Elumenate, BLLC 2024 Annual Report
A Utah Benefit Company since 2022
Benefit Decisions, Actions, and Results
As a Benefit Company, in decision making, Elumenate, BLLC seeks to consider the effect of any action or inaction on:
The members of Elumenate, BLLC
The employees and workforce of Elumenate, BLLC
The interests of customers as beneficiaries of Elumenate, BLLC's general public benefit purpose or specific public benefit purpose of “Building a Better World”
Community and societal considerations, including those of each community in which offices or facilities of Elumenate, BLLC or the benefit company's subsidiaries or suppliers are located
The local and global environment
The short-term and long-term interests of Elumenate, BLLC, including benefits that may accrue to the benefit company from the benefit company's long-term plans and the possibility that the interests may be best served by the continued independence of Elumenate, BLLC
The ability of Elumenate, BLLC to accomplish the benefit company's general public benefit purpose and any specific public benefit purpose, including “Building a Better World”
The ways in which Elumenate, BLLC pursued the benefit company's general public benefit purpose during the year and the extent to which general public benefit was created
During 2024, we sought to apply the decision-making rubric above resulting in the following decisions:
Use of powder coating instead of volatile-organic-compound-emitting paint
Use of aqueous degreaser instead of solvent
Allowing flexible hours as determined by employees. We also decided this year to have a dual approach to our business to include 1) Connecting as human beings and pursuing our personal development goals and 2) Focusing on business results as a means of achieving increased financial independence and ability to build a better world.
Minimizing waste
Allowing a high degree of autonomy for our workforce to develop and implement improvement ideas
Providing PPE and emphasizing safety over production
Working hard
Which resulted in:
Company is proving to be a viable source of income to the owner’s family and will likely be able to continue in existence and hopefully fund future benefit activities.
Fewer emissions to the atmosphere
Less waste disposed of
Good work/life balance for employees
Safe work environment
The ways in which Elumenate, BLLC pursued any specific public benefit that the benefit company's certificate of organization states is the purpose of the benefit company to create and the extent to which the specific public benefit was created
The purpose of Elumenate, BLLC, as declared in the certificate of organization is “Building a Better World.” We pursued this purpose this year by maintaining the company as a viable company that provides suspended dining chairs to our customers. The product itself makes the world better by reducing effort needed to maintain a neat and orderly house and reducing wear and tear on floors by the legs of chairs and bar stools. This creates a space where families can gather and enables parents to spend more time focusing on their children rather than tidying up. The world is also better from our efforts in that the owner is able to experience increased autonomy and satisfaction in his job. We also continued managing one rental house, making the world better for the tenants by providing a comfortable place for the tenants to live.
Circumstances that have hindered Elumenate, BLLC’s creation of general public benefit or any specific public benefit
The primary hindrance to creating additional benefit is the workload involved in establishing and operating the business. It is hoped that as we enter the growth phase, more time and resources will be available to pursue things such as new ways of working/Teal or other positive organization development. It is also hoped that more effort can be applied to process improvement thereby freeing additional time to be spent “Building a Better World.”
The process and rationale for selecting or changing the third-party standard used to prepare the benefit report
Elumenate, BLLC has chosen to assess ourselves against the United Nations 17 Sustainable Development Goals. It is believed that this will provide a broad context from which to consider ways of “Building a Better World.” It is also freely available and will not waste scarce company resources, which can instead be allocated toward “Building a Better World.”
Assessment of the overall social and environmental performance of Elumenate, BLLC against a third-party standard
This assessment shall be:
(i) Applied consistently with any application of the standard in prior benefit reports; or
(ii) Accompanied by an explanation of the reasons for any inconsistent application
To aid future year assessments to be consistent, the assessment is performed as follows:
Consider each strategic development goal (SDG) individually or in the strategic groupings outlined below in each of the following ways:
Discussion of how this goal applies, or could apply to Elumenate, BLLC
As appropriate, develop key performance measures (KPMs).
Actions taken in the past year in support of the SDG and the beneficial results from those actions
Opportunities for further improvement
Application
Currently Elumenate, BLLC impacts poverty primarily by creating a value stream that otherwise would not exist. By doing this, additional value is brought into the world, which provides opportunity for our employees to work and earn money, provides profit to the members, and creates demand for raw materials, parts, and services, which provides income to those involved in providing such.
Key Performance Measures
Revenue received in each of the following areas:
Employee wages, including taxes
Profit
Expenses for materials, parts, and services
Actions Taken and Beneficial Results
We hired a marketing czar and developed plans to layout the shop to further streamline production with the following results for the time period 10/1/23-9/23/24:
$11k paid to employees
$163k profit to members
$185k to suppliers
Opportunities.
Grow the business.
Create more jobs, more economic activity, more value creation.
Volunteer at local food bank or other community service as a team.
Application
No current direct application.
Key Performance Measures
None identified.
Actions Taken and Beneficial Results
Provided jobs to individuals who were in need of cash to pay bills, potentially keeping them from food insecurity.
