ABILITY RECORDS LIMITED
💤Zombieactive
04042614 · ltd · incorporated 2000-07-28
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 Jul 2022
Net worth
—
book net assets
Opportunity
70/100
Strong
What this business does
Primary activity: Other business support service activities n.e.c.
Sector: Administrative & support services
Investor take
Pass (distressed without resilience)Distressed active trading company — structural issues outweigh the discount.
Opportunity 70/100 (strong), bankability 55/100. Strong seller-intent signal (78/100, director aged 78). Biggest value-creation lever: File overdue accounts. Clears statutory overdue flag — immediate bankability uplift for refinance conversations. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (53/100).
Data confidence
Overall: medium (71/100)Adequate coverage. AI outputs are reliable for the sections scored high; verify the rest in diligence.
Company profile
address, 1 SIC codes, incorporation date
100
Financials
1 year of iXBRL accounts extracted (no YoY comparison) + narrative notes parsed
50
Lenders & charges
Confirmed no charges registered
85
Directors & officers
10 officers (1 active, 10 linked, 5 with DOB)
80
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 1 total, 1 with control declared
90
Director network
4 connected companies via shared directors
57
Filing history
91 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
70/100Strong
PassWatchWorth a lookStrongExceptional
Solid opportunity signal. Worth a dedicated memo and management meeting.
Business quality
55
Adequate — check latest filings for context.
Acquirability
80
Strong succession / seller-readiness signals.
Risk profile
67
Some moderate concerns — review flags.
Signal strength
90
Good data coverage for analysis.
Key financials
1 year extracted from filed iXBRL accountsCash
—
Net Worth
—
Current Assets
—
Current Liabilities
—
Financials
Extracted from Companies House accounts · FRS 102| Metric | 2022-07-31 |
|---|
Amounts extracted automatically from iXBRL. Fields left blank were not reported or not mapped. Values in GBP unless stated.
Recent activity
Last 30 days
1
filing
- • 1 gazette
Last 90 days
1
filing
- • 1 gazette
Last 180 days
1
filing
- • 1 gazette
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (36 events)Click to expand
- 2026-07-14📄gazette-notice-compulsorygazette · GAZ1
- 2025-03-29📄gazette-filings-brought-up-to-dategazette · DISS40
- 2025-03-27📄accounts-with-accounts-type-dormantaccounts · AA
- 2024-08-07📄dissolved-compulsory-strike-off-suspendeddissolution · DISS16(SOAS)
- 2024-07-02📄gazette-notice-compulsorygazette · GAZ1
- 2023-06-08📄accounts-with-accounts-type-dormantaccounts · AA
- 2022-07-08📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2022-05-03📄accounts-amended-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AAMD
- 2021-06-08📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2021-03-04📄accounts-amended-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AAMD
- 2020-06-26📍change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-addressaddress · AD01
- 2019-11-02📄gazette-filings-brought-up-to-dategazette · DISS40
- 2019-10-31📄accounts-with-accounts-type-dormantaccounts · AA
- 2019-03-12📄gazette-notice-compulsorygazette · GAZ1
- 2018-09-18📄accounts-with-accounts-type-dormantaccounts · AA
- 2018-03-05📄accounts-with-accounts-type-dormantaccounts · AA
- 2012-03-15➖CPL AUDIT LIMITED resignedcorporate-secretary
- 2011-08-04➖SCHOLEFIELD, Anthony John Edward resignedsecretary
- 2010-05-15➕CPL AUDIT LIMITED appointedcorporate-secretary
- 2006-12-11➕SMEATON, Keith appointeddirector
- 2006-09-29➖SMEATON, Iris Rose resigneddirector
- 2006-06-30➖OLUWAFISOYE, Funlayo Antoinette resigneddirector
- 2006-01-27➕OLUWAFISOYE, Funlayo Antoinette appointeddirector
- 2003-03-28➖SMEATON, Keith resigneddirector
- 2003-03-25➕SMEATON, Iris Rose appointeddirector
- 2002-07-10➕SCHOLEFIELD, Anthony John Edward appointedsecretary
- 2002-07-10➖SMEATON, Iris Rose resignedsecretary
- 2002-01-24➕SMEATON, Iris Rose appointedsecretary
- 2002-01-14➖NEWTON FISHER, Brian Edward resignedsecretary
- 2002-01-14➖NEWTON FISHER, Brian Edward resigneddirector
- 2001-09-04➕NEWTON FISHER, Brian Edward appointedsecretary
- 2001-09-04➕NEWTON FISHER, Brian Edward appointeddirector
- 2000-12-31➖GENY, Christine resignedsecretary
- 2000-07-28🏢Company incorporatedAs ABILITY RECORDS LIMITED
- 2000-07-28➕GENY, Christine appointedsecretary
- 2000-07-28➕SMEATON, Keith appointeddirector
Owner dependency
100/100
Critical — business is the founderThe 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 20 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
- +Founder age: Director aged approximately 78 — succession pressure is live.
