At ZenBusiness, we’re concerned with more than profit alone. That’s why we’re a public benefit corporation (PBC). We’re committed to doing good for more than just our shareholders. Public benefit is in everything we do. It’s how we treat each other, how we treat our customers, and how we make our community and the world a better place.
ZenBusiness is registered as a Delaware public benefit corporation, meaning that we formed our company specifically to provide a benefit to the public in a responsible and sustainable manner, in addition to making a profit.
While the official description of the benefit we provide is “to promote entrepreneurship by providing accessible products and responsive support,” we don’t stop there. Here’s all the different ways we show our commitment to the public good.
Our mission is to pay it forward
and support a more equitable world
We award grants and loans to small business owners. In fact, we awarded more than $100,000 in grants to small businesses in 2020 alone. We also donate to organizations that are working to end systemic inequality and support entrepreneurship.
We also contribute to underserved communities like our work with Kiva.org. Kiva’s mission is to expand financial access to women business owners who can’t access other fair or affordable credit.
We support educational and
volunteer opportunities
Part of our mission is to support potential entrepreneurs through education. One program we support is Lemonade Day which gives the next generation of entrepreneurs a fun, hands-on experience with starting their own business that they may not get anywhere else. Kids learn a variety of skills by owning and operating their own lemonade stand.
- Business skills – Writing a business plan and determining who their customers are
- Responsibility – Taking ownership for every part of their business
- Financial literacy – Creating a budget for how much money they need to get started
- Goal setting – Setting goals to help define what success looks like for them
- Teamwork – Knowing how to work with other people to accomplish their goals
We’re also extending the definition of “public benefit” to include non-humans by supporting Austin Pets Alive, an animal rescue organization that has saved over 90,000 animals from being euthanized. By working with the city’s municipal animal shelter, Austin Pets Alive! has made Austin, Texas, the largest and longest-running “no-kill” city in the U.S. We are a proud sponsor of Kennel #177.
Our operations reflect our values of
being transparent.
We strive to be transparent in everything we do by operating with honesty and integrity to earn the trust of our customers, employees, and partners. We strive to make our terms of use and policies as clear as possible so there aren’t any surprises.
A great company culture leads to happy employees, and happy employees lead to happy customers. Our human-centric approach treats everyone with respect and we strive to do things in an equitable way. All of our full-time employees are offered ownership in the company and bonuses that are tied to the results of the business.
Our company activities are virtual, so all of our employees have the opportunity to join. We promote networking within the company and getting to know our fellow employees across teams. Everyone from senior leadership to the newest hire can connect online for a get-to-know-you session.
We have seven company-wide holidays, plus three floating holidays. We offer a flexible schedule, remote work, health insurance, competitive salaries, and the opportunity to tackle interesting challenges that have a positive impact. Flexible time off, an employee assistance program, disability, and life insurance are all covered.
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We’re committed to promoting
equality
Every year we provide loans to women-owned and minority-owned businesses, helping more aspiring business owners manifest their dreams. We are intentional that our partnerships have a mission and values that align with our own.
We support initiatives like Philanthropitch, a fast pitch competition for nonprofits raising money to build scalable, sustainable, earned revenue models. Philanthropitch has donated over $2 million to over 135 nonprofits!
We support Inmates to Entrepreneurs which helps people with criminal backgrounds launch their businesses. They provide in-person instructional classes as well as online education and mentorship programs.
We worked with Black Girl Ventures (BGV), which funds tech-enabled, revenue-generating businesses founded by people who identify as Black/Brown and female. Their mission is to provide these entrepreneurs with access to community, capital, and learning opportunities.
We also partner with the Greater Austin Asian Chamber of Commerce (GAACC), the leading partner for driving local economic growth for businesses with ties to Asia and Asian Americans.
They advocate across all government levels, host events to help entrepreneurs make important connections, and provide educational opportunities and workshops to help business owners be more successful.
Ultimately, all of our actions as a public benefit corporation are an extension of the ZenBusiness mission to help any and all people fulfill their dreams of starting their own businesses and make the world a better place in the process.
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