Total Installer May-June 2019

Industry News
DON’T LET INSURANCE
BE SOLE DESTROYING
A large number of the UK’s self-employed
tradespeople could be personally exposed
to the various risks associated with
running a business, exclusive research
carried out by self-employment tax
specialist, Qdos, has revealed.
The insight suggests that nearly one in three
(29%) self-employed workers surveyed do not
hold insurance at all, with over half of this
group stating they do not believe they need it.
This group of workers (83% of whom are soletraders)
do not hold insurance for the following
reasons: 53% do not think they need it; 25%
believe it’s too expensive; 17% have never
considered it at all; 8% are looking to buy it;
1% can’t find the right policy; 1% say they are
self-insured; 5% stated ‘other’ reasons.
Of the 71% of individuals who hold at least one
form of insurance, the most common policy is
public liability insurance (64%).
Higher earners (£50k+ annual turnover) are
more likely to have insurance in place (95%),
while those earning under £50k a year are less
likely (63%).
Seb Maley, CEO of Qdos, said: “Self-employed
workers are exposed to all kinds of risks on a
daily basis – many of which they have no
control over and cannot see coming. When
running a small business, there's no escaping
the fact that you might have an accident and
not be able to work, make a mistake for which
you’re liable or even be investigated by the
taxman. Sole traders do not have the luxury of
being protected by their limited company either.
This means that if an incident does happen,
they will be personally liable should they not
hold insurance. Given challenging HMRC, for
example, can cost individuals thousands of
pounds, the old adage it’s better to be safe
than sorry has never been truer.”
INSTALLER SCHEME MAKES ROOFLINE EASY
Freefoam has reported a significant increase in
recent months in the number of new Registered
Installers, with companies from throughout the
UK applying to join the scheme.
Following a programme of promotion activity
across various media, enquiries have increased
and more home improvement companies are
realising the benefits of supplying and fitting
Freefoam products.
Roofline falls into the remit of a range of
businesses, from window and door installers,
roofers, roofline specialists and more general
building professionals. To this end the Freefoam
Registered Installer scheme is open to any
business, allowing companies to integrate roofline
into their offering, backed by a professional
package and manufacturer support.
Marketing Manager Louise Sanderson explained:
“We’ve been incredibly pleased with the results of
our campaign. In an increasingly competitive
market businesses are looking at ways they can
extend their offering, and align themselves with a
well-respected, established brand. The Freefoam
Registered Installer scheme meets their needs
and offers an attractive proposition.”
Colin St John commented “The Freefoam
Registered Installer scheme makes roofline an
accessible range for all home improvement
professionals. We provide the materials and
back-up support to help all companies develop
their business – their success is our success.
Having brand loyal, committed fitting companies
buying from our customers also underlines our
support for the whole supply chain.”
GIN IS THE PERFECT INSTALLER TONIC
Bison Frames says its new
Genesis Installer Network (GIN)
is proving to be an instant
success gaining interest from
the trade, with many already
signing up to become member.
GIN is said to be designed to unite
forward thinking installation
companies with a product portfolio
of premium windows, doors and
comprehensive support.
“We’ve had an amazing response from installers
so far,” said Marcus O’Boyle, Bison’s Business
Development and Marketing Manager. “To date,
26 businesses have signed up to the scheme and
they are already reaping the benefits. It gives
installer-retailers the tools to demonstrate their
professionalism and grow their business with an
exclusive product range.
Marcus O'Boyle, Business
Development and Marketing Manager
at Bison Frames.
Freefoam has seena rise in registered installers.
“Meticulously crafted by Bison,
the Genesis Collection offers
windows and doors with
beautifully crafted joints, including
both mechanical and Graf Weld
options. We wanted to grow and
support our network of installers
so they can provide a product and
service that really stands out from
the crowd with a host of extra
benefits.”
‘GIN’ is free to join and offers
installers high quality, qualified sales leads
nationwide, teamed with a wealth of support.
Installers who are interested in being a part of
‘GIN’ can find out more at
https://bisonframes.co.uk/register-for-genesisinstaller-network/.
12 TIJULY/AUG 2019 PRACTICAL CONTENT FOR THE GLAZING INSTALLER & HOME IMPROVEMENT SPECIALIST