Gemma & Jodi's Pet Services took the Dog Walking Business of the Year 2026 category at the Pet Industry Federation (PIF) Awards, beating five other businesses shortlisted for the title, according to the company. The firm was set up in 2021 by Gemma and Jodi Cardwell, starting out with no customers and just the two founders, the business said.

Five years on, the company employs a team of ten and works with more than 150 ongoing customers, having carried out over 5,800 individual pet-care bookings in the last twelve months, according to the business. The judges recognised the firm for its approach to looking after animals, the standards it maintains and the quality of care it provides, the company said.

Co-founder Gemma Cardwell said: "We honestly never imagined that something we started with just the two of us and a passion for animals would lead to national recognition like this."

The company said its growth came despite Gemma Cardwell spending more than a year on crutches or in a wheelchair after a serious leg injury, while she continued to help run the business.

Wider services and community work

As well as dog walking, the firm offers pet-sitting in clients' homes, grooming, training sessions and care for smaller animals, according to the business. Each dog taken on by the company is given its own Pet Passport, a record of its health, daily routine and behaviour, the firm said.

The business also runs dog walks that local residents can join free of charge, which it said bring people together, promote responsible dog ownership and give owners a chance to meet others who share an interest in animals.

Co-founder Jodi Cardwell said: "We're incredibly proud of the team we've built and the relationships we have with the families and animals we care for. Being recognised nationally is wonderful, but our focus has always been the same: providing the best possible care for every animal and supporting the community we're part of. It's not about us. It's the animals."

According to the business, the PIF Awards recognise strong performance across the pet care sector, and this year's contest drew an unusually high number of applicants, with finalists chosen by a panel of specialists from within the industry.

This story is based on information sent to Small Cap News by Gemma & Jodi's Pet Services on 9 November 2026. See also: Awards and how to send us your news.

Geoff Bouchier and Benjamin Wiles of Kroll were appointed joint administrators of CD Welcombe Propco Limited and CD Welcombe Opco Limited on 2 November 2026. In a statement sent to Small Cap News on 6 November 2026, Kroll described the two companies as the owner and operator of the hotel, and said the business was sold "following an extensive marketing process".

Geoff Bouchier, managing director at Kroll Restructuring, said: "Our priority throughout this process has been to achieve the best possible outcome for employees and stakeholders. We are delighted to have completed a transaction that secures the future of the hotel, preserves all 99 jobs and places the business in the hands of an experienced operator committed to its long-term success."

Kroll's statement did not give the price paid.

The administration of CD Welcombe Propco Limited (company number 05946111) was recorded in a notice published in The London Gazette on 5 November 2026. The notice describes the company's business as "Hotels and similar accommodation" and gives its principal trading address as The Welcombe Hotel, Warwick Road, Stratford Upon Avon, Warwickshire.

Companies House records show CD Welcombe Propco was incorporated on 25 September 2006 and its most recent accounts, made up to 31 December 2024, were filed as full accounts. Its earlier names were Hallmark Hotels (Stratford) Limited and Menzies Hotels Property No. 16 Limited.

Neither the Gazette notice nor Kroll's statement gives a reason for the administration.

Source: The London Gazette, notice 5246553, published 5 November 2026; Companies House records; and a statement from Kroll sent to Small Cap News on 6 November 2026. See also: how to send us your news.

The notice records that Glen Carter and Joe Barry of RSM UK Restructuring Advisory LLP were appointed as joint administrators on 29 October 2026, in proceedings in the High Court of Justice, Business and Property Courts of England and Wales.

The notice describes the company's business as "Dispensing chemist in specialised stores". Its principal trading address is given as 213 St John Street, London.

Companies House records show the company was incorporated on 13 May 2002 and its most recent accounts, made up to 30 September 2025, were filed as small company accounts.

Companies House records list Allcures PLC as a person with significant control of the company. Allcures PLC entered administration with the same administrators, appointed on the same day, according to a Gazette notice published on 5 November 2026.

