FLOOR_STORY IS B CORPORATION CERTIFIED
WE WANT EVERYONE TO BE TREATED WELL, RECEIVE GOOD WAGES AND HAVE GREAT WORKING CONDITIONS. B CORP CERTIFICATION IS A STANDARD TO KEEP THE BUSINESS TO. WE AIM TO NOT ONLY DO THIS BUT EXCEED THIS AND IMPROVE EVERY YEAR. I’M LOOKING FORWARD TO THE NEXT PART OF THIS REALLY INFORMATIVE JOURNEY
Simon Goff, FLOOR_STORY founder & Director
WHAT DOES BEING A B CORPORATION MEAN?
Let’s start with the B, which stands for Benefit for all. This is very much the core value in becoming a B Corp, it symbolises businesses working for everyone including stakeholders, workers communities, customers and of course the planet. It started in 2006, built on the idea that ‘a different kind of economy was not only possible, it was necessary’ and hence B Corp was formed with the belief that business could function in a way that is very much about the people surrounding it, for the many and not the few.
'We knew about the good work that the B Corp network does, and as a growing, independent business, we wanted to be part of a wider collective that shared similar values. At FLOOR_STORY, we want the business to do well of course, but not at the expense of the planet or its people. We also want everyone who is involved with us to do well and that goes from everyone at our HQ in East London to our weavers in Bhadohi, Varanasi and Kathmandu.'
Simon Goff, FLOOR_STORY Director
WHY HAS FLOOR_STORY BECOME A B CORP?
After launching our first Impact Report in April 2023, we had already laid down lots of the groundwork for applying for B Corp certification through projects and company values that spoke of our commitment to Workers, Environment, Customers, Community and Governance.
We wanted to join a wider network, committed to Ethics and Sustainability that stretched beyond the rug industry to hold ourselves accountable for the ways in which we grow as an independent business.
HOW TO BECOME A B CORP?
To become a B Corp, you need to meet high standards of social and environmental performance, accountability and transparency. You evidence this by following the B Lab standards, policies, tools and programs that shift the structure of capitalism to businesses working for the many and not the few. This is something we can do together, hence joining a global B Corp community of 4000+ businesses that have proven their commitment.
Becoming a B Corp isn’t the end of the journey. A business must continue to improve and re-certify every three years and we’re excited to continue to learn and grow.
OUR JOURNEY TO BECOMING A CERTIFIED B CORPORATION
LAYING THE GROUNDWORK:
In late 2021, a conversation took place between Simon from FLOOR_STORY and Sally Burtt-Jones of 11 TwentyTwo about how businesses can be both profitable and ethical and how to measure impact on the environment and on people. This laid the foundation for the journey that FLOOR_STORY has been on ever since and is now legally committed to continuing for the future. As a first step, FLOOR_STORY wanted to understand what was important to its customers and suppliers when it came to Ethical, Social and Governance goals and conducted a wide-reaching survey to find out. The full results can be found on Page 11 of the Impact Report 22/23 but it showed that first priorities should be Human Rights, Ethical Business Leadership and Natural Resource Conservation.
2022 was spent developing systems that meant that FLOOR_STORY could track…. almost everything! From the quantity of wool used in all the rugs sold in one year (as well as all other materials), to energy usage, to recycling, to charitable donations. Every stone was turned over. This was the basis of the inauguralImpact Reportthat was published on April 26th 2023. But not everything could be calculated the first time round and so goals were set in the Impact Report 22/23 of how we would continue to find ways to monitor and reduce more, including water usage at the factories and Scope 3 emissions. In the meantime, FLOOR_STORY became a Climate Positive Workforce with Ecologi and took (and continues to take) climate action through projects around the world.
HITTING THE GROUND RUNNING:
As a B Leader, Sally (who is now our sustainability consultant) spoke very highly of the B Corp movement and encouraged FLOOR_STORY to consider making a practical and legal commitment to being a business that strives for an inclusive, equitable and regenerative economy. And so the B Corp journey began in June 2023. Applying for B Corp certification means going through a huge number of questions divided into the topics of Governance, Workers, Community, Environment and Customers.
There are over 150 areas of questioning and answers must of course be able to be evidenced. These range from altering the Articles of Association with Companies House to make a legal commitment to being a business for good and that commits to fully transparent reporting annually (usually through an Impact Report) to the type of cleaning products or toilet paper you use in the workplace! It’s quite the list.
Under Sally’s B Leadership, FLOOR_STORY meticulously went through the B Lab questions over the next few months. As a small but accountable business, many requirements were being instinctively met but without formal policy or procedure. This was a chance to ensure that the business had fully considered all of the criteria with tracking and reporting which only continues to improve standards for everyone who works for and with the business as it grows.
In order to submit your application, it is necessary to have achieved over 80 points. On Friday 20th October 2023, FLOOR_STORY submitted the B Corp application with 96.5 points. In late January, the verification process started and thanks to all the preparation, went very smoothly. We became a B Corp on 21st February 2024! Take a look at our score in more detail below.
B Corp recertification is already in the diary for 2027. Our B Corp story is only just beginning.
FLOOR_STORY CORE VALUES
What we always stick to when making rugs
We big up creative thinkers, designers, makers and artists to share their ideas, beliefs and passions through the art of rug making. We celebrate the global rug making craft and explore collaborations that ‘give back’ to our community, such as our partnerships with the Crafts Council and Choose Love. We also offer free showroom space to local, independent designers and makers.
You can design any one of our rugs, your way, by bending and shaping one you like the look of, or start from scratch, to create your dream rug. By letting us take you through the exploration of your own ideas, we believe that our rugs are more likely to last you a lifetime.
Our craftspeople and makers are found in the rug capitals of the world. We believe in fair trade and work with each partner to ensure this is always part of the deal. We have a range ofrugs created from waste wooland we are always looking for ways to reduce our negative and increase our positive impact. Giving back is integral to our culture and plans to grow our business by continued partnerships with organisations likeChoose Love.
The artistry of rug-making dates back over 2500 years. The same techniques exist today as they did back then and we celebrate this! Our rugs are modern expressions of this timeless skill and we will continue to invest in our suppliers to ensure the future of this art.
_PROJECTS
WE’VE WORKED ON PROJECTS WITH PARTNERS WHO SHARE THE SAME VALUES AND PUT THESE INTO PRACTICE TO HELP COMMUNITIES THRIVE.
CRAFTS COUNCIL X HALINA EDWARDS
Hand Knotted rugs designed by children & guardians to be part of the exhibition space and to be used as a playful underlay for future Crafts Council workshops at the gallery space based in Angel.
FLOOR_STORY X CHOOSE LOVE
Inspired by the act of gathering to share dinner, these chequered flat woven rugs are made to raise funds for the humanitarian non profit Choose Love and their work supporting refugees and displaced people.
WOVEN IN AFGHANISTAN
A collection of Moroccan and Tibetan hand knotted oven as part of a partnership with a local Afghan NGO, with the objective of maintaining a steady workflow and to support the weavers who are predominantly female through education and health services whilst preserving the craft of weaving.
WASTED RUGS
As part of our mission to become more environmentally conscious with our collections we have produced a new range of rugs which are made from wool wastage. The Wasted collection uses discarded wool from our hand knotted rugs to make an entirely new product.