AARON'S DEPARTMENT LIMITED
🌳Matureactive
05004030 · ltd · incorporated 2003-12-29
Investment thesis
Well-run mature business — low negotiation leverage; premium likely.
Why interesting: Textbook target; clean filings, stable trading.
Why risky: No pressure on seller; any deal likely at full price.
Why now
Window steady · low confidence
Steady and tidy — no seller pressure yet. Approach only if an angle opens.
Opportunity decay
approaching window · 12-months
Approaching a transaction window — refinance or sale event plausible in the next 12 months.
- · Oldest live charge 22.2y old — refinance window within 12 months
What changed my view
Last 30 days
No material changes in the last 30 days.
Last 90 days
No snapshot from 90 days ago — start tracking from today.
Last 180 days
No snapshot from 180 days ago — start tracking from today.
🔒Estimated value
—
Upgrade to see
Turnover
—
year to Feb 2025
Net worth
£12.3k
book net assets
Opportunity
82/100
Exceptional
What this business does
Primary activity: Data processing, hosting and related activities
Sector: Information & communication
ALSO REGISTERED FOR
- 70100Activities of head offices
- 78200Temporary employment agency activities
- 82990Other business support service activities n.e.c.
Investor take
PursueAsset-holding vehicle with a 60-year-old founder — textbook succession opportunity.
Opportunity 82/100 (exceptional), bankability 85/100. Strong seller-intent signal (80/100, director aged 60). Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Most likely exit: strategic trade sale (73/100).
🏦
Refinance opportunity
2 live charges · 2 lenders · oldest 22.2y
70/100
ready
Refinance conversation should be productive — structure clean and timing right.
- · Oldest live charge is 22.2 years old — likely at or near maturity.
- · Two lenders — manageable, but coordination required.
- · Legal-friction score 15/100 — clean.
Data confidence
Overall: medium (72/100)Adequate coverage. AI outputs are reliable for the sections scored high; verify the rest in diligence.
Company profile
address, 4 SIC codes, incorporation date
100
Financials
1 year of iXBRL accounts extracted (no YoY comparison) + narrative notes parsed
50
Lenders & charges
2 charges (2/2 with lender, 2/2 with type)
90
Directors & officers
6 officers (3 active, 6 linked, 3 with DOB)
80
Ownership & PSC
2 active PSC(s) of 2 total, 2 with control declared
90
Director network
5 connected companies via shared directors
60
Filing history
110 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
82/100Exceptional
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
100
Good data coverage for analysis.
Signals from accounts
Derived from iXBRL accounts · accounting standard not declaredPositive net assets
Net assets £12,311
Key financials
1 year extracted from filed iXBRL accountsCash
£20k
Net Worth
£12k
Current Assets
£271k
Current Liabilities
—
Financials
Extracted from Companies House accounts · accounting standard unknown| Metric | 2025-02-28 |
|---|---|
| Total assets | £40.5k |
| Current assets | £271.2k |
| Cash | £19.7k |
| Debtors | £109.5k |
| Net assets | £12.3k |
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
0
filings
Last 180 days
0
filings
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (38 events)Click to expand
- 2025-11-25📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2025-08-21📄change-to-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC04
- 2025-08-21📄change-to-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC04
- 2025-04-04📄capital-variation-of-rights-attached-to-sharescapital · SH10
- 2025-03-26📄capital-variation-of-rights-attached-to-sharescapital · SH10
- 2025-03-26📄capital-name-of-class-of-sharescapital · SH08
- 2025-03-26📄capital-variation-of-rights-attached-to-sharescapital · SH10
- 2025-03-26📄capital-name-of-class-of-sharescapital · SH08
- 2025-03-26📄capital-variation-of-rights-attached-to-sharescapital · SH10
- 2025-03-26📄capital-variation-of-rights-attached-to-sharescapital · SH10
- 2025-03-26📄capital-name-of-class-of-sharescapital · SH08
- 2025-03-26📄capital-variation-of-rights-attached-to-sharescapital · SH10
- 2025-03-26📄capital-name-of-class-of-sharescapital · SH08
- 2025-03-26📄capital-variation-of-rights-attached-to-sharescapital · SH10
- 2025-03-26📄capital-name-of-class-of-sharescapital · SH08
- 2025-03-26📄resolutionresolution · RESOLUTIONS
- 2025-03-26📄capital-variation-of-rights-attached-to-sharescapital · SH10
- 2025-03-26📄capital-name-of-class-of-sharescapital · SH08
- 2025-03-26📄capital-variation-of-rights-attached-to-sharescapital · SH10
- 2025-03-26📄capital-name-of-class-of-sharescapital · SH08
- 2025-03-26📄capital-name-of-class-of-sharescapital · SH08
- 2025-03-14📄change-to-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC04
- 2025-02-11📄capital-variation-of-rights-attached-to-sharescapital · SH10
- 2025-01-20📄memorandum-articlesincorporation · MA
- 2017-06-26🔓Charge satisfied #1
- 2015-03-02🔓Charge satisfied #2
- 2014-03-06➖SANDERSON, Wayne Russell resigneddirector
- 2005-01-14🔒Charge registered #2Lender: City Invoice Finance Limited
- 2004-10-11➕HORSFALL, Michelle Anne appointeddirector
- 2004-07-21➕SANDERSON, Wayne Russell appointeddirector
- 2004-04-29➕HORSFALL, Michelle Anne appointedsecretary
- 2004-04-29➕HORSFALL, Duncan Charles appointeddirector
- 2004-04-29➖LEE & PRIESTLEY SECRETARY LIMITED resignedcorporate-secretary
- 2004-04-29➖LEE & PRIESTLEY LIMITED resignedcorporate-director
- 2004-04-29🔒Charge registered #1Lender: Ronald Horsfall
- 2003-12-29🏢Company incorporatedAs AARON'S DEPARTMENT LIMITED
- 2003-12-29➕LEE & PRIESTLEY SECRETARY LIMITED appointedcorporate-secretary
- 2003-12-29➕LEE & PRIESTLEY LIMITED appointedcorporate-director
Owner dependency
84/100
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
- +Two-director setup: Only two active directors — typical of owner-managed SMEs but limits succession.
