ALTERNATIVE RECRUITMENT SERVICES LTD
🌳Matureactive
06430397 · ltd · incorporated 2007-11-19
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.
Opportunity decay
hardening · 12-months
Already tight — no obvious softening catalysts on the horizon.
- · Thesis: well-run, low negotiation leverage
🔒Estimated value
—
Upgrade to see
Turnover
—
year to Mar 2025
Net worth
£180.8k
book net assets
Opportunity
79/100
Strong
What this business does
Primary activity: Temporary employment agency activities
Sector: Administrative & support services
Investor take
PursueActive trading company with a 60-year-old founder — textbook succession opportunity.
Opportunity 79/100 (strong), bankability 67/100. Strong seller-intent signal (80/100, director aged 60). Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Biggest value-creation lever: Consolidate lender relationships. 3 distinct lenders creates friction — refinance into single-lender structure for cleaner diligence. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (73/100).
🏦
Refinance opportunity
5 live charges · 3 lenders · oldest 18.0y
35/100
too messy
Refinance path is blocked by complexity. Rethink structure or expect bespoke, expensive terms.
- · Oldest live charge is 18.0 years old — likely at or near maturity.
- · 3 lenders named — inter-creditor friction likely.
- · Legal-friction score 25/100 — workable, but lender will want more DD.
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
4 officers (2 active, 4 linked, 3 with DOB)
85
Ownership & PSC
2 active PSC(s) of 2 total, 2 with control declared
90
Director network
1 connected companies via shared directors
48
Filing history
58 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
79/100Strong
PassWatchWorth a lookStrongExceptional
Solid opportunity signal. Worth a dedicated memo and management meeting.
Business quality
70
Active, clean filings, stable charge profile.
Acquirability
80
Strong succession / seller-readiness signals.
Risk profile
77
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 £180,799
Key financials
2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accountsCash
—
Net Worth
£181k
↑ 9.7% YoY
Current Assets
£308k
↑ 5.1% YoY
Current Liabilities
—
Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series
Financials
Extracted from Companies House accounts · accounting standard unknown| Metric | 2025-03-31 | 2024-03-31 |
|---|---|---|
| Total assets | £180.8k | £164.8k |
| Current assets | £308.1k | £293.0k |
| Cash | — | £238.6k |
| Debtors | — | £54.5k |
| Net assets | £180.8k | £164.8k |
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
0
filings
Last 180 days
0
filings
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (32 events)Click to expand
- 2025-12-31📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2024-12-30📄accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridgedaccounts · AA
- 2023-12-29📄accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridgedaccounts · AA
- 2022-12-30📍change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-addressaddress · AD01
- 2022-12-30📄accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridgedaccounts · AA
- 2021-12-30📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2021-04-01📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2021-01-28📍change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-addressaddress · AD01
- 2020-04-21📄mortgage-satisfy-charge-fullmortgage · MR04
- 2020-04-21📄mortgage-satisfy-charge-fullmortgage · MR04
- 2020-04-21🔓Charge satisfied #4
- 2020-04-21🔓Charge satisfied #2
- 2020-03-12📄mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-datemortgage · MR01
- 2020-03-10🔒Charge registered #5Lender: National Westminster Bank PLC
- 2019-12-31📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2018-12-31📄accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridgedaccounts · AA
- 2017-12-29📄accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridgedaccounts · AA
- 2017-04-06📄mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-datemortgage · MR01
- 2017-04-06🔒Charge registered #4Lender: Hitachi Capital (UK) PLC
- 2017-03-29📄mortgage-satisfy-charge-fullmortgage · MR04
- 2017-03-29🔓Charge satisfied #3
- 2017-03-29🔓Charge satisfied #1
- 2016-06-29🔒Charge registered #3Lender: National Westminster Bank PLC
- 2015-01-01➖ARMSTRONG, Susan Tracy resignedsecretary
- 2010-03-04🔒Charge registered #2Lender: Hitachi Capital (UK) PLC
- 2008-07-22🔒Charge registered #1Lender: London Scottish Invoice Finance LTD
- 2008-02-01➕ARMSTRONG, Trevor Arthur appointeddirector
- 2008-01-31➖ARMSTRONG, Gemma Elizabeth resigneddirector
- 2007-11-19🏢Company incorporatedAs ALTERNATIVE RECRUITMENT SERVICES LTD
- 2007-11-19➕ARMSTRONG, Susan Tracy appointeddirector
- 2007-11-19➕ARMSTRONG, Susan Tracy appointedsecretary
- 2007-11-19➕ARMSTRONG, Gemma Elizabeth appointeddirector
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 19 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
69/100
Strong succession signalMultiple signals suggest succession is on the horizon. Candidate for proactive outreach.