The notice does not give a reason for the insolvency.

Source: The London Gazette, notice 5245186, published 4 November 2026, notice 5246551, published 5 November 2026, and Companies House records. See also: how to send us your news.

The notice records that Joanne Milner and David Buchler of Buchler Phillips Limited were appointed as joint liquidators on 27 October 2026.

Its principal trading address is given as 29-31 Saffron Hill, London, EC1N 8SW.

Companies House records show the company was incorporated on 24 January 2017 and its most recent accounts, made up to 30 April 2024, were filed as group accounts.

Its business is listed at Companies House as management of real estate on a fee or contract basis.

The notice does not give a reason for the insolvency.

Source: The London Gazette, notice 5242714, published 2 November 2026, and Companies House records. See also: how to send us your news.

The notice records that Glen Carter and Joe Barry of RSM UK Restructuring Advisory LLP were appointed as joint administrators on 29 October 2026, in proceedings in the High Court of Justice, Business and Property Courts of England and Wales.

The notice describes the company's business as "Dispensing chemist in specialised stores". Its principal trading address is given as 27 High Street, Newhaven, East Sussex.

Companies House records show the company was incorporated on 23 June 1961 and its most recent accounts, made up to 30 September 2025, were filed as small company accounts.

Companies House records list Allcures PLC as a person with significant control of the company. Allcures PLC entered administration with the same administrators, appointed on the same day, according to a Gazette notice published on 5 November 2026.

The notice does not give a reason for the insolvency.

Source: The London Gazette, notice 5242814, published 3 November 2026, notice 5246551, published 5 November 2026, and Companies House records. See also: how to send us your news.

Separately, 970 solvent companies began members' voluntary liquidations in October 2026, up 80% from 539 in September 2026 and up 47% from 662 in October 2025. A members' voluntary liquidation is used to close a company that can pay its debts in full: it is a solvent closure, not a business failure, and these companies are not counted in the insolvency total. The notices do not give reasons for the closures.

Of the insolvent companies, 1,572 were creditors' voluntary liquidations, 303 were compulsory liquidations ordered by the courts and 146 were administrations. One company appears under two procedures in the month and is counted once in the total.

Administrations were up 18% from 124 on the month, creditors' voluntary liquidations up 1.9% from 1,542 and compulsory liquidations down 8.5% from 331.

Construction accounted for the largest number, 386, followed by accommodation and food services (286) and wholesale and retail trade (268). The sector of 17 companies could not be matched from Companies House records.

By region, London had the most, 470, followed by the North West (275) and the South East (259).

A further 729 winding-up petitions against companies were published in the month. A petition is a creditor's application to the court and does not by itself mean a company is insolvent.

How we count

Each company is counted once per procedure in the month, from notices published in the London, Edinburgh and Belfast Gazettes. Creditors' voluntary liquidations are counted from the resolution or the appointment of liquidators, compulsory liquidations from the winding-up order, members' voluntary liquidations from the resolution or the appointment of liquidators. These are counts of Gazette notices, not the Insolvency Service's official statistics, which are based on Companies House registrations and can differ.

Source: The Gazette insolvency notices and Companies House records, analysed by Small Cap News.

The next busiest firms were FRP Advisory with 77, Business Guardian with 57, Leonard Curtis with 55 and Leading Business Services with 46.

In administrations, the largest number of appointments went to FRP Advisory with 14, Begbies Traynor with 13 and Interpath Advisory with 10.

In creditors' voluntary liquidations, Begbies Traynor led with 178, followed by FRP Advisory with 62.

The Official Receiver, the officer of the Insolvency Service who deals with companies wound up by the courts, is named in 303 of the 304 winding-up order notices published in October 2026. It is shown separately and not ranked, because it acts by law rather than by appointment from a firm.

In members' voluntary liquidations, which close solvent companies and are not counted above, Begbies Traynor was appointed most often, 82 times.

