For HappyPorch 2024 was a year of challenge and change with financial pressures and having to make difficult decisions we were also forced to adapt and restructure.

While 2024 challenged us, it also clarified our purpose and strengthened our resolve to keep building meaningful and measurable change.

Overview

Picture of Barry O'Kane

2024 was probably the most challenging years as a business leader for me personally. 

Due to a combination of factors, we had a very lean year and made the tough decision to reduce our team size significantly. This is obviously really tough for any business, and I didn’t enjoy it much!

However, it also included some of the most affirming experiences of my career. The way everyone in the team supported each other and turned many of the negatives into positives was awesome. I feel great pride to see the core cultural and self management principles shine through.

2025 is projected to be more positive, both financially for HappyPorch, but also for our mission. We are carrying those strengths forward as a leaner and more focused team.

Barry O'Kane, HappyPorch founder

Our journey to B Corp Recertification

In 2023, we began preparing for the 2024 re-certifying as a B Corporation -  not just to renew a credential, but to reflect on who we are, how we work, and the impact we want to make. Since our first certification in 2021, both the world and our business had evolved, and re-certification became an opportunity to take stock, identify growth areas, and reaffirm our commitment to B Corp principles.

The preparation began as we formalised values-driven practices, updated policies, enhanced team wellbeing, and had honest conversations about inclusion, governance, and community. We also refined how we measure impact -  not just what we do, but how and with whom.

And our efforts paid off!  We got re-certified and our overall B Impact Score rose from 84.3 to 101 points!

Community saw the biggest gain, from 19.1 to 26.4, reflecting steps to build stronger, more inclusive relationships. Workers improved from 31.0 to 34.6, Governance from 17.3 to 19.6, and Customers from 5.2 to 8.7, while Environmental practices remained steady at 11 (raising interesting questions for us - does being a tiny company with high standards and low impact make it actually harder to score higher here?)

Re-certification serves as both a mirror and a map, helping us see who we are and where we’re headed. The 101 score is a milestone, but the true achievement lies in the intention, learning, and ongoing journey to act with purpose every day.

Governance

If we, as a society, are to successfully tackle major issues such as climate change, rampant waste and biodiversity loss, we must evolve beyond the current, linear economy model of take-make-waste, to one that is circular. We have the opportunity to transform how we manage resources, how we make and use products, and what we do with the material afterwards. 

Technology - created and implemented with care - is a vital enabler for this transformation. That’s why a crucial part of our mission is to help your organisation develop smart software solutions that advance both your business and the circular economy.

What we said we would do:

  • In 2024 we want to continue to explore formalising our philosophy in our legal ownership and governance - we don’t yet know what that will look like.
  • As the next 12 months look to be tougher for the business, it is important that we continue to live our values. Current predictions are that this will be one of the biggest challenges for the team in 2024.

 
     

 

  

 

What we did:

  • After an engaged conversation with the whole team, we decided that we wouldn’t make any big ownership changes to the company during a tougher than usual year.
  • Despite 2024 being financially the hardest year since HappyPorch was founded, we must take pride in the way we stayed true to our values. Not just in the open, transparent and inclusive way that we handled tough decisions, but also in the way we stayed true to our mission.
  • We conducted our regular, annual Team Engagement & Happiness survey where we gather valuable insights into various aspects of our workplace environment, including employee engagement, happiness, and overall job satisfaction. It serves as a platform for our team members to share their feedback and thoughts, allowing us to continuously improve and enhance the overall work experience at HappyPorch.

What we are going to do:

  • The ongoing efforts to deepen our understanding of the market and refine our service offering are showing early signs of impact. While this has not yet resulted in substantial increases in income, there is clear improvement in strategic direction and greater clarity in the path forward.
  • 2025 will be a year of new birth. Our aim is to use our leaner foundations to start to look forward. This means doubling down on our core mission while also innovating on both the technology and business fronts.

 

Workers

Our team has always been the heart of our company - the driving force behind our mission, our innovation, and our impact. We’ve long believed that people are our greatest asset, and that belief guided every decision we made throughout 2024, even in the face of difficult circumstances.

We reflect on how we’ve supported our team through a transition period, the culture we continue to nurture, and the lessons we carry forward about care, collaboration, and what it truly means to work with purpose.

What we said we would do:

  • We are projecting a much more challenging year in 2024 for the business. By sharing company finances transparently, including forecasts, we have already started discussing the potential implications with the whole team.
  • Our employees will be dedicating capacity to changing projects and clients and we will tend to make sure we utilise their skill sets in the right places to maximise the impact.

 

What we did:

  • Our Team was reduced by nearly 50% - in all cases this was handled with honesty and transparency - we did the best we could to continue to live our values even as we made some tough decisions together.

  • We conducted our regular Diversity Monitoring Survey. The insights gained help us set meaningful goals and design initiatives that promote diversity and inclusion across our organisation.

 

 
  • Employees transitioning between projects and clients has proven successful, supported by clear responsibilities and effective knowledge sharing within the smaller team.


  • We ran our annual Team Engagement & Happiness survey to gather insights on employee engagement, wellbeing, and job satisfaction. It gives our team a space to share feedback and helps us keep improving the work experience at HappyPorch.
  • We continued our PDTs – The Professional Development Triangle, a self-managed framework designed to foster both professional and personal growth.

What we are going to do:

  • Given our new financial situation, we plan an update to our open and transparent salary-setting formula.

 

 

Community

This section highlights how we stayed connected, shared knowledge, and played our part in strengthening the broader ecosystem - even as we navigated our own period of change.