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.
- 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
1 med ·Charge satisfaction-then-recreation pattern
mediumMultiple instances where a charge was satisfied and a new charge created within 6 months. Suggests active refinancing cycle.
Shareholders & ownership
2 active beneficial owners| Name | Shares | Voting rights | Nature of control | Notified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Mr Trevor Armstrong Individual · British · DOB 07/1966 · age 60 | 25–50% | — | 25-50% shares | 06/04/2016 |
Mrs Susan Armstrong Individual · British · DOB 12/1966 · age 60 | 25–50% | — | 25-50% shares | 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 · Professional services · EX postcode area| Company | Est. value | Turnover | Net worth | Staff | Age | Opp | Director |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AHOY EQUITY LTD→ 13144836 · est 2021 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 5y | — | — |
| AIR COMPRESSOR SYSTEMS LIMITED→ 03639413 · est 1998 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 27y | — | — |
| ALGO CONSULTING LTD→ 06939797 · est 2009 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 16y | — | — |
| ALISTAIR CLAXTON CONSULTING LTD→ 15916310 · est 2024 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 1y | — | — |
| ALL AREAS HR LIMITED→ 12822285 · est 2020 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 5y | — | — |
| ALL CLOUD ACCOUNTING LTD→ 13036084 · est 2020 | — | — | — | — | 5y | — | — |
| ALL POINTS ACCOUNTANCY LIMITED→ 09813013 · est 2015 | — | — | — | — | 10y | — | — |
| ALL SO PR LTD→ 11015615 · est 2017 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 8y | — | — |
| ALL-INCLUSIVE EMPLOYMENT AGENCY LTD→ 13844821 · est 2022 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 4y | — | — |
| ALPENFORD LIMITED→ 01832589 · est 1984 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 41y | — | — |
| ALTORIVA LIMITED→ 10080610 · est 2016 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 10y | — | — |
| ALVEAR CONSULTING LTD→ 06752894 · est 2008 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 17y | — | — |
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
Incorporated2007-11-19
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC78200 — Temporary employment agency activities
Registered office
Barn Park Cottage Langaford
Ashwater
Beaworthy
Devon
EX21 5UW
England
Filing status
Accounts
Next due: 2026-12-31
Last made up to: 2025-03-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2027-01-01
Last: 2025-12-18
Officers (2 active · 2 resigned)
ARMSTRONG, Susan Tracy→
Activedirector · ~60y · appointed 2007-11-19
View their other companies + combined net worth →
ARMSTRONG, Trevor Arthur→
Activedirector · ~60y · appointed 2008-02-01
View their other companies + combined net worth →
ARMSTRONG, Susan Tracy→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 2007-11-19 · resigned 2015-01-01
ARMSTRONG, Gemma Elizabeth→
Resigneddirector · ~37y · appointed 2007-11-19 · resigned 2008-01-31
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
| Type | Properties | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| outstanding | National Westminster Bank National Westminster Bank PLC | A registered charge | — | 10/03/2020 | — | |
| satisfied | Hitachi Capital (UK) Hitachi Capital (UK) PLC | A registered charge | 1 property | 06/04/2017 | 21/04/2020 | |
| satisfied | National Westminster Bank National Westminster Bank PLC | A registered charge | — | 29/06/2016 | 29/03/2017 | |
| satisfied | Hitachi Capital (UK) Hitachi Capital (UK) PLC | Debenture | 1 property | 04/03/2010 | 21/04/2020 | |
| satisfied | London Scottish Invoice Finance London Scottish Invoice Finance LTD | Debenture | 1 property | 22/07/2008 | 29/03/2017 |
Click column headers to sort. Use filters above to narrow by status and lender.
Recent filings (58 total)
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2025-12-31
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-12-31
accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridged
accounts · AA
2024-12-30
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-12-28
accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridged
accounts · AA
2023-12-29
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-12-18
change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
address · AD01
2022-12-30
accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridged
accounts · AA
2022-12-30
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-12-30
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2021-12-30
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2021-12-30
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2021-04-01
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2021-01-28
change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
address · AD01
2021-01-28
mortgage-satisfy-charge-full
mortgage · MR04
2020-04-21