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Businesses that achieve B Corp status say the process is time-consuming and extensive, but they are reaping the benefits of being B Corp certified. B Lab, a non-profit organization, created a unique prestigious qualifying business structure for entrepreneurs since 2007. The B Corp businesses have to meet high standards in labor or employment policies, environment practices, and social responsibility. YoungEntrepreneur.com interviewed a few B Corp entrepreneurs who say the stamp of approval added credibility to their businesses. Method says its environmental sustainability was publicized, Mugshots CoffeeHouse & Cafe says it benefited through employee retention, and Workplace Dynamics says it is a recruitment magnet.

B Lab, a Berwyn, Pa.-based non-profit, created the unique business structure and provides the certification. To achieve B Corp status entrepreneurs must meet very high standards in how they treat employees, the environment, and the community in which their business operates.

We talked to entrepreneurs that were among the first B Corps, when the certification became available in 2007. Here, they share how the new structure has affected their businesses and offer advice on the process.

1. Method, a San Francisco, Calif.-based eco-friendly company whose biodegradable cleaning products are sold in more than 40,000 retail locations.

Co-founder Adam Lowry says earning the B Corp stamp of approval added credibility to his company’s environmentally conscious mission. It’s especially important, he says, since Method doesn’t have the resources of its larger competitors to create fancy reports that publicize initiatives related to sustainability.

2. Mugshots CoffeeHouse & Cafe, an organic coffee bar with three locations in the Philadelphia area.

Mugshots owner Angela Vendetti says just making it through the extensive certification process is something to be proud of as an entrepreneur. “There are all kinds of questions about your waste policy and what you do for the environment,” Vendetti says.

While the process can be time-consuming, Vendetti says her coffee shop’s B Corp status has helped with employee retention. Before the certification, job training and professional development was only available to 30 percent of her employees. Today it’s 100 percent, since investing in your team is part of the rationale of a B Corp.

3. Workplace Dynamics, an Exton, Pa.-based company that surveys workplaces with the intent to improve them.

For CEO Doug Claffey, the certification process alone helped the company come up with new ideas. For example, one of the questions asked by B Lab is whether businesses extend a day off to employees who want to participate in community service.

He views his company’s B Corp status as a prestigious recruitment tool …

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