How we count

One appointment is one company in one procedure in the month, from notices of administrators' and liquidators' appointments and resolutions to wind up in the London, Edinburgh and Belfast Gazettes. A firm is counted once per company however many of its practitioners are named; where practitioners from two firms are appointed jointly, each firm is counted. Firms trading through several regional partnerships are counted as one group. The office holder could not be identified from the notice for 241 appointments, which are not included in any firm's total. These are counts of Gazette notices, not the Insolvency Service's official statistics, which are based on Companies House registrations and can differ.

Source: The Gazette insolvency notices, analysed by Small Cap News.

The same administrators were appointed on the same day to five other companies, according to Gazette notices published between 3 and 5 November 2026. Companies House records list Allcures PLC as a person with significant control of four of them: Newhaven Pharmacies Limited, L. Cameron & Son Limited, Wellbrooke Products Limited and Preddy Newco Limited. The fifth, Hassengate EA Limited, lists Wellbrooke Products Limited as its person with significant control.

The notices describe the business of Allcures and of four of the five companies as "Dispensing chemist in specialised stores". The notice for Hassengate EA describes it as a dormant company.

The principal trading addresses given in the notices include 27 High Street, Newhaven, for Newhaven Pharmacies and 12-14 Broad Street, Seaford, for L. Cameron & Son, both in East Sussex. The notices for Allcures, Wellbrooke Products, Preddy Newco and Hassengate EA give 213 St John Street, London.

Companies House records show Allcures PLC was incorporated on 11 March 1999 and its most recent accounts, made up to 30 September 2025, were filed as full accounts. Its business is listed at Companies House as wholesale of pharmaceutical goods. Newhaven Pharmacies was incorporated in 1961 and L. Cameron & Son in 1964.

The notices do not give a reason for the insolvencies.

Source: The London Gazette notices 5246551 (Allcures PLC), 5242814 (Newhaven Pharmacies), 5242812 (L. Cameron & Son), 5245186 (Wellbrooke Products), 5242813 (Preddy Newco) and 5246549 (Hassengate EA), published 3 to 5 November 2026, and Companies House records. See also: how to send us your news.

Teamed's figures show that 25% of businesses hiring abroad for the first time in that period brought in someone at head, director, VP or C-suite level, compared with 11% in 2022. The firm said the pattern points to companies reaching for senior expertise from the outset rather than filling roles one by one as an overseas presence builds.

Smaller firms were more likely than larger ones to take this approach, with 23% of smaller businesses choosing a senior leader for their debut international appointment against 13% of large businesses. Teamed's co-founder, Tom Price-Daniel, said: "For smaller businesses especially, this could be a way to gain the experience and direction they need to grow internationally without having to build an entire team first."

Sales roles gain ground on engineering

The type of role being recruited internationally has also changed. Teamed's data shows sales and business development positions made up 22% of its Europe-based international hires in 2026, up sharply from 5% in 2022, while the share going to software and engineering roles dropped from 36% to 19% over the same period.

Price-Daniel said: "Four years ago, if a business hired abroad, it was usually hiring an engineer. Now it's more likely to be someone who sells."

Spain tops the list of talent sources

Spain was the single largest source of international hires recorded by Teamed in 2026, supplying 12.8% of them, ahead of South Africa on 7.9%. Spain also featured heavily as a starting point for businesses' overseas expansion, accounting for 15% of first international hires, level with Germany, while South Africa took 12% of first hires.

Teamed's figures also show the geographic spread of employers doing the hiring has widened. UK-based employers made up 79% of international hires recorded in 2022, but that share had fallen to 46% by 2025-26.

The figures are drawn from Teamed's own internal employment contract data covering 2022 to 2026, with year-on-year comparisons for 2026 based on the January to September period, extracted on 20 October 2026 and anonymised before analysis, the company said.

Source: Teamed; Free Press Releases (release issued by Teamed).

Calder, who held the title Chief Vision Officer at the firm, said she remains active in the same field and can still be contacted personally. She asked contacts to update their records with her personal email address and pointed them to her LinkedIn profile to follow her current projects. She said she would keep monitoring the Excalibur Press inbox for a while after the closure.

