Kerb: 'Lack of support for self-employed is our biggest anxiety'

Kerb, the operator behind six of London’s street-food markets, has announced a multi-faceted support campaign for its traders, but has said that further Government measures are needed to support the self-employed.

“What the Government have come out with already has been amazing,” Ian Dodds, Kerb brand director has told MCA. “But there’s been a massive gap so far in support for the self-employed.”

Kerb Markets house a variety of independent traders and businesses, and Dodds said it is a package for these people that is “currently missing and causing the biggest anxiety for us.”

“There are so many sole-traders who generate a huge amount of revenue for the economy but also add a lot of cultural value to London,” he said.

“The great thing about living in a city like this is the cultural output, and it will be unbelievably sad if we lose that part of the industry forever because the policies have only really supported big business or those that have stable and conventional contracts with their work.”

To do its bit in helping its 120 partner traders, Kerb has launched a ‘keep the wheels turning’ campaign, which offers a list of services intended to support, guide and maintain a dialogue with the individuals it represents.

The range of initiatives under the campaign are developing day by day, but some key services will include workshops and editorial to offer guidance on subjects like finance and brand maintenance, as well as digital and interactive content from videocall lockdown lunches to podcasts and cookery shows.

Having received an outpouring of support for the Kerb brand, the platform will also be a space for those wanting to help to be able to share expertise and advice.

“It will give people the chance to help whether that be financially, or on an accounting, HR or marketing level,” he said. “We’ve had loads of people offer pro-bono support which has been amazing, so we’re trying to work out how we allocate the skills of the people that have come back to us into various supportive projects.”

As it waits for further Government announcements for self-employed workers, which is expected over the coming days, Dodds said the priority for Kerb will be to attempt to “de-mystify the most monumental historic moment in everyone’s lives.”

“Having one solid voice or direction at a time like this is practically impossible,” he said. “But part of the platform’s point is to get more people to engage with us, talk to us and give us advice.”

“We want to make it a place that people from all over the industry can guide and help with as well.”