That’s a wrap! A look back at 2024

As 2024 draws to a close, we’re reflecting on what has been an extraordinary year for Liquid Friday and our incredible community of contractors, agency clients and partners.

2024 has been transformative, marked by innovation and growth. But before we put it in the rear view mirror, here’s a look back at some of the highlights and milestones that defined the year. 

Innovation in action

It’s been a year of phenomenal progress for our Stride platform. This year saw its continued rollout, with great feedback from our recruitment partners. Adopters have reported better candidate retention, faster repeat placements and reduced resourcing costs. 

In parallel to this, the growing popularity of our contractor app has continued to empower our contractors, giving them more control over their work and benefits. Speaking of benefits, we enhanced our contractor packages in 2024, offering more choice and flexibility, and introducing additional perks to ensure our contractors feel valued and supported every step of the way. 

Recognition and accreditation 

In January we proudly ranked #17 in the Solent Top 250, a jump from #42 in the previous year.

We were also thrilled to secure Disability Matters accreditation and Social Value accreditation (SVRE assured), reinforcing our commitment to inclusivity and making a meaningful impact.

The awards season was equally rewarding. We were finalists in several prestigious events during the year, including the Recruiter Awards, Portsmouth Business Excellence Awards and Hampshire Business Awards. But no doubt the highlight was being named Best Umbrella Company (over 3000 clients) at the 2024 Contracting Awards in November. 

This recognition, and the overwhelming goodwill we received afterwards, is testament to the hard work and dedication of the entire Liquid Friday team. 

Partnerships that matter

Collaboration has been key to our success this year. We forged new partnerships with Jarvis, offering contractor pension solutions and Liberty Bishop , supporting businesses with their international payroll needs. 

Our involvement with Shaping Portsmouth and becoming Business South champions, further cemented our role as a regional leader. Our partnership with Portsmouth Pride also flourished in 2024, deepening our commitment to diversity and inclusion and supporting causes that celebrate individuality and equality. 

Throughout the year we continued to work closely with FCSA, REC and TEAM, striving to drive positive, impactful change in the recruitment and contracting industries.  

The legal landscape

From two very different Budgets to July’s General Election, legislatively there was lots to talk about in 2024. Labour’s landslide victory in the polls brought a renewed focus on employment rights, the unveiling of the Employment Rights Bill.

November’s Budget announcements, including hard hitting changes to Employers National Insurance and tackling non-compliance in the umbrella company industry, kept our compliance and communications teams busy, ensuring we stayed ahead of the curve and kept our agencies and contractors  informed, and will continue to do so in the year ahead.   

Growth of Liquid Link

Liquid Link, the invoice finance arm of the Liquid Friday Group, experienced remarkable growth in 2024. The number of invoices funded will reach an anticipated 18,500 by the end of the calendar, an increase of 95% on last year.

In monetary terms, the value of invoices funded to date stands at £13.8M, with an impressive forecast of £70M by financial year-end, marking a 106% growth from the previous year’s total of £34M. 

Giving back   

Charity and community remain close to our hearts at Liquid Friday. From supporting a local food bank throughout the year to participating in Comic Relief and Christmas Jumper Day for Save the Children, we’ve been proud to make a difference. 

Our contributions to local hamper and toy drives brought joy to families during the festive season and we donated cozy pyjamas to children’s hospitals spreading warmth and smiles.   

Celebrating our people

2024 was a year of personal and professional growth for our team. We welcomed new faces, including Lee and Polly at Liquid Friday and Bilal, Bobbie and Troy at Liquid Link.

Our team achieved incredible professional milestones: Frankie passed his Level 2 Customer Service apprenticeship, Jade completed Level 3 HR, Sam Ayling excelled in a management course, Ant became a Certified Admin and AI Specialist for Salesforce, and Lara achieved Level 7 HR qualifications.

On the personal front, Frankie passed his driving test, Lee aced his theory test, and we celebrated engagements for Sam Pannell and Libby. 

Our year in numbers

Numbers often tell the most compelling stories, and ours underline just how much we achieved in 2024: 

• 13,083 contractor assignments supported
• 179,409 payslips issued
• £223 million payroll processed
• 8 new team members
• 8,872 Account Manager miles (the equivalent of NYC and back!)
• 12,650 cups of tea consumed! It’s thirsty work you know! 

Happy New Year!

As we bid farewell to 2024, we extend our heartfelt thanks to our contractors, agency clients, partners, friends, and followers. Your support fuels our drive to innovate and excel. Here’s to an even brighter 2025—we can’t wait to see what it has in store!