In her message, Calder thanked those who had supported the business. "Thank you for all your support for Excalibur Press' journey," she said.

She also said she hoped to continue working with contacts in a personal capacity in the future. "I hope that I can work with you personally again over the coming month(s) / year(s)," Calder said.

No further detail on the circumstances of the liquidation was given in her message.

This story is based on information sent to Small Cap News by Excalibur Press on 4 November 2026. See also: People and how to send us your news.

The Rossendale Trust provides supported living care for adults with learning and some physical disabilities in Macclesfield and Buxton. Through its Oakwood service it runs informal learning and leisure activities, while its WorkTaste scheme arranges supported work opportunities with local businesses.

The charity's Fashion Show & Christmas Market will be held at Shrigley Hall in Pott Shrigley on Thursday 12 November, featuring tenants and staff on the catwalk alongside Christmas market stalls where visitors can shop in support of the Trust. Doors open at 6.30pm, with the fashion show starting at 7.30pm, and tickets cost £12.50 per person, including a welcome drink.

Lorena Poltorac, who acquired Mail Boxes Etc. Macclesfield with her partner Jordan Scott in 2025, said she got in touch with the Rossendale Trust to find a practical way of supporting a charity in the local community. According to the company, the Trust was open to discussing how the two organisations could work together, and Mail Boxes Etc. has since been looking at the charity's printing requirements to find areas where it can offer better rates. Poltorac, who previously worked as a photographer, will also take photographs at the fashion show without charge.

Building a lasting link

Poltorac said the aim was for the partnership to continue beyond this event. "We want this to be an ongoing relationship, where we can help with the things they need as their events come around," she said.

She added: "The Trust does so much to help people build confidence and independence. We're pleased to play a part and hope more people will come along to the November event to support its work."

This story is based on information sent to Small Cap News by Mail Boxes Etc. Macclesfield on 2 November 2026. See also: People and how to send us your news.

The CMI said its research found that 58% of hiring managers had this suspicion, and that reaction to AI reliance during interviews was almost universally negative, with 98% of managers responding unfavourably to it.

The research also pointed to a broader rise in AI use throughout the recruitment process. The CMI said 90% of hiring managers reported a sharp increase in candidates using AI tools to write CVs or cover letters.

Despite this, the findings suggest managers still want recruitment to remain a human-led process. According to the CMI, 91% of hiring managers believe candidates should be told when AI is being used in recruitment, and the same proportion said employers need to check that AI is treating all candidates fairly.

Employers seek authenticity

Petra Wilton, CMI's Director of Policy and External Affairs, said AI use by job seekers can work against them if relied on too heavily. "AI can be a brilliant tool to help in your job hunt, but relying on it to do the heavy lifting is a fast track to rejection," she said.

Wilton said employers are not looking for algorithm-polished perfection, but want to see curiosity, resilience and an authentic willingness to learn in candidates. She added that over-reliance on AI, particularly among young people entering the workforce, risks stripping away the personality and transferable skills that make candidates stand out.

This story is based on information sent to Small Cap News by Chartered Management Institute (CMI) on 2 November 2026. See also: Data and how to send us your news.

According to HMRC, the measure increases the rate of first-year allowance (FYA) available for qualifying main rate expenditure from 40% to 50%, while reducing the main rate writing-down allowance (WDA) from 14% to 12% per year. The special rate WDA remains unchanged at 6%.

Why the change is being made

HMRC said the measure aims to support business investment by giving greater upfront tax relief to unincorporated businesses and those investing in plant and machinery for leasing, while also contributing to the government's objective of fiscal consolidation through the reduction in the main rate WDA. The note explains that the 40% FYA, introduced at Budget 2025, has fewer restrictions than full expensing and therefore particularly benefits unincorporated businesses and leasing investment.

