Write is now a Certified B Corporation!
Lynda Harris | April 15, 2021
The Write team is happy to share that Write is a Certified B Corp. Image by Jess O’Brien
We’re incredibly proud to join the B Corporation family — a group of businesses around the world who believe in business as a force for doing good.
We first came across the concept of becoming certified as a B Corp over 2 years ago. We instantly saw a kinship between Write and the organisations already on the path. As specialists in clear, people-centred communication, we feel privileged to be able to make an impact in the world.
The right to understand
We believe that people have the ethical and democratic right to understand communications that affect their lives — government forms, legal documents, financial agreements, terms and conditions, and more. Deciding to become a B Corp seemed like the right and natural thing to do. After all, our tagline is ‘Using the power of words for good’!
Our expert team of 36 people help corporations and government organisations get a better return on their internal and external communications, documents, and websites. We thrive on making the complex clear, and on making our clients (and their readers) happy.
Write’s office motto is ‘Let’s be clear’. Image by Anne-Marie Chisnall
Getting more value from time spent writing
We’re about helping organisations get more value from the time they spend writing, so that the writing process is more sustainable. And more than that, we’re about making sure their stakeholders get the benefits of clear communication — from boards, leaders, and teams right through to suppliers and customers. Ultimately, we want people to understand critical information easily, and to make key life decisions based on that information being as clear as possible.
Some of our recent work includes:
- plain language culture change projects in New Zealand government departments
- ground-breaking plain language revisions of insurance documents in Australia and South Africa
- awarding the WriteMark (our quality mark for plain language excellence) to documents produced in the United States and elsewhere.
Better business is about balancing profit and purpose. Image by B Corporation Australia and New Zealand
The B Corp process challenged and inspired us
When we began the B Corp assessment, we hoped we would do well — the values underpinning B Corp matched so much of what we already believed in as a team. But we soon discovered that although we aspired to do good, and had many good policies and practices, this wasn’t necessarily enough.
The in-depth assessment process expanded our thinking and allowed us to see where we needed to do better. And we could also see what was possible. Our admiration for those already certified increased — and we’re inspired by their many creative examples of using business as a force for good.
The fact that it took us over 2 years to go through the assessment and gather evidence is testament to B Corp’s rigour! But it was worth it. We’re excited to know that this is just the beginning. We can do so much more — and we will.
We’d love to chat about what it means to be a B Corp when you’re a New Zealand-based consulting company.
Feel free to get in touch!
Meet the other New Zealand B Corps
Learn more about our impact
We’ve researched communication about payday loans. Read our report on payday loans
We’ve made insurance policies and many other documents easier to understand by awarding the WriteMark. Read the list of WriteMark holders
We’ve helped create a free-use power of attorney for healthcare
We’ve helped create a free-use power of attorney for finances
We’ve sponsored the Plain Language Awards since they began in 2006.