- +Long-tenure founder: Senior director has been in place 22 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
- +Senior director age: Director aged approximately 60 — approaching natural succession window.
- +Family involvement: Multiple officers share a surname — likely family business, which concentrates governance.
Succession & seller-readiness
76/100
Likely off-market candidateStrong acquirability signals converging. Worth approaching directly — this is how off-market deals start.
SIGNALS
- secondaryFounder aged 58+: Senior director is approximately 60. Early succession window.
- secondaryTwo-director governance: Small-team governance. Succession depth is thin but not absent.
- primary20+ year tenure: Director in role 22 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.
- supportingClean filings + long tenure: Disciplined long-tenure operator — classic lifestyle-business pattern that often sells quietly.
Red flags
cleanNo red flags detected from available public data. (This is not a clean bill of health — detailed accounts review still recommended.)
Shareholders & ownership
2 active beneficial owners| Name | Shares | Voting rights | Nature of control | Notified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Mr Duncan Charles Horsfall Individual · British · DOB 07/1966 · age 60 | 25–50% | 50–75% | 50-75% shares · 50-75% voting | 06/04/2016 |
Mrs Michelle Anne Horsfall Individual · British · DOB 06/1973 · age 53 | 25–50% | 25–50% | 25-50% shares · 25-50% voting | 06/04/2016 |
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 · Technology · LS postcode area| Company | Est. value | Turnover | Net worth | Staff | Age | Opp | Director |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ACUMEN SYSTEMS LIMITED→ 10262184 · est 2016 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 9y | — | — |
| AFTO TECH LIMITED→ 11573766 · est 2018 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 7y | — | — |
| AGENT NEST LTD→ 16862647 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| AGILE CODERS LTD→ 11017919 · est 2017 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 8y | — | — |
| AIRE GLOBAL GROUP LIMITED→ 11254539 · est 2018 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 8y | — | — |
| AIRESTREAM LTD→ 16987565 · est 2026 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| AIRPAY GLOBAL LIMITED→ 11824264 · est 2019 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 7y | — | — |
| AIRPORTNET LIMITED→ 03753727 · est 1999 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 27y | — | — |
| AIRTIME AVIATION SOFTWARE LIMITED→ 15711200 · est 2024 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 1y | — | — |
| AISCALE LTD→ 15437906 · est 2024 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 2y | — | — |
| AJ TECH CONSULTING LTD→ 14222496 · est 2022 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 3y | — | — |
| AJC HORIZON LTD→ 14704039 · est 2023 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 3y | — | — |
Peers ranked by estimated value, then turnover, then opportunity score.See all →
🔒Tailored diligence questions
6 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
Incorporated2003-12-29
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC63110 — Data processing, hosting and related activities
Registered office
43 Church Lane
Pudsey
West Yorkshire
LS28 7RR
Filing status
Accounts
Next due: 2026-11-30
Last made up to: 2025-02-28
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-09-03
Last: 2025-08-20
Officers (3 active · 3 resigned)
HORSFALL, Michelle Anne→
Activesecretary · appointed 2004-04-29
View their other companies + combined net worth →
HORSFALL, Duncan Charles→
Activedirector · ~60y · appointed 2004-04-29
View their other companies + combined net worth →
HORSFALL, Michelle Anne→
Activedirector · ~53y · appointed 2004-10-11
View their other companies + combined net worth →
LEE & PRIESTLEY SECRETARY LIMITED→
Resignedcorporate-secretary · appointed 2003-12-29 · resigned 2004-04-29
SANDERSON, Wayne Russell→
Resigneddirector · ~61y · appointed 2004-07-21 · resigned 2014-03-06
LEE & PRIESTLEY LIMITED→
Resignedcorporate-director · appointed 2003-12-29 · resigned 2004-04-29
Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.
Mortgages & charges
2
Total charges
0
Outstanding
0
Active lenders
Status:Lender:2 of 2 shown
| Type | Properties | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| satisfied | City Invoice Finance City Invoice Finance Limited | Debenture | 1 property | 14/01/2005 | 02/03/2015 | |
| satisfied | Ronald Horsfall | Debenture | 1 property | 29/04/2004 | 26/06/2017 |
Recent filings (110 total)
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2025-11-25
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-08-21
change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
2025-08-21
change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
2025-08-21
capital-variation-of-rights-attached-to-shares
capital · SH10
2025-04-04
capital-variation-of-rights-attached-to-shares
capital · SH10
2025-03-26
capital-name-of-class-of-shares
capital · SH08
2025-03-26
capital-variation-of-rights-attached-to-shares
capital · SH10
2025-03-26
capital-name-of-class-of-shares
capital · SH08
2025-03-26
capital-variation-of-rights-attached-to-shares
capital · SH10
2025-03-26
capital-variation-of-rights-attached-to-shares
capital · SH10
2025-03-26
capital-name-of-class-of-shares
capital · SH08
2025-03-26
capital-variation-of-rights-attached-to-shares
capital · SH10
2025-03-26
capital-name-of-class-of-shares
capital · SH08
2025-03-26
capital-variation-of-rights-attached-to-shares
capital · SH10
2025-03-26