ASSIST'EM LIMITED

💤Zombieactive
05185638 · ltd · incorporated 2004-07-21
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 Aug 2025
Net worth
£30.1k
book net assets
Opportunity
80/100
Exceptional
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What this business does
Primary activity: Other education n.e.c.
Sector: Education
Investor take
Pursue
Asset-holding vehicle with a 72-year-old founder — textbook succession opportunity.

Opportunity 80/100 (exceptional), bankability 75/100. Strong seller-intent signal (83/100, director aged 72). 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: medium (75/100)

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
Confirmed no charges registered
85
Directors & officers
6 officers (1 active, 6 linked, 1 with DOB)
73
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 1 total, 1 with control declared
90
Director network
Network not yet resolved
30
Filing history
66 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.

Signals from accounts

Derived from iXBRL accounts · accounting standard not declared
Positive net assets
Net assets £30,095

Key financials

2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accounts
Cash
—
Net Worth
£30k
Current Assets
—
Current Liabilities
—
£0£6k£12k£18k£24k£30kAug 2024Aug 2025

Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series

Financials

Extracted from Companies House accounts · accounting standard unknown
Metric2025-08-312024-08-31
Total assets£30.1k—
Net assets£30.1k—
Average employees—0

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

Recent activity

Last 30 days
0
filings
Last 90 days
1
filing
  • • 1 accounts
Last 180 days
2
filings
  • • 1 accounts
  • • 1 address
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (29 events)Click to expand
  1. 2026-05-01
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  2. 2026-02-16
    📍
    change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
    address · AD01
  3. 2025-03-26
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
    accounts · AA
  4. 2024-07-18
    📄
    change-person-director-company-with-change-date
    officers · CH01
  5. 2024-07-11
    📄
    change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
  6. 2024-07-11
    📄
    change-person-director-company-with-change-date
    officers · CH01
  7. 2024-05-31
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
    accounts · AA
  8. 2024-05-29
    📍
    change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
    address · AD01
  9. 2023-07-24
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
    accounts · AA
  10. 2021-11-24
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  11. 2021-11-22
    📄
    termination-secretary-company-with-name-termination-date
    officers · TM02
  12. 2021-03-10
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  13. 2020-11-12
    ➖
    PEARS, Richard Hope resigned
    secretary
  14. 2020-04-22
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  15. 2019-05-02
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridged
    accounts · AA
  16. 2019-04-23
    📍
    change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
    address · AD01
  17. 2018-07-25
    📄
    appoint-person-secretary-company-with-name-date
    officers · AP03
  18. 2018-07-25
    📄
    termination-secretary-company-with-name-termination-date
    officers · TM02
  19. 2018-07-12
    ➖
    BARNES, Anne Margaret resigned
    secretary
  20. 2018-07-12
    ➕
    PEARS, Richard Hope appointed
    secretary
  21. 2006-08-31
    ➖
    BAGSHAW, Elisabeth Anne resigned
    secretary
  22. 2006-08-31
    ➕
    BARNES, Anne Margaret appointed
    secretary
  23. 2004-07-21
    🏢
    Company incorporated
    As ASSIST'EM LIMITED
  24. 2004-07-21
    ➕
    STEPHENSON, Caroline Joy appointed
    director
  25. 2004-07-21
    ➕
    BAGSHAW, Elisabeth Anne appointed
    secretary
  26. 2004-07-21
    ➕
    SWIFT INCORPORATIONS LIMITED appointed
    corporate-nominee-secretary
  27. 2004-07-21
    ➖
    SWIFT INCORPORATIONS LIMITED resigned
    corporate-nominee-secretary
  28. 2004-07-21
    ➕
    INSTANT COMPANIES LIMITED appointed
    corporate-nominee-director
  29. 2004-07-21
    ➖
    INSTANT COMPANIES LIMITED resigned
    corporate-nominee-director

Owner dependency

100/100
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 22 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
  • +Founder age: Director aged approximately 72 — succession pressure is live.

Succession & seller-readiness

100/100
Likely off-market candidate

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

SIGNALS
  • primaryFounder aged 70+: Senior director is approximately 72 years old. Natural succession window is now.
  • primarySole active director: Only one director in control. No visible successor — buyers solve the succession problem.
  • primary20+ year tenure: Director in role 22 years. Very long tenure is a classic succession signal.
  • secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 22 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
Mrs Caroline Stephenson
Individual · British · DOB 05/1954 · age 72
75–100%
—75-100% shares06/04/2016

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

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15215056 · est 2023 · no financials extracted
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16707460 · est 2025 · no financials extracted
———————
AWC TRAINING LTD→
07588986 · est 2011 · no financials extracted
————15y——
BAHASA BASUDARA C.I.C.→
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————5y——
BALVUR LTD→
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BARBERS AGAINST PROSTATE CANCER CIC→
15042945 · est 2023 · no financials extracted
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BE CREATIVE CORNWALL CIC→
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Peers ranked by estimated value, then turnover, then opportunity score.See all →
🔒Tailored diligence questions

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 →
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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.

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Company details

Statusactive
Typeltd
Incorporated2004-07-21
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC85590 — Other education n.e.c.

Registered office

The Meadow Barns The Meadow Barns
Penpell
Par
Cornwall
PL24 2SA
United Kingdom

Filing status

Accounts
Next due: 2027-05-31
Last made up to: 2025-08-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-08-01
Last: 2025-07-18

Officers (1 active · 5 resigned)

STEPHENSON, Caroline Joy→
director · ~72y · appointed 2004-07-21
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
BAGSHAW, Elisabeth Anne→
secretary · appointed 2004-07-21 · resigned 2006-08-31
Resigned
BARNES, Anne Margaret→
secretary · appointed 2006-08-31 · resigned 2018-07-12
Resigned
PEARS, Richard Hope→
secretary · appointed 2018-07-12 · resigned 2020-11-12
Resigned
SWIFT INCORPORATIONS LIMITED→
corporate-nominee-secretary · appointed 2004-07-21 · resigned 2004-07-21
Resigned
INSTANT COMPANIES LIMITED→
corporate-nominee-director · appointed 2004-07-21 · resigned 2004-07-21
Resigned

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

Recent filings (66 total)

accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2026-05-01
change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
address · AD01
2026-02-16
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-07-31
accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
accounts · AA
2025-03-26
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-07-18
change-person-director-company-with-change-date
officers · CH01
2024-07-18
change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
2024-07-11
change-person-director-company-with-change-date
officers · CH01
2024-07-11
accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
accounts · AA
2024-05-31
change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
address · AD01
2024-05-29
accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
accounts · AA
2023-07-24
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-07-20
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-07-18
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2021-11-24
termination-secretary-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM02
2021-11-22