4 BUSINESS LIMITED

💤Zombieactive
03782650 · ltd · incorporated 1999-06-04
Investment thesis
Zombie company — trading but stalled; unlikely mover.
Why interesting: Quiet, steady; could be a succession or carve-out candidate with the right conversation.
Why risky: No growth signal; thin margin for error on price.
🔒Estimated value
—
Upgrade to see
Turnover
—
year to Dec 2025
Net worth
—
book net assets
Opportunity
80/100
Exceptional
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What this business does
Primary activity: Other business support service activities n.e.c.
Sector: Administrative & support services
Investor take
Pursue
Strong opportunity: active trading company with exceptional profile and bankable structure.

Opportunity 80/100 (exceptional), bankability 75/100. Strong seller-intent signal (70/100, director aged 59). Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Biggest value-creation lever: Broaden director team. Sole director creates succession risk and reduces buyer comfort. Appoint a second director or strong #2. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (73/100).

Data confidence

Overall: high (81/100)

Strong data coverage across all sections. AI outputs should be trusted with minimal caveats.

Company profile
address, 1 SIC codes, incorporation date
100
Financials
2 years of iXBRL accounts extracted (YoY deltas available) + narrative notes parsed
75
Lenders & charges
Confirmed no charges registered
85
Directors & officers
15 officers (1 active, 15 linked, 11 with DOB)
85
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 2 total, 2 with control declared
90
Director network
10 connected companies via shared directors
75
Filing history
105 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
80/100Exceptional
PassWatchWorth a lookStrongExceptional 

Strong composite across quality, acquirability, and risk. High-priority target — progress to serious diligence.

Business quality
70
Active, clean filings, stable charge profile.
Acquirability
80
Strong succession / seller-readiness signals.
Risk profile
85
Few red flags.
Signal strength
90
Good data coverage for analysis.

Key financials

2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accounts
Cash
—
Net Worth
—
Current Assets
—
Current Liabilities
—
£0£0£0£0£0£0Dec 2024Dec 2025

Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series

Financials

Extracted from Companies House accounts · FRS 105 (micro)
Metric2025-12-312024-12-31

Amounts extracted automatically from iXBRL. Fields left blank were not reported or not mapped. Values in GBP unless stated.

🔒Filing-note intelligence

1 signal detected in this company's narrative notes — going-concern language, audit opinion, contingent liabilities, related-party transactions.

Available from the Pro tier upwards.

See pricing →

Recent activity

Last 30 days
0
filings
Last 90 days
1
filing
  • • 1 accounts
Last 180 days
1
filing
  • • 1 accounts
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (47 events)Click to expand
  1. 2026-02-18
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  2. 2025-05-29
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  3. 2024-02-16
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  4. 2023-05-15
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  5. 2023-04-21
    📍
    change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
    address · AD01
  6. 2022-09-27
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
    accounts · AA
  7. 2022-09-26
    📍
    change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
    address · AD01
  8. 2021-02-19
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
    accounts · AA
  9. 2020-08-24
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  10. 2020-06-10
    📄
    change-person-director-company-with-change-date
    officers · CH01
  11. 2019-11-11
    📍
    change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
    address · AD01
  12. 2019-09-25
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  13. 2019-09-06
    📄
    resolution
    resolution · RESOLUTIONS
  14. 2019-06-10
    📄
    cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC07
  15. 2019-06-10
    📄
    notification-of-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC01
  16. 2019-01-16
    📄
    termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
    officers · TM01
  17. 2019-01-04
    ➖
    PORTER, Stephen resigned
    director
  18. 2018-09-21
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  19. 2018-01-11
    ➖
    CLIFFORD, Michael Anthony, Mr. resigned
    secretary
  20. 2014-09-05
    ➖
    DIXON, Richard Maurice resigned
    director
  21. 2014-09-05
    ➕
    PORTER, Stephen appointed
    director
  22. 2011-06-15
    ➖
    FORSTER, Colin resigned
    director
  23. 2009-05-01
    ➖
    DUNSFORD, Ian resigned
    director
  24. 2009-01-13
    ➕
    DIXON, Richard Maurice appointed
    director
  25. 2009-01-13
    ➕
    FORSTER, Colin appointed
    director
  26. 2005-05-27
    ➖
    DAULTREY, Steven Richard resigned
    director
  27. 2003-01-08
    ➕
    DAULTREY, Steven Richard appointed
    director
  28. 2003-01-08
    ➖
    FORSTER, Colin resigned
    director
  29. 2002-11-20
    ➖
    DIXON, Richard Maurice resigned
    director
  30. 2002-10-10
    ➖
    DIXON, Jonathan Marcus Simon resigned
    director
  31. 2002-09-10
    ➖
    ATKIN, Muriel Ann resigned
    secretary
  32. 2002-09-10
    ➕
    CLIFFORD, Michael Anthony, Mr. appointed
    secretary
  33. 2001-01-02
    ➕
    DIXON, Jonathan Marcus Simon appointed
    director
  34. 2000-11-17
    ➕
    DUNSFORD, Ian appointed
    director
  35. 2000-11-17
    ➖
    KEENE, Richard John resigned
    director
  36. 2000-06-16
    ➖
    ATKIN, Muriel Ann resigned
    director
  37. 1999-07-01
    ➕
    CLIFFORD, Michael Anthony appointed
    director
  38. 1999-07-01
    ➕
    ATKIN, Muriel Ann appointed
    secretary
  39. 1999-07-01
    ➖
    FIRST SECRETARIES LIMITED resigned
    corporate-nominee-secretary
  40. 1999-07-01
    ➕
    ATKIN, Muriel Ann appointed
    director
  41. 1999-07-01
    ➕
    DIXON, Richard Maurice appointed
    director
  42. 1999-07-01
    ➕
    FORSTER, Colin appointed
    director
  43. 1999-07-01
    ➕
    KEENE, Richard John appointed
    director
  44. 1999-07-01
    ➖
    FIRST DIRECTORS LIMITED resigned
    corporate-nominee-director
  45. 1999-06-04
    🏢
    Company incorporated
    As 4 BUSINESS LIMITED
  46. 1999-06-04
    ➕
    FIRST SECRETARIES LIMITED appointed
    corporate-nominee-secretary
  47. 1999-06-04
    ➕
    FIRST DIRECTORS LIMITED appointed
    corporate-nominee-director

Owner dependency

93/100
Critical — business is the founder

The business appears inseparable from the founder. Acquisition without a serious earn-out or meaningful transition period would likely destroy value.

