner, whether a startup or an established company, considering B Corp certification, I have one piece of advice: the sooner, the better. Even if full certification isn't your immediate goal, I urge you to explore the B Corp assessment questions. They serve as an invaluable guide, highlighting areas you might not have considered, like having specific policies in place. These ‘easy wins’ can significantly improve your business practices, making a positive impact on your growth trajectory.

The B Corp community is incredibly supportive. We've learned that you don't have to be certified to participate and learn. My hope is that more B Corps will share their resources and policies publicly, making the journey less daunting for others. It's not a secret club; it's about fostering better business practices for everyone.

For me, Widgit has always been about the human element. Having grown up in this company, started by my kind and caring parents, I've been incredibly fortunate to shape an organisation that prioritises people before anything else. We want to be the best company we can be, not just in the products we create, but in the way we operate.

Becoming a B Corp isn't just a certification; it's an ongoing journey to ensure that kindness and ethical practice remain at the heart of everything we do, both now and for future generations to come.