There are three different timelines in the B Corp Impact Assessment.
You’ll find it really useful to get an overview of the timelines that the B Corp Assessment form refers to. This will help you gather the right evidence to make everything run smoother.
Timeline 1
Your last fiscal year
The tracking and measuring questions are all about what you’ve done over the last year. And because the assessment is pushing you towards measuring your triple bottom line, it lines everything up against your revenues.
For these questions, you need a full year of records to show, all lining up with your last financial year.
Side note: Because it can take months to get from the point of submitting your assessment to the point of verification, it’s not uncommon for the verification analyst to ask you to update some of these details.
Timeline 2
Right Now
The B Corp Assessment is also trying to get a snapshot of where your business is at right now, ie at the moment you are filling in the questions. This is especially relevant for your track, company details, current office set-up, your policies, etc.
Timeline 3
In the Last XX months
There are a handful of questions in the B Corp Impact Assessment that refer to a specific time, for example: ‘number of full-time workers 12 months ago’, or ‘how many new jobs were added in the last year?’
These questions want you to calculate ‘12 months ago’ from the day you are answering the question. These questions might also be updated at verification.