Opportunities.
Grow the business, create more jobs.
Company meals.
Application
One of our primary company values is loving ourselves. This means we care about our health and safety.
Key Performance Measures
Number of lost work days due to injury.
Actions Taken and Beneficial Results
Provided PPE:
Gloves
Safety glasses
Respirators
Ear protection
Welding gear
Low VOC aqueous degreasers
Fire extinguishers
Powder coat instead of liquid paint
Health insurance for managing director’s family, workers’ comp for employees
Resulting in zero lost time work days due to injuries.
Opportunities.
Provide health insurance for employees.
Create positive and inclusive work culture that builds upon our spiritual natures.
Integrate work with family living. Healthy work life balance.
Weld fume exhaust treatment.
Application
Various skills are required to run the business, providing opportunities for on-the-job training. We could also support the educational pursuits of our employees.
Key Performance Measures
None identified.
Actions Taken and Beneficial Results
On-the-job training provided to employees.
Self-learning from the web also happened.
Resulting in we got the job done, with very few quality issues.
Opportunities
Trades education: welding, powder coating, etc.
Apprentice program.
Application
Hiring and promotion within the company.
Key Performance Measures
Percent of employees male and female.
Actions Taken and Beneficial Results
Hired female welder.
Resulting in a workforce of substantially one male and one female.
Opportunities.
Equal pay, when female is hired.
Assign job duties commensurate with abilities.
Application
No current application identified.
Key Performance Measures
None identified.
Actions Taken and Beneficial Results
Utilized our access to clean water and sanitation via restroom and kitchen facilities provided to employees on site.
Opportunities.
None identified.
Application
Use of.
Key Performance Measures
Percent of power from clean sources.
Actions Taken and Beneficial Results
Utilized access to affordable energy.
Resulting in energy used, but from unknown sources via the grid and from generators.
Opportunities
Solar panels
Three-phase converter
Application
Creating within the company.
Key Performance Measures
Number of full-time-equivalent (FTE) employees.
Actions Taken and Beneficial Results
Value stream created
Flexible hours
Decent pay
Purchased large portable swamp cooler
Resulting in less than one FTE employee.
Opportunities.
Grow the business
Maintain flexibility
Build to stock core product
Insulate and seal shop
Application
Developing infrastructure to operate the business. Capitalizing on innovation within the company. Being industrious.
Key Performance Measures
None identified.
Actions Taken and Beneficial Results
Very flexible idea implementation encouraging innovation amongst employees.
Improvement idea discussion ‘breaks’
Equipment purchased
Resulting in being able to get the job done.
Opportunities.
Ironworker
Automatic bandsaw
Product redesign
Standardize
Expand in sheds
Concrete work
Solar power
3-phase
Application
Within the company and with our customers
Key Performance Measures
None identified.
Actions Taken and Beneficial Results
Reasonable wage versus minimum possible
Provided some job opportunities
I charge more for some fancier chairs, while offering a cheaper option with stools
Resulting in employees feeling fairly treated.
Opportunities.
Have more cheap options so those with less money can enjoy our product
Charge more for custom and fancier options so those with the means can get what they want, but have to pay for it.
Pay more in wages
Application
Run the business in a sustainable way.
Key Performance Measures
None identified.
Actions Taken and Beneficial Results
Aqueous degreaser
No VOC powder coat versus paint
Minimize waste
Recycle and reuse packaging, minimizing packaging
Refurbishing existing systems and reusing
Home-based business
Resulting in reduced waste in landfills and less air pollution.
Opportunities.
Reclaim powder
Solar power
Solar degreaser heater
Application
How we run the business.
Key Performance Measures
None identified.
Actions Taken and Beneficial Results
Reduced discharges to the environment
Land
Minimized waste created
Proper solid waste disposal
Water
Minimal water used.
Air
Minimize chemical use
aqueous degreaser.
Resulting in less harm to local environment.
Opportunities.
Waste oil furnace
Repair leaky equipment
Improved paint booth filtration
Application
Support local government.
Key Performance Measures
None identified.
Actions Taken and Beneficial Results
Abiding by all applicable laws and regulations including:
Business license
Legal entity
Employee reporting
Tax payment
Resulting in supporting government financially and not being a drain on resources.
Opportunities.
None identified
Application
Use for strategic planning.
Key Performance Measures
None identified.
Actions Taken and Beneficial Results
Using these strategic development goals to guide our benefit LLC strategic thinking.
Resulting in a broader assessment of our benefit opportunities than likely would have otherwise happened and readers of this report may become more familiar with the SDGs.
Opportunities.
None identified.
Connection between the organization that established the third-party standard, or the organization's directors or officers, or a holder of 5% or more of the governance interests in the organization, and Elumenate, BLLC or the benefit company's members, managers, or officers or any holder of 5% or more of the outstanding interests in the benefit company, including any financial or governance relationship that might materially affect the credibility of the use of the third-party standard.
No connection.
Thank you for reading! End of Report.
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