Clearview National August 2017 - Issue 189 | Page 102

BUSINESSNEWS Collaboration no longer a dirty word for Self-Employed » » A NEW REPORT, ‘THE Self Organising Self-Employed’, commissioned by the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB), highlights how the self-employed are coming together to fill the gaps left by Government by pooling their resources in schemes that offer financial support and security. Collaborative ideas, such as Bread Funds, allow the self- employed to contribute to a communal fund which can then be accessed to cover late payments or used to provide sick and maternity pay. This provides participating individuals the peace of mind that employees have when faced with hardship in their working life. The emergence of such collaborative and supportive initiatives is a response to the unwillingness or inability of previous Governments to resolve issues facing the self-employed. This includes the clear disparity that exists in the social security system between the self- employed and employees. Mike Cherry, National Chairman at FSB, said: “Since 2000, the UK has experienced a self-employment revolution and we now have 4.8 million people making the choice to go it alone. These ‘strivers’ have become the engine room of the economy and are driving growth and creating jobs. “The stark reality is, that despite the self-employment boom changing the face of the modern workforce, the Government has not been quick enough to recognise this ‘sea- change’ and the self-employed are being left behind. “They have fewer rights and fundamentally take on far more risk than employees. For example, when they fall ill they lack access to critical benefits such as sick pay that many employees take for granted. It has been left to the self-employed themselves to try and fill in the gap through innovative ideas such as cooperative models of savings and collective insurance models. “These arrangements can provide the self-employed with a financial safety net if they fall sick or get injured at work. The Government should step in and provide equal maternity, paternity and adoption pay alongside addressing access to financial products such as mortgages. ‘driving growth and creating jobs’ “The Government needs to do more to actively support the self- employed or it risks endangering the growth we are seeing in the UK.” www.fsb.org.uk PREMIUM BRANDS NEED PREMIUM MARKETING The industry is changing fast, and keeping up with homeowner demands can seem quite daunting at times for installers. » » DEKKO RECOGNISES THAT creating marketing support is both expensive and challenging for their installer customers – and that’s why the firm is now seeking to take that pain away. Fresh from their successful brand launch at the FIT Show, Dekko Window Systems are introducing a range of stunning and versatile new marketing materials to allow installers to showcase its Infinity and Räum product ranges. 102 » AUG 2017 » CL EARVI E W- UK . C O M ‘Make It Yours’ enables installers to access and tailor a comprehensive range of high-end printed and digital assets showcasing the new Infinity and Räum brands. Dekko customers will be given access to a vast Dropbox folder full of professionally designed logos, banners, templates, brochures and stunning photography plus many other assets that they can use to quickly produce outstanding-looking promotional and point of sale material. Retailers and installers can work with Dekko’s in-house and friendly marketing department to have personalised branding materials designed for them in a flash. It really takes tailored marketing to a brand-new level and takes the stress and cost away for installers! www.dekkowindows.com