MWM Issue 15: 🏆Highly Commended. Hugely Delighted🏆
Hi everyone. Firstly, what a spectacular event The Contracting Awards 2025 was. Or, so I heard. I was genuinely gutted not to be there and see clients, contacts and friends. Thanks to Ian Simkins for stepping in.
I’m still absolutely buzzing from being Highly Commended in our category, Supplier to the Industry. CMR was up against some absolute titans, so to be named alongside them and to get so close felt like a real achievement.
A massive thank you to the judging panel, to everyone who’s supported us this year, and to all the clients who continue to trust us with their growth.
Congratulations to all the nominees and winners. It’s great to see our industry in such good shape.
And by hook or by crook, I’ll hopefully see you at the next one (I’ll be getting a flu jab in October 2026 🎻)
Onto Mid-week Matters #15!
💷 Budget Day… But Written Beforehand
I appreciate you’ll have more important things on your plate today; you’ll be glued to your screens from midday onwards.
As I write this, the Chancellor hasn’t stepped up to the mic yet, but my guess is that whatever is said is terrible news for businesses and taxpayers.
For businesses, particularly those in recruitment, accountancy and umbrella, the pattern has become familiar. Rising operating costs. Increased pressure on compliance. Shifting tax burdens. And very little genuine support for the sectors powering flexible work.
We’re always on the lookout for the fine print. Subtle wording changes can have big implications when it comes to contractor models, off-payroll regulation, and the rollout of things like MTD for Self Assessment. So while the headlines might be light, we’ll be reading between the lines.
Once we’ve gone through the statement in full, we’ll share our take on what it really means for the people and businesses we work with.
📊 Planning 2026 Properly
Over the past few weeks, I’ve been sitting around the boardroom tables of our clients, helping them map out their 2026 hiring strategies.
We’ve been benchmarking salaries, writing job specs, and working with leadership teams to align hiring plans with commercial growth. Because if there’s one thing we’ve learned this year, it’s that rushed or reactive hiring almost always leads to regret (the 3 Deadly R’s).
Talent strategy is a commercial strategy. Planning properly matters. And it’s one of the few things still fully in your control. Apart from the bank holidays (which my wife insists I take off), I’ll be working and available to discuss your 2026 plans.
📈 Suppliers Are Moving >>> Fast
The CMR Suppliers desk has been heating up, just in time for the cold snap in weather.
Jade Dunne is working closely with providers who are expanding fast, and we’re seeing a real appetite for people with umbrella or contract recruitment experience who want to move into parallel sectors like software, compliance or outsourced services.
There’s a sweet spot for people who understand the pace of our sector and want to apply that knowledge in new environments with proper progression opportunities.
If that sounds like you, or someone you rate, drop Jade a message.
📅 Save the Date: 22 January, Manchester, 2026!
Yes, you read that right, 2026! Our first event of the year is confirmed.
We’ll be back in Manchester on Monday the 22nd January, kicking off the year with an exclusive roundtable session focused on MTD for Self Assessment and how to unlock the commercial opportunity this change presents.
We’ve already had a strong response from accountancy and umbrella firm owners who want to get ahead of the curve. It’s shaping up to be a packed room.
Thanks to David Rose and the team at FreeAgent for sponsoring.
We’ve got space for one or two more, let me know if you’re interested in coming along.
💭 My Final Word
Just because we’re coming up to Christmas doesn’t mean the momentum is stopping. Far from it. Whether you’re hiring now or planning ahead for Q1, this is the time to make sure your people strategy lines up with your growth ambitions.
We’re having more conversations than ever about structure, succession and long-term planning. And while it might sound like a broken record, it really does feel like a step in the right direction.
Next month is December, and we’re still TBC on whether a Christmas Eve edition of Mid-week Matters will happen. So if this is the penultimate one for 2025, thank you for reading, sharing and supporting everything we’ve been building this year.
See you before Christmas. Or in your inbox. Or maybe both.