Succession & seller-readiness
93/100
Likely off-market candidateStrong acquirability signals converging. Worth approaching directly — this is how off-market deals start.
SIGNALS
- primaryFounder aged 70+: Senior director is approximately 78 years old. Natural succession window is now.
- primarySole active director: Only one director in control. No visible successor — buyers solve the succession problem.
- secondary12+ year tenure: Director in role 20 years.
- secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 26 years old and no new directors in the last 3 years — succession not yet being planned internally.
Red flags
1 high ·Accounts overdue
highStatutory accounts have not been filed by their due date. Can indicate admin breakdown, cash preservation, or deliberate delay.
Evidence: Next due: 2026-04-30
Shareholders & ownership
1 active beneficial owner| Name | Shares | Voting rights | Nature of control | Notified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Mr Keith Smeaton Individual · English · DOB 02/1948 · age 78 | 25–50% | — | 25-50% shares | 01/06/2016 |
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 →Similar companies
Active · Trade services · E postcode area| Company | Est. value | Turnover | Net worth | Staff | Age | Opp | Director |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A & G 112 NAILS & BEAUTY LTD→ 12289684 · est 2019 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 6y | — | — |
| A F HALL SERVICES LTD→ 13511226 · est 2021 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 4y | — | — |
| ADJESSOU KAHIL LTD→ 15644719 · est 2024 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 2y | — | — |
| ADWEN SERVICES (UK) LTD→ 09310301 · est 2014 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 11y | — | — |
| AED PRODUCTIONS LIMITED→ 11990956 · est 2019 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 6y | — | — |
| AEGIS SECURE UK LTD→ 15805079 · est 2024 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 1y | — | — |
| AEQUITASMOVE LIMITED→ 15991960 · est 2024 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 1y | — | — |
| AESTHETIC LINES2 LIMITED→ 13780380 · est 2021 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 4y | — | — |
| AETHER SOFTWARE GROUP LTD→ 16820098 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| AFAQ AHMED LTD→ 13447989 · est 2021 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 4y | — | — |
| AFDM LTD→ 16154458 · est 2024 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 1y | — | — |
| AFFERENT HEARING LTD→ 11394850 · est 2018 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 7y | — | — |
Peers ranked by estimated value, then turnover, then opportunity score.See all →
🔒Tailored diligence questions
10 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
Incorporated2000-07-28
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC82990 — Other business support service activities n.e.c.
Registered office
Barkley House Barcley House
7 Well Street
London
Middx
E9 7RA
United Kingdom
Filing status
Accounts
Next due: 2026-04-30OVERDUE
Last made up to: 2024-07-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-08-04
Last: 2025-07-21
Officers (1 active · 9 resigned)
SMEATON, Keith→
Activedirector · ~78y · appointed 2006-12-11
View their other companies + combined net worth →
GENY, Christine→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 2000-07-28 · resigned 2000-12-31
NEWTON FISHER, Brian Edward→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 2001-09-04 · resigned 2002-01-14
SCHOLEFIELD, Anthony John Edward→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 2002-07-10 · resigned 2011-08-04
SMEATON, Iris Rose→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 2002-01-24 · resigned 2002-07-10
CPL AUDIT LIMITED→
Resignedcorporate-secretary · appointed 2010-05-15 · resigned 2012-03-15
NEWTON FISHER, Brian Edward→
Resigneddirector · ~87y · appointed 2001-09-04 · resigned 2002-01-14
OLUWAFISOYE, Funlayo Antoinette→
Resigneddirector · ~59y · appointed 2006-01-27 · resigned 2006-06-30
SMEATON, Iris Rose→
Resigneddirector · ~103y · appointed 2003-03-25 · resigned 2006-09-29
SMEATON, Keith→
Resigneddirector · ~78y · appointed 2000-07-28 · resigned 2003-03-28
Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.
Recent filings (91 total)
gazette-notice-compulsory
gazette · GAZ1
2026-07-14
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-07-22
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-05-15
gazette-filings-brought-up-to-date
gazette · DISS40
2025-03-29
accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
accounts · AA
2025-03-27
dissolved-compulsory-strike-off-suspended
dissolution · DISS16(SOAS)
2024-08-07
gazette-notice-compulsory
gazette · GAZ1
2024-07-02
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-10-17
accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
accounts · AA
2023-06-08
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-09-02
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2022-07-08
accounts-amended-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AAMD
2022-05-03
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2021-08-02
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2021-06-08
accounts-amended-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AAMD
2021-03-04