FACTORS
  • +Sole director: Only one active director — all governance concentrated on one person.
  • +Long-tenure founder: Senior director has been in place 27 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
  • +Senior director age: Director aged approximately 59 — approaching natural succession window.

Succession & seller-readiness

85/100
Likely off-market candidate

Strong acquirability signals converging. Worth approaching directly — this is how off-market deals start.

SIGNALS
  • secondaryFounder aged 58+: Senior director is approximately 59. Early succession window.
  • primarySole active director: Only one director in control. No visible successor — buyers solve the succession problem.
  • primary20+ year tenure: Director in role 27 years. Very long tenure is a classic succession signal.
  • secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 27 years old and no new directors in the last 3 years — succession not yet being planned internally.
  • supportingClean filings + long tenure: Disciplined long-tenure operator — classic lifestyle-business pattern that often sells quietly.

Red flags

clean
No red flags detected from available public data. (This is not a clean bill of health — detailed accounts review still recommended.)

Shareholders & ownership

1 active beneficial owner · dominant holder ≥75%
NameSharesVoting rightsNature of controlNotified
Mr Michael Anthony Clifford
Individual · Irish · DOB 10/1967 · age 59
75–100%
75–100%75-100% shares · 75-100% voting01/06/2019
1 historic (ceased) PSC
  • Mrs Alison Joan Henwoodceased 01/06/2019· significant influence

From Companies House Persons with Significant Control filings. Share ranges are banded per the public PSC regime.

🔒Co-director network graph

Radial SVG graph showing every company connected via shared directors, colour-coded by status.

Available from the Pro tier upwards.

See pricing →

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Peers ranked by estimated value, then turnover, then opportunity score.See all →
🔒Tailored diligence questions

7 specific questions generated from this company's actual signals — liquidity, leverage, director age, charge count, red flags, age-of-company.

Available from the Pro tier upwards.

See pricing →
🔒Advanced scoring suite

Exit-route ranking, improvement thesis, quiet-distress detector, covenant-pressure proxy, extraction monitor, approaching triggers, ownership drift, local cluster, value trap, debt capacity, archetype classification — 48+ scoring modules.

Available from the Pro tier upwards.

See pricing →

Company details

Statusactive
Typeltd
Incorporated1999-06-04
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC82990 — Other business support service activities n.e.c.

Registered office

Unit 2, The Point,
Swallowfields
Welwyn Garden City
AL7 1WL
England

Filing status

Accounts
Next due: 2027-09-30
Last made up to: 2025-12-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-06-18
Last: 2025-06-04

Officers (1 active · 14 resigned)

CLIFFORD, Michael Anthony→
director · ~59y · appointed 1999-07-01
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
ATKIN, Muriel Ann→
secretary · appointed 1999-07-01 · resigned 2002-09-10
Resigned
CLIFFORD, Michael Anthony, Mr.→
secretary · appointed 2002-09-10 · resigned 2018-01-11
Resigned
FIRST SECRETARIES LIMITED→
corporate-nominee-secretary · appointed 1999-06-04 · resigned 1999-07-01
Resigned
ATKIN, Muriel Ann→
director · ~76y · appointed 1999-07-01 · resigned 2000-06-16
Resigned
DAULTREY, Steven Richard→
director · ~73y · appointed 2003-01-08 · resigned 2005-05-27
Resigned
DIXON, Jonathan Marcus Simon→
director · ~59y · appointed 2001-01-02 · resigned 2002-10-10
Resigned
DIXON, Richard Maurice→
director · ~68y · appointed 2009-01-13 · resigned 2014-09-05
Resigned
DIXON, Richard Maurice→
director · ~68y · appointed 1999-07-01 · resigned 2002-11-20
Resigned
DUNSFORD, Ian→
director · ~52y · appointed 2000-11-17 · resigned 2009-05-01
Resigned
FORSTER, Colin→
director · ~72y · appointed 2009-01-13 · resigned 2011-06-15
Resigned
FORSTER, Colin→
director · ~72y · appointed 1999-07-01 · resigned 2003-01-08
Resigned
KEENE, Richard John→
director · ~79y · appointed 1999-07-01 · resigned 2000-11-17
Resigned
PORTER, Stephen→
director · ~65y · appointed 2014-09-05 · resigned 2019-01-04
Resigned
FIRST DIRECTORS LIMITED→
corporate-nominee-director · appointed 1999-06-04 · resigned 1999-07-01
Resigned

Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.

Recent filings (105 total)

accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2026-02-18
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-06-04
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2025-05-29
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-07-05
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2024-02-16
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-06-07
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2023-05-15
change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
address · AD01
2023-04-21
accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
accounts · AA
2022-09-27
change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
address · AD01
2022-09-26
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-06-23
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2021-06-04
accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
accounts · AA
2021-02-19
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2020-08-24
change-person-director-company-with-change-date
officers · CH01
2020-06-10