In this Insights in Focus episode, we discuss the major challenges facing UK businesses, including energy costs, recruitment and retention of staff, and wage inflation.     Recent headlines haven’t made easy reading. A recession looms, inflation continues to rise, and sterling plunged following the ‘mini-Budget’ on 23 September.  Understandably, businesses are nervous. ICAEW’s Business Confidence Monitor for Q3 2022 found business sentiment turning negative for the first time since late 2020. Businesses in all sectors and regions reported a ‘cost-of-doing-business’ crisis. To explore what comes next, host Philippa Lamb is joined by Simon Gray, ICAEW Head of Business, and Katy Davies, Managing Director at manufacturer CamdenBoss. Links ICAEW inflation hub https://www.icaew.com/technical/economy/inflation ICAEW energy crisis hub https://www.icaew.com/technical/economy/energy-crisis ICAEW Business Confidence Monitor https://www.icaew.com/technical/economy/economic-insight/business-confidence-monitor-national ICAEW analysis and reaction to the mini-Budget https://www.icaew.com/technical/Economy/fiscal-event-september-2022  Host Philippa Lamb Guests Simon Gray, Head of Business, ICAEW Katy Davies, Managing Director, CamdenBoss Producer Natalie Chisholm  Episode first published: 6 October 2022 Podcast recorded: 29 September 2022