Rising costs. Skills shortages. How can your construction business grow under pressure?
Rising costs. Skills shortages. How can your construction business grow under pressure?
Polish Business Link brings construction business owners and industry experts together to discuss protecting margins, securing delivery capacity and choosing where to grow in a demanding market.
Your next project needs to cover more than the cost of getting the job done. It has to leave enough margin to pay your team, support your overheads and keep your business moving. When material prices rise, skilled tradespeople are difficult to secure and clients take longer to commit, that calculation becomes harder.
For construction business owners in London and the surrounding area, these pressures raise immediate questions. How do you price work when costs can change before you start? Can you secure the people to deliver a larger contract? Should you invest in equipment, develop a specialism or work with another business to take on a new opportunity?
The British Polish Construction Forum 2026, organised by Polish Business Link (PBLINK), will put those decisions at the centre of the conversation. Taking place from 9:30am to 3pm on Friday 13 November at 116 Pall Mall, home of the Institute of Directors, the Forum will bring together business owners, industry representatives and professional advisers to share experience and examine practical ways forward.
More than 80 construction and property professionals are expected to attend, including contractors, developers, architects, investors and suppliers. The day offers time to compare approaches with people facing similar commercial decisions and build relationships across the construction supply chain.
Bart Kowalczyk, Chairman of Polish Business Link:
“When costs keep moving and you struggle to find skilled people, taking on more work becomes a much bigger decision. You need to know what you can deliver, what margin is left and who you can rely on. That’s the conversation we want to have at this year’s Forum. Bring the decisions you’re facing into the room, ask direct questions and meet people you could work with. Our community gives business owners a place to share experience and think through their next move together.”
A tougher market calls for clearer decisions
London’s construction market is uneven. Refurbishment, infrastructure and specialist projects offer opportunities, while residential development continues to face viability, financing and regulatory constraints. Rising input costs and competitive tendering are putting pressure on what contractors can earn from the work they win.
Recent industry research also points to shortages in specialist labour and pressure on delivery capacity. For a smaller company, access to the right tradespeople, subcontractors and suppliers can influence which projects it can realistically accept.
The Forum’s proposed programme connects those market pressures to choices within your control: the work you pursue, the services you offer, the equipment you commit money to and the agreements you put in place.
Specialise or diversify when resources are stretched?
The planned expert panel, “Niche or diversify? How construction businesses choose where to grow,” will explore how to build a stronger commercial position when time, people and capital are limited.
Brian Berry, Chief Executive of the Federation of Master Builders, is confirmed to take part, bringing a wider perspective on SME builders’ challenges and opportunities. Tomasz Goslar of EmpLink Projects / EmpLink has also accepted, adding experience across construction project delivery and workforce services.
The discussion will examine when a recognised specialism can help your business compete, when an additional service answers genuine customer demand and when expanding could stretch your team too far. It will also consider when to build capability internally and when to work with a specialist partner.
Audience questions will help bring the debate back to the decisions you are making about your own company.
Where should you commit your money?
Equipment can increase what your business is able to deliver, but ownership brings costs beyond the purchase price. Maintenance, transport, storage and downtime all need to be considered alongside the work you expect to win.
In the proposed session “Buy, hire or outsource?”, Rafał Sykut of RS Machinery, who has accepted an invitation to speak, will explore how to assess those choices through practical examples. The aim is to help you weigh an investment against utilisation, future demand and the alternatives available.
What are you agreeing to when you take on bigger work?
A new service, a business partnership or a larger client can change your responsibilities as well as your revenue. Clear contracts and agreed roles matter before you commit people and money.
Kate Boguslawska, Partner at Carter Lemon Camerons LLP, has accepted an invitation to deliver a practical session on the legal foundations for growth. Proposed scenarios cover expanding your workforce, adding services, setting up another company and understanding the liabilities in a larger contract.
The session is intended to help you identify what needs attention before the next stage of expansion.
Build relationships that support delivery
Knowing a reliable contractor, supplier or adviser gives you someone to approach when a project needs skills or experience beyond your own team. The Forum creates space to make those introductions, discuss how you work and explore where a partnership could make sense.
It builds on the 2025 Forum at Howden’s London headquarters, which attracted more than 100 business leaders and decision-makers. That event explored risk management, construction challenges, property investment and community collaboration. The 2026 edition carries that relationship-led approach into a discussion about the commercial pressures facing businesses now.
PBLINK has strong Polish roots and an international outlook. The Forum welcomes professionals of all nationalities who want to develop working relationships across the UK construction and property sectors.
Step back from the site and plan your next move
The Forum takes place at 116 Pall Mall, the Grade I listed home of the Institute of Directors in St James’s. Its Georgian architecture and central London setting provide a distinctive place to step away from daily project demands and spend time with industry peers.
The event is supported by Polish Business Link partners SLT Media, Carter Lemon Camerons LLP, Best Foods and Step by Step Financial Solutions.
Bring your business challenges, compare your options and meet potential partners for the work ahead. Find event and registration information through Polish Business Link’s events page. Priority registration applies to PBLINK members.
Event at a glance
- Event: British Polish Construction Forum 2026
- Date: Friday 13 November 2026
- Time: 9:30am–3pm, London time
- Venue: 116 Pall Mall, Institute of Directors, London SW1Y 5ED
- Organiser: Polish Business Link (PBLINK)
- Audience: Construction business owners, contractors, developers, architects, engineers, project managers, investors, manufacturers, suppliers and professional advisers
- Programme: Expert panel, practical sessions and networking; final details to be announced
- Registration Link: https://luma.com/ttz8hjjh
About Polish Business Link
Established in 2012, Polish Business Link is a business network connecting entrepreneurs and professionals in the UK and internationally. With British and Polish roots and an international community, PBLINK helps businesses share knowledge, develop relationships and explore opportunities to work together. Its construction network connects professionals across the supply chain, from contractors and developers to architects, manufacturers and advisers.