Balancing Life's Issues, based in Ossining, NY is 1 of only 366 Women-Owned Businesses to Achieve the Certification in the United States.

OSSINING, NEW YORK , UNITED STATES, February 27, 2023 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Balancing Life’s Issues (BLI) has announced its certification as a B Corporation, joining a select community of 6,131 progressive companies across 85 countries that are unified by one common goal: transforming the global economy to benefit all people, communities, and the planet. Companies that apply for B Corporation status are rigorously analyzed and held accountable for the impact of their decisions on people, communities, and the environment.

Founded in 1999 by Wendy Wollner, BLI is a recognized leader and provider of customized corporate training programs. Organizations worldwide engage BLI for the relevancy, range, and depth of the programs they provide. BLI has a bureau of 1,800 trainers who have touched over a million lives by delivering more than 13,000 training sessions per year across the globe.

While there are 6,131 B Corps worldwide, only 748 worldwide are owned by women and only 366 in the United States. According to an article in August 2022 by IncFile.com, women-founded startups get less than half the funding as startups founded by men, but they generate 10% more income in a five-year period, and only 32% of the women who apply for business funds are approved.

While Wollner had her father to cheer her on when she founded BLI in 1999, there have been numerous obstacles and setbacks over the past 24 years including employee theft and a devastating computer hacking incident.

“Women-owned businesses face numerous challenges that often prevent them from growing their businesses past a specific point. Funding is one, not being taken seriously is another, and finding a balance between family and work commitments is a third. As a single mom of three young children, I knew I needed to control my life and my schedule but also create a career that I would be proud of. I followed the inspiration of my grandmother who never let anything stand in her way and forged ahead creating BLI,” states Wollner, CEO of BLI.

“I have always believed in being frugal, agile and confident, as well as surrounding myself with experienced, talented, committed individuals. Employees, advisors, and business networks all play a role in ensuring the success of a business. Seeking and obtaining B Corporation status takes that commitment to be the best and surround yourself with the best to an entirely new level. It also strengthens your team in a way that is deep and meaningful,” she added.

“Becoming a B Corporation is far more complex than completing paperwork, providing financial information and submitting spreadsheets. It is a journey that ultimately leads to a destination that is ever-evolving so that once you achieve the status, you are compelled to find new ways to enhance what you do and how you do it and understand the impact across people, communities and the environment,” states Carrie Gallagher, Chief Experience Officer of BLI who was the driving force behind the 18-month quest to finish the application process.

The process for BLI began with encouragement by an attorney, also a B Corp, who felt that BLI already demonstrated many of the qualities that make a good applicant. “We were already having conversations about the future, about where we wanted to be as a company and what we could do to be more responsible to our customers, employees and the world around us. The B Corp application forced us to solidify our core values and have them play out in real-time and in tangible ways. The difference in the office is palpable. There is a sense of pride among all levels of our staff,” added Wollner.

Every individual employed by the company now understands BLI’s value-driven approach to business and how it impacts their job and the company and they have a greater understanding of how those values impact the world around them.

While becoming a B Corp means understanding your impact on the world, Wollner has always understood the value of giving back and doing the right thing. The company offered free services after 9/11 for nine months helping affected employers and employees get the help they needed to get through a devastating time.

Wollner credits the B Corp certification process with emphasizing the need to question everything and analyze every decision. “We now have a more generous understanding of how to support our employees. That support translates into employees who support the company in return and together we create a culture of caring which results in a better work environment as well as product for our clients. It is the definition of a win/win.”

B Lab and the B Corp movement were founded with the idea that a different kind of economy was not only possible, but necessary — and that business could lead the way toward a more inclusive, equitable, and regenerative future. B Lab certifies B Corporations, which are companies that meet high standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency.

“Going through the process and actually obtaining the certification instills a deep sense that your company is making the world better and people want to be a part of that. We are a stronger company now because of our commitment to becoming a B Corp., “says Gallagher.

B Lab certifies companies based on how they create value for non-shareholding stakeholders, such as their employees, the local community, and the environment. Once a firm crosses a certain performance threshold on these dimensions, it makes amendments to its corporate charter to incorporate the interests of all stakeholders into the fiduciary duties of directors and officers. These steps demonstrate that a firm is following a fundamentally different governance philosophy than a traditional shareholder-centered corporation.

BLI offers an expansive catalog of proven training modules, all customizable to meet the bespoke needs of each client. The firm has a passion for science-based learning and their trainers are subject matter experts who believe in the absolute power of kindness to improve the lives of their clients. More information about their services can be found at www.balancinglifesissues.com

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Risa Hoag
GMG Public Relations, Inc.
+1 914-996-8100
risa@gmgpr.com
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