When the rates change

The new WDA rate will apply for chargeable periods beginning on or after 1 April 2027 for Corporation Tax and 6 April 2027 for Income Tax. A hybrid rate of WDA will apply where a chargeable period begins before, and ends on or after, those dates. The increased FYA rate will be available for expenditure incurred from 1 January 2027.

Legislation and impact

HMRC said legislation will be introduced in Finance Bill 2026-27 to amend the Capital Allowances Act 2001, substituting 14% with 12% in section 56(1) and increasing the FYA rate from 40% to 50% in section 52(3). The note states the measure is expected to have a negligible impact on the administrative burdens of the 600,000 incorporated and unincorporated businesses who claim main rate WDA and the main rate FYA, with one-off costs limited to familiarisation and updating software.

HMRC added that for many businesses, main rate writing-down allowances are not relevant to future expenditure as this is covered by the annual investment allowance and full expensing.

Key facts - Main rate FYA rises from 40% to 50% for expenditure incurred from 1 January 2027 - Main rate WDA falls from 14% to 12% for chargeable periods from 1 April 2027 (Corporation Tax) and 6 April 2027 (Income Tax) - Special rate WDA remains at 6% - Measure expected to affect 600,000 incorporated and unincorporated businesses - Legislation to be introduced in Finance Bill 2026-27 - HMRC estimates IT system changes to support the policy will cost £3.3 million

Source: HM Revenue and Customs, Reduce the main rate writing-down allowance and increase the main rate first-year allowance, published 29 October 2026 (GOV.UK, full document: GOV.UK). See also: Funding & Grants and how to send us your news.

The company was also named London's Fastest Growing Profit-Led Firm. On the UK Fast Growth Index 2026 it ranks 10th in the UK Top 200 and fifth in the London regional list, with turnover of £57.8 million in 2025, according to the index. Cardaq announced the awards in a press release on 28 October 2026.

What Cardaq does

Cardaq provides card issuing and merchant acquiring services to businesses. Its issuing programmes support branded cards on Visa, Mastercard and UnionPay, and its acquiring services let eligible merchants take card payments. Cardaq Limited is authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority as an Electronic Money Institution (FRN 900088).

The company says it was founded in London in 2011. In an email to Small Cap News, its chief marketing officer, Alisa Remi, said Hugo Remi took control of the business in 2018 and began rebuilding it. Cardaq says it has two projects in development: Teido, a payments technology platform, and Pridepay, a consumer financial app and card programme for LGBTQIA+ people and their allies.

About the index

The UK Fast Growth Index is run by Ideas Community in partnership with UBS. It ranks independent UK businesses by percentage growth in turnover between 2022/23 and 2024/25. To qualify, firms need at least £250,000 of turnover in 2022/23 and £1 million in 2024/25, and the figures are checked against Companies House data or by the firms' accountants. The index lists the top 50 firms in each of seven UK nations and regions, plus a UK Top 200.

Combined turnover of the firms on the 2026 index rose from £4.3 billion in 2023 to £10.2 billion in 2025, an increase of 137%, according to the release.

Professor Dylan Jones-Evans OBE, founder of the UK Fast Growth Index, said: "Cardaq is a great example of the extraordinary talent and ambition we see in businesses across every part of the UK."

Other 2026 UK category winners include Lucky Egg, named UK Fastest Growing Company of the Year, and Applied Nutrition, the UK winner of Fastest Growing Profit-Led Firm. Neither the release nor the index gives Cardaq's profit.

Key facts

• Award: Fastest Growing Financial Services Firm (UK), UK Fast Growth Awards 2026, 22 October 2026
• Also: London's Fastest Growing Profit-Led Firm
• Turnover growth: 1,353.1% between 2023 and 2025
• Ranking: 10th in the UK Top 200, fifth in the London list
• Turnover in 2025: £57.8 million (UK Fast Growth Index)

Source: Cardaq press release, 28 October 2026; UK Fast Growth Index 2026, UK Top 200 and Awards 2026 winners. See also: Awards, London and how to send us your news.