The best club to be in is the B Corp one! Companies which are verified as meeting B Lab™ Standards for social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability become Certified B Corporation. Or B Corp for short. The tag is synonymous with a community of businesses who lead the movement towards more inclusive, equitable and regenerative economy. We’ve long championed those enlightened brands in hairdressing who have joined up, and Phorest is the latest. Bravo and well done. Let’s hear how it unfolded.
Phorest is now B Corp
Certified. Committed, Locked in. This is how Phorest software describes its commitment to B Corp Certification. Founded by CEO Ronan Perceval in Dublin, Ireland, in 2003, Phorest has earned recognition as one of the fastest-growing technology companies in the hair and beauty industry. Born on the salon floor, Phorest was bred to help salon, spas and clinics thrive. With innovative tools to help businesses manage, market and grow as well as mentoring and education, its mission is clear: “More than software, we are on a mission, together with our community, to build a stronger industry.”
With more than 500 people employed through the UK, Finland, the Netherlands, Germany, Australia, Canada and the US, Phorest has become invaluable to nearly 12,000 businesses globally, with more than 160,000 beauty professionals across 11 regions. The numbers stack up. Here’s what it means
B Corp unravelled
To achieve certification, Phorest completed the B Impact Assessment. This is a rigorous evaluation by B Lab™, the independent non-profit behind B Corp™ Certification. The assessment addressed five areas: Governance, Workers, Community, Environment, and Customers. With an impact score of 89, Phorest performed particularly strongly in the following areas:
• A Workplace Built for Growth: 50% of Phorest’s management team are women and the company’s mean gender pay gap sits at just 4%. This is less than half the Irish national average of 9.6% and significantly lower than the EU average of 13%.
• A Commitment to the Community: Through the Phorest Forest initiative, Phorest planted 800 trees in 2024 alone and has purchased 15 acres of forestry in Co. Longford, Ireland with aims to positively impact the local ecosystem through planting trees. In addition, in 2025 Phorest made six figure charitable donations to over 20 organisations, and the team completed a total of 712 hours of paid volunteer work.
• A Mission That Can’t be Undone: Phorest has formally embedded stakeholder consideration into its legal governing documents through B Corp’s ‘Mission Lock’ – ensuring the company’s commitments to its people, community and planet remain protected even through future ownership changes.
This formal recognition is built upon a philosophy lived by Phorest since its founding days: Seirbhís Go Hiontach, also known as ‘wonderful service’ in Irish. Embedded into the day to day, it continues to guide Phorest on how it treats its people, customers and surrounding communities.
Ronan’s vision
Founder Ronan Perceval is completely hands on- very evident in the daily running of the business as well as steering the ship. “Since Phorest was founded in 2004, our goal has been to build a business that genuinely supports the salon industry long after we are gone.
“Intent is one thing, but formalising it is another. By embedding this commitment directly into our legal structure, we ensure that our dedication to our clients, our team, and our planet cannot be quietly set aside when things get difficult or short-term industry pressures mount.”
B Corp Curious
Rather than viewing the milestone as a competitive edge, Phorest is championing this achievement as a call to action for the wider salon, spa and clinic community. He says: Becoming a B Corp does not make Phorest exceptional. To be honest, if this remains a differentiator in our industry, we have not done enough. Our genuine hope is that this level of accountability and long-term thinking becomes the norm – the standard we all hold ourselves to across the beauty, wellness, and tech sectors.”
To find out more about B Corps, click HERE
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