AD LIB HOLDINGS LIMITED

💤Zombieactive
05138584 · ltd · incorporated 2004-05-26
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 Jun 2025
Net worth
£319.9k
book net assets
Opportunity
73/100
Strong
🔔
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What this business does
Primary activity: Other activities of employment placement agencies
Sector: Administrative & support services
Investor take
Pursue
Strong opportunity: active trading company with strong profile and acceptable with review structure.

Opportunity 73/100 (strong), bankability 67/100. High owner-dependency — earn-out structure likely required for clean transition. Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Biggest value-creation lever: Consolidate lender relationships. 4 distinct lenders creates friction — refinance into single-lender structure for cleaner diligence. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (58/100).

🏦

Refinance opportunity

5 live charges · 4 lenders · oldest 21.7y

15/100
under pressure

Refinance would be pressure-driven, not opportunity-driven. Expect tighter margins and covenant scrutiny.

  • · Oldest live charge is 21.7 years old — likely at or near maturity.
  • · 4 lenders named — inter-creditor friction likely.
  • · Distress signals active — lender appetite narrows.

Data confidence

Overall: medium (79/100)

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
2 years of iXBRL accounts extracted (YoY deltas available) + narrative notes parsed
75
Lenders & charges
5 charges (5/5 with lender, 5/5 with type)
90
Directors & officers
9 officers (1 active, 9 linked, 5 with DOB)
81
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 3 total, 3 with control declared
90
Director network
2 connected companies via shared directors
51
Filing history
102 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
73/100Strong
PassWatchWorth a lookStrongExceptional 

Solid opportunity signal. Worth a dedicated memo and management meeting.

Business quality
70
Active, clean filings, stable charge profile.
Acquirability
55
Some acquirability indicators.
Risk profile
77
Few red flags.
Signal strength
100
Good data coverage for analysis.

Signals from accounts

Derived from iXBRL accounts · accounting standard not declared
Positive net assets
Net assets £319,860
Net assets shrinking
Down £352,066 YoY
Cash draining
Cash down 49% YoY
Cash YoY
-49%
Year on year

Key financials

2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accounts
Cash
£299k
↓ 49% YoY
Net Worth
£320k
↓ 52% YoY
Current Assets
£494k
↓ 55% YoY
Current Liabilities
—
£0£219k£438k£658k£877k£1.1mJun 2024Jun 2025

Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series

Financials

Extracted from Companies House accounts · accounting standard unknown
Metric2025-06-302024-06-30
Total assets£319.9k£671.9k
Current assets£494.3k£1.10M
Cash£298.9k£581.7k
Debtors£195.3k£514.2k
Net assets£319.9k£671.9k

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 (46 events)Click to expand
  1. 2025-10-19
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  2. 2025-09-24
    📄
    termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
    officers · TM01
  3. 2025-09-08
    ➖
    DEAN, Nick resigned
    director
  4. 2025-03-14
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  5. 2024-02-26
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  6. 2023-09-06
    📄
    change-person-director-company-with-change-date
    officers · CH01
  7. 2022-10-12
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  8. 2022-09-13
    ➕
    KAY, Steven appointed
    director
  9. 2022-09-13
    ➖
    DEAN, Alanna resigned
    director
  10. 2022-09-13
    📄
    notification-of-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC02
  11. 2022-09-13
    📄
    cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC07
  12. 2022-09-13
    📄
    cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC07
  13. 2022-09-13
    📄
    appoint-person-director-company-with-name-date
    officers · AP01
  14. 2022-09-13
    📄
    termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
    officers · TM01
  15. 2022-03-14
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  16. 2021-06-24
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  17. 2020-11-12
    📄
    capital-allotment-shares
    capital · SH01
  18. 2020-11-03
    📄
    memorandum-articles
    incorporation · MA
  19. 2020-11-03
    📄
    resolution
    resolution · RESOLUTIONS
  20. 2020-10-28
    📄
    capital-name-of-class-of-shares
    capital · SH08
  21. 2020-10-14
    📄
    mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-date
    mortgage · MR01
  22. 2020-10-01
    🔒
    Charge registered #5
    Lender: Nicholas Peter Dean
  23. 2020-04-30
    📄
    resolution
    resolution · RESOLUTIONS
  24. 2014-11-24
    ➕
    DEAN, Alanna appointed
    director
  25. 2014-09-30
    ➖
    HUTTON, Frank David resigned
    secretary
  26. 2014-09-30
    ➖
    HUTTON, Frank David resigned
    director
  27. 2013-12-12
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #1
  28. 2013-04-01
    ➕
    HUTTON, Frank David appointed
    secretary
  29. 2013-04-01
    ➖
    HUTTON, Susan Caroline resigned
    secretary
  30. 2012-11-01
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #4
  31. 2009-08-28
    ➖
    RANDALL, Lindsay resigned
    director
  32. 2009-05-21
    🔒
    Charge registered #4
    Lender: Lloyds Tsb Commercial Finance Limited
  33. 2009-05-12
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #3
  34. 2009-05-12
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #2
  35. 2007-07-01
    ➕
    DEAN, Nick appointed
    director
  36. 2007-07-01
    ➕
    RANDALL, Lindsay appointed
    director
  37. 2006-12-13
    🔒
    Charge registered #3
    Lender: Oriel Support Limited
  38. 2006-09-20
    🔒
    Charge registered #2
    Lender: Lloyds Tsb Commercial Finance Limited
  39. 2004-09-06
    🔒
    Charge registered #1
    Lender: Hsbc Bank PLC
  40. 2004-06-01
    ➕
    HUTTON, Susan Caroline appointed
    secretary
  41. 2004-06-01
    ➕
    HUTTON, Frank David appointed
    director
  42. 2004-05-26
    🏢
    Company incorporated
    As AD LIB HOLDINGS LIMITED
  43. 2004-05-26
    ➕
    BRIGHTON SECRETARY LTD appointed
    corporate-nominee-secretary
  44. 2004-05-26
    ➖
    BRIGHTON SECRETARY LTD resigned
    corporate-nominee-secretary
  45. 2004-05-26
    ➕
    BRIGHTON DIRECTOR LTD appointed
    corporate-nominee-director
  46. 2004-05-26
    ➖
    BRIGHTON DIRECTOR LTD resigned
    corporate-nominee-director