What we said we would do:

  • In 2024 we plan to further our mission to positively contribute to the transition to a more Circular Economy. We’ll be exploring a circular tech focused community, a new format for the podcast and much more.

     
  • Continue to support various charities and causes.

 

What we did:

  • Our founder continued to serve as a trustee of the “Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland” and over the past year has contributed through a range of volunteering activities, including taking on the role of Board Secretary.
  • We launched a new season of our HappyPorch Radio Circular Tech Podcast, focused on software and technology in re-commerce within the fashion industry. Across the season, we explored how technology is transforming the second-hand market and opening up a new era of digital thrift — highlighting opportunities, tackling challenges, and showcasing innovative solutions.
  • We continued our support for Scotland: The Big Picture, a charity at the forefront of rewilding efforts, working to restore natural landscapes and respond to the urgent climate and biodiversity challenges facing Scotland.  
  • We continued to be members and supporters of Circular Communities Scotland, a network that connects charities and social enterprises engaged in advancing Scotland’s circular economy.
  • We’ve continued our tradition of monthly donations, with a different team member each month choosing a charity close to their heart to support.
  • Through our ongoing “1% for the Planet” membership, we continued to donate 1% of our annual gross sales to approved environmental partners, notably the Environmental Investigation Agency, a charity committed to fighting environmental crimes and championing environmental protection.
  • Following last year’s approach, we sent clients Christmas e-cards via Don’t Send Me a Card, a platform that turns the cost of traditional cards into donations for charities in need.

 

What we are going to do:

  • Continue our deep commitment to all of the above!

 

 

Environment

We continue to believe that building a world aligned with net-zero emissions is not only a global imperative but also a moral responsibility, one that shapes every decision we make.

This section outlines the actions we took in 2024 — big and small — to honour that responsibility. It reflects the progress we’ve made, the areas we’re still working to improve, and our ongoing commitment to integrating environmental consciousness into the core of our business.

What we said we would do:

  • Discuss about our reduction targets of our future annual carbon footprint.
  • Dedicate time and investments for our nature-positive actions.
  • Continue actively seeking for new clients who focus on circular economy and sustainability, making a positive impact on the environment.
  • Lobby with government entities in order to implement greener measures and activities. Be an agent of change even outside the boundaries of the company.

 

  

What we did:

  • While we did not prioritise a formal discussion on reducing our annual carbon footprint this year, it decreased naturally as a result of a smaller team, downsizing, and reduced travel for in-person team meetups. In 2024, our overall carbon footprint was 10.06 tonnes of CO₂, a significant reduction compared to 28.96 tonnes in 2023.
  • Although advocacy and lobbying with government entities haven’t been a major focus for us this year, we’ve been intentional about adding the HappyPorch voice where it can make a difference. This has included contributing feedback to relevant policy discussions and supporting initiatives such as the Better Business Act in the UK and Wellbeing Economy Alliance (WEALL) in Scotland.

 

 

 

 

What we are going to do:

  • While changes in 2024 contributed to a lower footprint, we continue to view this as part of an ongoing journey to better understand, measure, and minimise our environmental impact.
  • Beyond that we plan to continue to and expand our support of regenerative practices - we have a particular interest in rewilding and regenerative agriculture

 

 

 

 

Customers

 

We were fortunate to deepen existing partnerships and form new, mission-aligned collaborations that helped us stay focused on our values.

By working closely with values-driven organisations, we continued to support more circular, sustainable systems. Together, we found new ways to create value, build resilience, and move closer to our shared vision of a more sustainable future.

 

What we said we would do:

  • Take our commitment to the circular economy even further, embedding it more prominently into our marketing strategies with the intention that leads us to more impactful clients.

 

 
     
     

What we did:

Here are some of the CE projects that we particularly enjoyed in 2024:

  • We had the pleasure to continue our collaboration with Reath, our long term partners and one of our favourite case studies. 
  • We participated in a fun example of a very early stage prototyping and helping Re-new.io to explore concepts.
  • Rental is one of the most interesting CE business models. Cirkel Supply Company and Baboodle are examples of very different rental businesses - but where the technology needs have a lot of fascinating similarities.
  • Resale Radar is a joint venture exploring the technical challenges collating data in the second hand market.
  • We enjoyed working on a project with Civtech, an inspiring public sector collaboration program. We were involved in a Challenge around CE in the NHS. We reached the final stage of this program - and will be following the winners with great interest in 2025!

 
     

What we are going to do:

  • While the proportion of 'Values-Aligned' income was lower in 2024, in line with the overall income drop, we remain committed to strengthening this area and see opportunities to increase Values-Aligned work going forward.

 

 

What we are going to do:

  • Given our new financial situation, we plan an update to our open and transparent salary-setting formula.

 

 

What we did:

  • Our Team was reduced by nearly 50% - in all cases this was handled with honesty and transparency - we did the best we could to continue to live our values even as we made some tough decisions together.
  • Employees transitioning between projects and clients has proven successful, supported by clear responsibilities and effective knowledge sharing within the smaller team.
  • We continued our PDTs – The Professional Development Triangle, a self-managed framework designed to foster both professional and personal growth.
  • We conducted our regular Diversity Monitoring Survey. The insights gained help us set meaningful goals and design initiatives that promote diversity and inclusion across our organisation.
  • We continued conducting our regular annual Team Engagement & Happiness survey, designed to gather valuable insights into different aspects of our workplace, such as employee engagement, wellbeing, and overall job satisfaction. The survey provides a space for team members to share their feedback and perspectives, helping us continually improve and enhance the work experience at HappyPorch.