Masterclass | Building a brand for good

We had a slightly different format for this session, opting for more of an open discussion rather than regular presentation followed comments and questions. Lucy and Paul engaged participants in all discussion points and created a comfortable space for sharing ideas.  

Starting with what a business for good is and what that means to people, the group talked about shopping local, building community, reducing our carbon footprint and sustainability of the business itself, lifespan of products, sourcing materials and the challenges around this.    

Paul identified the ingredients of a business for good:  

Employees – Staff are the greatest asset and should feel valued. 

FTLOTN are committed to being a Living Wage Employer meaning they don’t just pay their employees minimum wage, but enough to cover the standard cost of living.  

Community – Work with it and within it.  

As many other businesses during the pandemic, Lucy & Paul were worried they wouldn’t survive but managed to come up with a brilliant idea just in time. Early in the pandemic, FTLOTN wanted to do something to help the NHS, so they created a poster. A percentage of the sales was pledged to support the NHS, which not only helped support local artists but raised a whopping £10k for the NHS.  

Parting message from Paul and Lucy was, that being a business for good is not only about doing good, but also about making a profit too. If it isn’t the business will struggle to be sustainable and then won’t be able to continue and support others.  

FTLOTN are also in the process of becoming a Certified B Corporations.  B Corporations (or B Corps), are companies verified by B Lab to meet high standards of social and environmental performance, transparency and accountability. Find out more about B Corps here: bcorporation.uk 

Last modified: Wed, 02 Feb 2022 16:39:48 GMT