1ST CALL TREES LTD.
Opportunity 73/100 (strong), bankability 70/100. Strong seller-intent signal (65/100, director aged 58). Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Biggest value-creation lever: Cash flow review and working-capital discipline. Cash down -31% YoY — forensic review of receivables, stock turns, and creditor days. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (73/100).
Refinance opportunity
1 live charge · oldest 20.4y
Refinance would be pressure-driven, not opportunity-driven. Expect tighter margins and covenant scrutiny.
- · Oldest live charge is 20.4 years old — likely at or near maturity.
- · Single lender — cleanest path to refinance.
- · Distress signals active — lender appetite narrows.
Data confidence
Overall: medium (78/100)Adequate coverage. AI outputs are reliable for the sections scored high; verify the rest in diligence.
Solid opportunity signal. Worth a dedicated memo and management meeting.
Signals from accounts
Derived from iXBRL accounts · accounting standard not declaredKey financials
2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accountsHover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series
Financials
Extracted from Companies House accounts · accounting standard unknown| Metric | 2025-04-30 | 2024-04-30 |
|---|---|---|
| Total assets | £381.7k | £422.9k |
| Current assets | £75.4k | £70.0k |
| Cash | £31.8k | £46.3k |
| Debtors | £43.5k | £23.8k |
| Net assets | £171.7k | £133.4k |
Amounts extracted automatically from iXBRL. Fields left blank were not reported or not mapped. Values in GBP unless stated.
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
- • 1 accounts
- • 1 accounts
Corporate timeline (24 events)Click to expand
- 2026-01-29📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2024-12-05📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2023-11-21📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2023-06-09📄capital-allotment-sharescapital · SH01
- 2023-06-09📄notification-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC01
- 2023-06-09📄change-to-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC04
- 2023-01-31📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2021-10-28📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2021-03-16📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2019-11-21📄accounts-amended-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AAMD
- 2019-11-08📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2019-01-31📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2018-04-17📄notification-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC01
- 2017-09-28📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2017-01-31📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2016-04-20📄annual-return-company-with-made-up-date-full-list-shareholdersannual-return · AR01
- 2005-12-07🔒Charge registered #1Lender: Barclays Bank PLC
- 2003-04-09🏢Company incorporatedAs 1ST CALL TREES LTD.
- 2003-04-09➕BENSON, Michelle appointedsecretary
- 2003-04-09➕BENSON, John Michael appointeddirector
- 2003-04-09➕SWIFT INCORPORATIONS LIMITED appointedcorporate-nominee-secretary
- 2003-04-09➖SWIFT INCORPORATIONS LIMITED resignedcorporate-nominee-secretary
- 2003-04-09➕INSTANT COMPANIES LIMITED appointedcorporate-nominee-director
- 2003-04-09➖INSTANT COMPANIES LIMITED resignedcorporate-nominee-director
Owner dependency
The business appears inseparable from the founder. Acquisition without a serious earn-out or meaningful transition period would likely destroy value.
- +Sole director: Only one active director — all governance concentrated on one person.
- +Long-tenure founder: Senior director has been in place 23 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
- +Senior director age: Director aged approximately 58 — approaching natural succession window.
Succession & seller-readiness
Strong acquirability signals converging. Worth approaching directly — this is how off-market deals start.
- secondaryFounder aged 58+: Senior director is approximately 58. 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 23 years. Very long tenure is a classic succession signal.
- secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 23 years old and no new directors in the last 3 years — succession not yet being planned internally.
Red flags
1 high ·Annual confirmation statement not filed on time. Required statutory filing — overdue is a strong discipline signal.
Evidence: Next due: 2026-04-23
Shareholders & ownership
2 active beneficial owners| Name | Shares | Voting rights | Nature of control | Notified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Mrs Michelle Allyson Benson Individual · British · DOB 03/1969 · age 57 | 25–50% | 25–50% | 25-50% shares · 25-50% voting | 01/01/2023 |
Mr John Michael Benson Individual · British · DOB 06/1968 · age 58 | 25–50% | 25–50% | board control25-50% shares · 25-50% voting · board control | 06/04/2016 |
From Companies House Persons with Significant Control filings. Share ranges are banded per the public PSC regime.
Radial SVG graph showing every company connected via shared directors, colour-coded by status.
Available from the Pro tier upwards.
See pricing →Similar companies
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8 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 →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
Registered office
Filing status
Officers (2 active · 2 resigned)
Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.
Mortgages & charges
| Type | Properties | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| outstanding | Barclays Barclays Bank PLC | Debenture | 1 property | 07/12/2005 | — |