Building a stronger business with Pulse Finance

Recruiting for the construction industry has never been easy — and in recent years, it’s become even tougher.  For Carl Webb, Director of M-Con Construction Recruitment (M-Con), every day presents a new challenge. With over 20 years of experience in the industry, Carl has seen the market evolve dramatically. Brexit marked a turning point, as many skilled workers left the UK and the sector has struggled to replenish its talent pool ever since.

“It feels like you’re scraping the inside of the barrel for skilled and motivated workers,” says Carl. “There just aren’t enough experienced tradespeople to go around.”

At the same time, new recruitment agencies are entering the market in droves, competing fiercely for the same limited pool of candidates and clients. Despite these challenges, M-Con has built and maintained a loyal client base through dedication, experience, and personal service.

But even a strong business like M-Con faces the ongoing challenge of cashflow. With a monthly wage bill of around £60-80,000 and clients on 30-day credit terms, managing cashflow can be difficult — especially in an unpredictable market.

Carl had previously used invoice finance to help bridge the cashflow gap between paying workers and receiving client payments. However, his experience with his former funder during the pandemic left much to be desired. Having experienced two large bad debts, they found the support from their funder lacking.

“Our previous funder just didn’t understand our business or the pressures we face in construction recruitment,” Carl recalls. “When times got tough, they weren’t there to help.”

Determined to find a funding partner that truly understood his business and would work collaboratively, Carl was introduced to Pulse Finance.  From the very first conversation, the team at Pulse Finance stood out.

“Pulse are different,” Carl explains. “They really take the time to understand what we’re trying to achieve and how they can help.”

Pulse provided an initial £75k invoice finance facility, tailored to M-Con’s needs. This facility allows M-Con to unlock cash tied up in invoices, ensuring the company can pay wages on time and continue recruiting for clients without cashflow constraints. With business continuing to grow, there facility is about to be increased to £100k.

What makes Pulse different is not just the product — it’s the partnership.

“They work with you to solve a problem if one comes up. It’s not just about finance — it’s about support,” says Carl. “Working with Pulse Finance helps me focus on running my business, rather than worrying about cashflow.”

As Mike Pym, Client Manager at Pulse Finance says: “Since partnering with Pulse Finance, M-Con has enjoyedimproved cashflow stability, ensuring staff and subcontractors are paid promptly whilst benefitting from a trusted relationship that understands the unique challenges of the recruitment sector allowing Carl more team to focus on client service and candidate placement”.

The deal is representative of the types of businesses supported by alternative finance provider Pulse Finance, which specialises in providing UK businesses with tailored business finance solutions of up to £5m.

As Siouxsie Ashmore – Operations Director at Pulse Finance commented “Pulse Finance is all about partnership. We don’t just provide funding — we work alongside our clients to understand their goals, challenges, and ambitions. With M-Con we’ve built a relationship based on trust and transparency, giving Carl the confidence that his funding will always support the day-to-day running of the business.”

As part of the facility, M-Con also benefit from a full sales ledger management solution whereby Pulse Finance work with the business to chase and collect invoice payment.

“It’s just a better service,” Carl concludes. “Pulse makes it easier to run my business. I can concentrate on what I do best — finding skilled people for my clients — knowing the finance side is taken care of.”

In a changing and highly competitive construction recruitment market, access to flexible funding and a supportive financial partner can make all the difference. For M-Con, Pulse Finance has become that trusted partner — helping the business not just survive but thrive.