The Deeper Story Behind Our Numbers

Why This Report Matters Beyond Certification

The LinkedIn post that probably brought you here introduces our first B Corp Impact Report, but there's more to this story than what fits in a social media update. This report represents something deeper than compliance - it's our attempt to articulate what we've learned about running a business that serves everyone it touches.

The Personal Stakes That Drive Everything

When people ask why B Corp certification matters to Advance, my answer isn't about business strategy or competitive advantage. I talk about my son and daughter. I think about the infrastructure projects they'll inherit, the communities they'll live in, the planet we're leaving them. That personal conviction drives every professional decision we make.

The evolution from BP Andrew Oilfield extraction work in the early 90s to today's focus on regenerative business practice isn't just company history - it's personal transformation playing out through organizational growth. What started as technical consulting has become something closer to values-driven facilitation of better outcomes.

What We've Actually Learned This Year

The past twelve months have revealed something crucial about sustainable business growth. In a UK market struggling with post-election uncertainty, our Canada operations have provided stability. But more importantly, they've proven that our values-based approach works across cultures and regulatory environments.

Alexander Shakespeare's work establishing Advance Consultancy (Canada) Inc wasn't just geographic expansion - it was validation that authenticity translates. Canadian clients respond to genuine engagement just as strongly as UK clients do. The principles that work in the UK’s infrastructure projects also work with Ontario rail expansion and British Columbia hospital builds.

Our associate network growth - eight new professionals joining an already diverse team - has tested whether our culture scales. Can you maintain "Listen First" principles when you're coordinating across multiple time zones? Can "We live by SID" (Silent Internal Discussions) work when some conversations happen in boardrooms and others over video calls?

The answer, so far, is yes. But it requires intentionality we didn't need when we were smaller.

The Honest Assessment of Where We Stand

Our B Corp score breakdown tells a specific story. Workers at 34.9 (maximum possible) reflects genuine investment in people development - not just policies but actual development conversations, training budgets, and flexibility that serves real needs. Governance at 19.7 shows solid foundations that we're continuously improving.

Environment at 9.7 represents our biggest growth opportunity. Not because we don't care, but because caring and systematic action are different things. My passion for Scottish rewilding hasn't yet translated into the kind of measurable environmental impact our broad behavioural and leadership consulting services can support our clients in achieving. That gap between aspiration and capability is exactly what this report helps us understand, share and strive to improve on.

Community at 19.9 reflects authentic relationship-building that we're now formalizing through partnerships like Community Rail Network. Customer impact at 4.1 shows we're creating real value that we're still learning to document and measure effectively.

The Real Test: Cultural Integration Under Growth

Geoff Rayner joining our core team in July became our most significant cultural test. Coming from finance sector environments where "greenwashing" was common, his integration would prove whether our B Corp commitment runs deeper than certification requirements.

His reflection that Advance feels like "a breath of fresh air" where he can finally live by values that matter - freedom and integrity - validates that our culture survives contact with new perspectives. But more importantly, his experience shows that authentic business culture attracts people seeking alignment between personal values and professional work.

This matters because sustainable business growth depends on cultural resilience. Systems and processes matter, but culture determines whether those systems serve their intended purpose or become bureaucratic obstacles.

Looking Forward: Seven Impact Areas as Growth Framework

The evolution from five to seven B Corp impact areas for our 2027 recertification represents opportunity rather than burden. Our existing strengths provide natural foundations: Workers performance supports both Fair Work and Justice, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion requirements. Environmental growth edge becomes systematic development opportunity across Climate Action and Environmental Stewardship.

But the real opportunity lies in Government Affairs & Collective Action - areas where our SME Alliance partnership and Major Projects Association membership with other B Corp companies position us to influence industry standards rather than just individual project outcomes.

The Bigger Picture: Business as Force for Good

This report documents one year of growth, but it represents three decades of evolution. From Norman Kerfoot's founding vision through today's multi-geography operations, the thread connecting everything is commitment to better outcomes for everyone involved.

The projects and organisations we support will outlast us, but I hope not Advance. The team development approaches we facilitate will influence careers long after specific engagements end. The industry standards we help establish will shape how major projects consider social and environmental impact for generations.

That's why authenticity matters more than timing, why getting this report right mattered more than getting it out quickly. We're not just documenting past performance - we're establishing frameworks for future accountability.

The best chapters of this story are yet to come.

Al Simmonite, Managing Director