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Why We Built Hive 25 — The Origin Story

Tom Pammenter discussing the Hive 25 origin story on the Human Cloud Podcast

Key Takeaways

In the podcast we discuss;

  • Freelance staffing built itself – then the tools had to catch up. Frame 25 didn’t start with a business plan. It started with a contract gap, a trusted network, and a market that needed reliable people fast. The model worked before the software existed to support it.
  • The booking problem is the one nobody solved. Most platforms handle onboarding at the start and payment at the end. The chaos lives in the middle – availability checks over WhatsApp, booking confirmations by email, shift tracking on a spreadsheet only one person understands. That’s the gap Hive 25 was built to close.
  • Scale exposes what manual processes can’t handle. At 1,500 bookings a month, Excel and extra admin headcount aren’t a solution – they’re a delay tactic. The double-booking problem, the availability chasing, the cash flow blindspot: none of it goes away on its own. It compounds.
  • Software alone isn’t the answer. The compliance landscape, IR35, umbrella reforms, the Employment Rights Act, moves faster than any platform can keep up with on its own. The SWAS model (Software With A Service) exists because the tool opens the door and the team is what makes it work.

“I didn’t set out to build software”

Tom our Founder, joined the APositive Insights Podcast to talk freelance agency growth, the software that didn’t exist, and why the missing piece in most freelancer operations is sitting right in the middle.

APositive Insights is a podcast for recruitment and labour hire business owners across Australia, New Zealand and the UK, hosted by Darren Cottrell. APositive specialises in back office, payroll, funding and payment solutions for agencies. The show brings together founders and operators to share what’s actually worked building and scaling staffing businesses.

Frame 25 grew from a single client relationship into one of the UK’s leading broadcast and media staffing agencies, processing over 1,500 freelancer bookings a month. When the tools to manage that volume didn’t exist, we built them – and Hive 25 was born. Hive 25 is deployed across some of the UK’s biggest broadcast operations.

Hive 25 is a B2B freelancer management platform built for broadcast, live production and media. If you’re managing a freelance workforce across spreadsheets and group chats, it’s worth a conversation.

Tom Pammenter is the Founder of Frame 25 and Hive 25. Listen to the full conversation on the APositive Insights podcast here:

Tom Pammenter is the Founder of Frame 25 and Hive 25. Listen to the full conversation on the APositive Insights podcast here:

 

FAQ's

What is APositive Insights?

APositive Insights is a podcast for recruitment leaders covering the future of talent, workforce strategy, and business growth. Hosted by Darren Cottrell, it brings together founders and industry operators to discuss what’s actually changing in recruitment and what businesses need to do to keep up.

What is Hive 25 and who is it for?

Hive 25 is a freelance workforce management platform built for the broadcast and media industry. It handles availability, bookings, timesheets, and payments — giving staffing companies and production teams a single system to manage their freelance workforce.

How is Hive 25 different from a freelancer marketplace?

Hive 25 is not a marketplace. You bring your own team — the people you already trust. Hive 25 gives you the tools to manage them: bookings, availability, compliance, and payments. There’s no talent pool to browse, no fees per placement, and no competing with other companies for the same workers.

What is the SWAS model?

SWAS stands for Software With A Service. It means Hive 25 isn’t just a tool you deploy and figure out yourself — it comes with ongoing support, onboarding, and operational expertise. The software opens the door, but the team behind it is what makes it work.

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