When Being Hijacked Can Sometimes Be a Good Thing

In business, faith and purpose can intersect in surprising ways

By Andy Hawkins

Andy Hawkins, CEO and Founder of Business on Purpose

For Christian entrepreneurs, every decision is an opportunity to reflect Kingdom values — in how we lead, care for people, and steward resources. This is the story of how following God’s calling led me from tech sales to supporting hundreds of businesses to use profit as a force for good.

I spent 20 years in tech sales and also did a six-year stint in Africa working in community development in a township near Somerset West, Cape Town.

From Tech Consultancy to B Corp: Aligning Faith, Values, and Better Business

In 2020, I put my newly formed tech consultancy (itech4good) through the B Corp process as it aligned with my values and would be a good way of evidencing “Better Business” in an authentic way to the business community. For those unfamiliar:

a B Corp is a business that commits to using their business as a force for good — measuring and improving its impact on people, communities, and the planet, not just its bottom line.

The day after my B Corp Certification was confirmed in August 2020, one of my mates phoned to offer congratulations and asked if I could help him with his B Corp that he’d been struggling to complete. That same month, five mates phoned with the same request.

I’d been hijacked — but it turned out to be a fantastic (God-given) opportunity.

Initially, I struggled to let go of my tech consultancy business, but the sheer volume of demand for B Corp support was overwhelming. It also really aligned with my personal values and felt deeply purposeful, so Business On Purpose was born.

Using Business as a Force for Good: Five Years On

Five years on, I have now been able to support over 500 companies on their B Corp journey — helping them measure and improve their social and environmental impact, balance profit with people and planet, and use their business as a force for good.

I’m also a co-chair for the Bristol & Bath B Local, a group of 150 B Corps in the local area who share best practices and encourage and inspire one another to make a difference.

Discipling Leaders Through the B Corp Journey

The programme we run (an hour or two a week over 12 weeks) feels a bit like an Alpha Course. People come together to share and learn each week and, at the end of the three months, decide if they want to make a commitment — to be a better business.

In many ways, I am discipling them to be better stewards of the positions that God has placed them in: to care better for the planet and their people, whether that is colleagues, suppliers, or clients.

The B Corp Framework: Business Practices Aligned with Kingdom Values

If you are not familiar with B Corp, the areas it covers include:

• Purpose & Stakeholder Governance – Act in accordance with a defined purpose, embed stakeholder governance into decision-making, and create structures to monitor social and environmental performance. For Christian entrepreneurs, this is about aligning your work with God’s calling, ensuring profit serves people and purpose.

• Climate Action – Develop plans to limit global warming to 1.5°C, including emissions measurement and science-based targets where appropriate. This is stewardship of creation in action.

• Human Rights – Understand where operations or value chains may cause harm, and take steps to prevent or mitigate it. This is about honouring the dignity of every person in your business and beyond.

• Fair Work – Provide good-quality jobs, foster positive workplace cultures, implement fair wages, and incorporate worker feedback. Reflect Kingdom values in the workplace, treating your team as you would like to be treated.

• Environmental Stewardship & Circularity – Assess environmental impacts and take meaningful action to reduce them. This is living out care for God’s creation through sustainable practices.

• Justice, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion – Build inclusive workplaces and value chains and contribute meaningfully to just and equitable communities. This reflects the heart of God, empowering all people to flourish.

• Government Affairs & Collective Action – Collaborate to drive systemic change and advocate for positive social and environmental outcomes. For larger companies, this includes transparency reporting. For Christian entrepreneurs, this is participating in God’s mission for justice in society.

Most of these areas align closely with Kingdom values and offer practical ways to integrate faith and business.

Why Businesses Choose the B Corp Route

The main feedback we get is that participants learn a huge amount — often things they hadn’t previously considered — and are inspired to do better.

The main benefits reported by our clients include:

• Recruitment and retention – Millennials and Gen Z want to work for companies doing something worthwhile, not just making money. Being a B Corp helps attract and retain top talent.

• Risk identification and mitigation – Many businesses don’t fully understand their risks or blind spots. The B Corp framework helps identify and manage these.

• Attracting investment – Many VCs and PE firms favour B Corps, as much of the due diligence has already been completed.

• Winning new business – Customers increasingly want to buy from ethical, trusted companies. B Corp Certification provides a credible way to demonstrate this.

PurposeFest Bristol: Gathering a Purpose-Driven Community

Each year I run PurposeFest at Bristol Beacon, with 400–500 people attending. The next one is on 3rd March — I’d encourage you to come and be part of this purpose-driven community.

Living Out Kingdom Values Beyond Business

As a Christian with Kingdom values, I have found that the B Corp community is highly aligned. Supporting, coaching, and mentoring businesses to be more authentic, transparent, and courageous in their decision-making is a real privilege. I truly thank God each day that I was hijacked.

Outside of my business, I moved to a new housing estate (Brabazon, near Cribbs Causeway) in 2021 with the express purpose of helping build a positive, welcoming, inclusive, and kind community from the very beginning.

Five years on, we are now 300 units into a 6,000-home development, and it is proving to be a real blessing. There have been many positive events, social gatherings, and relationships developing alongside the bricks and mortar. Recently, Spitfire Hangar opened its doors to Mokoko and is becoming a thriving community hub. If you’re ever near Cribbs Causeway, I’d encourage you to come and explore.

Faith, Friendship, and the Growth of a Multicultural Community

As a specific result of friendships formed with many of our Hong Kong neighbours, we are now regularly seeing 60+ people attending church each week. We feel privileged to be partnering, in some small way, with what God has planned for this community and are excited to see what the next few years bring as more neighbours arrive, along with 1,500 students, a train station, a 20-acre park with a lake, and the new Bristol Arena.

We serve a God who loves adventures.

If you would like to find out more about the B-Corp Journey do get in touch with Andy.