COPY-ON BUSINESS SYSTEMS LIMITED
💤Zombieactive
06012104 · ltd · incorporated 2006-11-28
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 Nov 2025
Net worth
£16
book net assets
Opportunity
80/100
Exceptional
What this business does
Primary activity: SIC 46660
Sector: Wholesale & retail
Investor take
PursueAsset-holding vehicle with a 79-year-old founder — textbook succession opportunity.
Opportunity 80/100 (exceptional), bankability 75/100. Strong seller-intent signal (83/100, director aged 79). 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 (76/100)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
4 officers (1 active, 4 linked, 2 with DOB)
80
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 1 total, 1 with control declared
90
Director network
Network not yet resolved
30
Filing history
58 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 declaredPositive net assets
Net assets £16
Net assets shrinking
Down £10 YoY
Key financials
2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accountsCash
—
Net Worth
£16
↓ 38% YoY
Current Assets
£6k
↑ 17% YoY
Current Liabilities
—
Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series
Financials
Extracted from Companies House accounts · accounting standard unknown| Metric | 2025-11-30 | 2024-11-30 |
|---|---|---|
| Total assets | £16 | £596 |
| Current assets | £6.1k | £5.2k |
| Net assets | £16 | £26 |
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
1
filing
- • 1 accounts
Last 180 days
2
filings
- • 1 accounts
- • 1 confirmation-statement
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (25 events)Click to expand
- 2026-03-05📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2025-03-13📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2024-06-13📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2023-11-30📄change-to-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC04
- 2023-05-09📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2023-03-02📄change-to-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC04
- 2023-03-02📄gazette-filings-brought-up-to-dategazette · DISS40
- 2023-03-01📄change-person-director-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH01
- 2023-03-01📄change-person-director-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH01
- 2023-03-01📄change-to-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC04
- 2023-02-21📄gazette-notice-compulsorygazette · GAZ1
- 2022-08-31📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2021-11-30📄change-to-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC04
- 2021-08-20📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2021-08-17📍change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-addressaddress · AD01
- 2020-08-06📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2019-08-23📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2010-06-18➖MACKIE, Sally Anne resignedsecretary
- 2006-11-28🏢Company incorporatedAs COPY-ON BUSINESS SYSTEMS LIMITED
- 2006-11-28➕MACKIE, Kenneth James appointeddirector
- 2006-11-28➕MACKIE, Sally Anne appointedsecretary
- 2006-11-28➕NORTH WEST REGISTRATION SERVICES (1994) LIMITED appointedcorporate-secretary
- 2006-11-28➖NORTH WEST REGISTRATION SERVICES (1994) LIMITED resignedcorporate-secretary
- 2006-11-28➕AVIS, Christine Susan appointednominee-director
- 2006-11-28➖AVIS, Christine Susan resignednominee-director
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 19 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
- +Founder age: Director aged approximately 79 — succession pressure is live.
Succession & seller-readiness
98/100
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 79 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 19 years.
- secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 19 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
1 active beneficial owner · dominant holder ≥75%| Name | Shares | Voting rights | Nature of control | Notified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Mr Kenneth James Mackie Individual · British · DOB 05/1947 · age 79 | 75–100% | 75–100% | board control75-100% shares · 75-100% voting · board control | 06/04/2016 |
From Companies House Persons with Significant Control filings. Share ranges are banded per the public PSC regime.
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A W BLAKE LTD→ 02969527 · est 1994 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 31y | — | — |
| AGRIFEED SOLUTIONS LTD→ 13163861 · est 2021 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 5y | — | — |
| ALPHAGREEN SOLUTIONS UK LIMITED→ 16139115 · est 2024 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 1y | — | — |
| AYLE COLLIERY COMPANY LIMITED→ 00281899 · est 1933 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 92y | — | — |
| B. B. DAIRY LIMITED→ 06956754 · est 2009 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 16y | — | — |
| BIOGLOW ALGAE LTD→ 15011370 · est 2023 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 2y | — | — |
| BORDER FIRE AND SECURITY LIMITED→ 01897238 · est 1985 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 41y | — | — |
| BURROW & RUTTER-ARMSTRONG ENGINEERING LTD→ 12353425 · est 2019 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 6y | — | — |
| CEP NORTHWEST LIMITED→ 16693739 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| CLOTHES4THOSE IN NEED LTD→ 07398312 · est 2010 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 15y | — | — |
| CORNVALE FOODS LIMITED→ 04188889 · est 2001 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 25y | — | — |
| COUNTRYWIDE TILES LIMITED→ 04233681 · est 2001 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 24y | — | — |
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 →🔒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
Incorporated2006-11-28
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC46660 — SIC 46660
Registered office
14a Main Street
Cockermouth
Cumbria
CA13 9LQ
United Kingdom
Filing status
Accounts
Next due: 2027-08-31
Last made up to: 2025-11-30
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-12-12
Last: 2025-11-28
Officers (1 active · 3 resigned)
MACKIE, Kenneth James→
Activedirector · ~79y · appointed 2006-11-28
View their other companies + combined net worth →
MACKIE, Sally Anne→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 2006-11-28 · resigned 2010-06-18
NORTH WEST REGISTRATION SERVICES (1994) LIMITED→
Resignedcorporate-secretary · appointed 2006-11-28 · resigned 2006-11-28
AVIS, Christine Susan→
Resignednominee-director · ~62y · appointed 2006-11-28 · resigned 2006-11-28
Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.
Recent filings (58 total)
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2026-03-05
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2026-01-26
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2025-03-13
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-11-28
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2024-06-13
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-12-01
change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
2023-11-30
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2023-05-09
change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
2023-03-02
gazette-filings-brought-up-to-date
gazette · DISS40
2023-03-02
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-03-01
change-person-director-company-with-change-date
officers · CH01
2023-03-01
change-person-director-company-with-change-date
officers · CH01
2023-03-01
change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
2023-03-01
gazette-notice-compulsory
gazette · GAZ1
2023-02-21