Are you committed to the Good Business Charter?

by | Apr 27, 2026 | Blog

Are you committed to the Good Business Charter?
Auxilium Business Consulting first attained the Good Business Charter in 2024 and continues to renew this. For me, the Good Business Charter was not the finish line; it was a foundation. It helped formalise what I was already doing and created a clear structure to build on. Since then, I have progressed to achieving Gold accreditation with CSR Accreditation and supported other SMEs achieve the same.

Have you heard about the Good Business Charter?

It is a simple accreditation that organisations in the UK can sign up for, in recognition of responsible business practices.

It measures behaviour over ten components as seen below;

The Charter is an initiative developed and overseen by the Good Business Foundation, an independent charity established by entrepreneur Julian Richer of Richer Sounds.

Working with organisations including the TUC, IoD and FSB, they have set a benchmark for responsible business practice, which is accessible to all.

Why this matters for SMEs

This bridges the gap between information and action: For many SMEs, responsible business can feel complex or out of reach. The Good Business Charter removes that barrier. It provides a clear, practical framework to demonstrate that you run your business fairly, ethically, and responsibly without needing a dedicated CSR team.

I didn’t think the GBC applied to me as I am the only person in the business – I WAS WRONG!
If you are a sole trader or micro-business, it is easy to assume this does not apply to you. In reality, it is one of the most accessible ways to start evidencing responsible business practices early, so you are not trying to retrofit them later as you grow.
Increasingly, clients, partners, and supply chains are asking for evidence of responsible business practices. Having a recognised framework like the Good Business Charter in place gives you a clear, credible answer
If you are already doing the right things in your business, this is your opportunity to prove it. If you are not sure where to start, this is a simple and practical first step.
As an organisation with just me as the only employee, components 1 – 5 do not apply to me yet, but I have committed to adhering to them if anything changes.
Auxilium is, however, committed to
  • Caring about the environment and encouraging the development of good environmental practice as an organisation, seeking to minimise our impact and commit to improving it.
  • Paying our taxes where applicable, only using tax allowances for the purpose intended, and being transparent in our relationship with HMRC.
  • Have a clear commitment to our stakeholders and prioritise addressing and learning from stakeholders’ feedback and seeking to put negative issues right.
  • Ethical sourcing of anything we purchase, such as by applying standards set out in the Ethical Trading Initiative Base Code, where relevant.
  • Paying our suppliers promptly, and within at least 30 days.

You too can join us all – Take a look here https://www.goodbusinesscharter.com/join-the-good-business-charter

It is a framework I actively recommend to SME clients as part of building credible, evidence-led CSR foundations.