Owner dependency

75/100
High — earn-out structure required

Material founder dependency. Consider a 2-3 year earn-out and build in a handover plan before completion.

FACTORS
  • +Sole director: Only one active director — all governance concentrated on one person.

Succession & seller-readiness

55/100
Strong succession signal

Multiple signals suggest succession is on the horizon. Candidate for proactive outreach.

SIGNALS
  • primarySole active director: Only one director in control. No visible successor — buyers solve the succession problem.
  • secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 22 years old and no new directors in the last 3 years — succession not yet being planned internally.

Red flags

1 med ·
Charge satisfaction-then-recreation pattern
medium

Multiple instances where a charge was satisfied and a new charge created within 6 months. Suggests active refinancing cycle.

Group structure

Adlib Trustees Ltd is the ultimate parent — holding 75%+ shares. This company sits inside their group.

🏛️
Adlib Trustees Ltd
Corporate parent · holds 75-100% shares · board control
ultimate parent
⬇
AD LIB HOLDINGS LIMITED
This company · 05138584

Parent relationships inferred from Persons with Significant Control filings. Full subsidiary tree requires reverse-lookup (coming).

Shareholders & ownership

1 active beneficial owner · dominant holder ≥75%
NameSharesVoting rightsNature of controlNotified
Adlib Trustees Ltd
Corporate entity
75–100%
75–100%board control75-100% shares · 75-100% voting · board control01/10/2020
2 historic (ceased) PSCs
  • Mrs Alanna Deanceased 01/10/2020· 25-50% shares · 25-50% voting
  • Nick Deanceased 01/10/2020· 25-50% shares · 25-50% voting

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
Incorporated2004-05-26
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC78109 — Other activities of employment placement agencies

Registered office

Suite 2, 3rd Floor, St Bartolomews House
Lewins Mead
Bristol
BS1 2NH
England

Filing status

Accounts
Next due: 2027-03-31
Last made up to: 2025-06-30
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-08-05
Last: 2025-07-22

Officers (1 active · 8 resigned)

KAY, Steven→
director · ~50y · appointed 2022-09-13
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
HUTTON, Frank David→
secretary · appointed 2013-04-01 · resigned 2014-09-30
Resigned
HUTTON, Susan Caroline→
secretary · appointed 2004-06-01 · resigned 2013-04-01
Resigned
BRIGHTON SECRETARY LTD→
corporate-nominee-secretary · appointed 2004-05-26 · resigned 2004-05-26
Resigned
DEAN, Alanna→
director · ~51y · appointed 2014-11-24 · resigned 2022-09-13
Resigned
DEAN, Nick→
director · ~53y · appointed 2007-07-01 · resigned 2025-09-08
Resigned
HUTTON, Frank David→
director · ~67y · appointed 2004-06-01 · resigned 2014-09-30
Resigned
RANDALL, Lindsay→
director · ~52y · appointed 2007-07-01 · resigned 2009-08-28
Resigned
BRIGHTON DIRECTOR LTD→
corporate-nominee-director · appointed 2004-05-26 · resigned 2004-05-26
Resigned

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

Mortgages & charges

5
Total charges
1
Outstanding
1
Active lenders
Status:Lender:5 of 5 shown
TypeProperties
outstanding
Nicholas Peter Dean
A registered charge—01/10/2020—
satisfied
Lloyds Banking Group
Lloyds Tsb Commercial Finance Limited
All assets debenture1 property21/05/200901/11/2012
satisfied
Oriel Support
Oriel Support Limited
Debenture1 property13/12/200612/05/2009
satisfied
Lloyds Banking Group
Lloyds Tsb Commercial Finance Limited
All assets debenture1 property20/09/200612/05/2009
satisfied
HSBC
Hsbc Bank PLC
Debenture1 property06/09/200412/12/2013
Click column headers to sort. Use filters above to narrow by status and lender.

Recent filings (102 total)

accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2025-10-19
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-10-10
termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM01
2025-09-24
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2025-03-14
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-08-20
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2024-02-26
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-09-06
change-person-director-company-with-change-date
officers · CH01
2023-09-06
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2022-10-12
notification-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC02
2022-09-13
cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC07
2022-09-13
cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC07
2022-09-13
appoint-person-director-company-with-name-date
officers · AP01
2022-09-13
termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM01
2022-09-13
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-08-01