1ST ABILITY LIMITED
Opportunity 61/100 (worth a look), bankability 50/100. High owner-dependency — earn-out structure likely required for clean transition. Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Biggest value-creation lever: File overdue accounts. Clears statutory overdue flag — immediate bankability uplift for refinance conversations. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (53/100). Current lenders should be on monthly review.
Refinance opportunity
1 live charge · oldest 10.7y
Refinance would be pressure-driven, not opportunity-driven. Expect tighter margins and covenant scrutiny.
- · Oldest live charge is 10.7 years old — likely at or near maturity.
- · Single lender — cleanest path to refinance.
- · Distress signals active — lender appetite narrows.
Data confidence
Overall: medium (77/100)Adequate coverage. AI outputs are reliable for the sections scored high; verify the rest in diligence.
Mixed signal. Worth opening the full target workup before deciding to pursue.
Signals from accounts
Derived from iXBRL accounts · accounting standard not declaredKey financials
2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accountsHover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series
Financials
Extracted from Companies House accounts · accounting standard unknown| Metric | 2024-03-31 | 2023-03-31 |
|---|---|---|
| Total assets | £61.0k | £77.0k |
| Current assets | £138.2k | £124.4k |
| Cash | £7.3k | — |
| Debtors | £126.7k | £124.4k |
| Net assets | £1.1k | £227 |
Amounts extracted automatically from iXBRL. Fields left blank were not reported or not mapped. Values in GBP unless stated.
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
Corporate timeline (27 events)Click to expand
- 2025-03-31📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2024-08-24📄gazette-filings-brought-up-to-dategazette · DISS40
- 2024-08-21📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2024-08-20📄gazette-notice-compulsorygazette · GAZ1
- 2024-05-29📄change-person-director-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH01
- 2024-05-28📄change-to-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC04
- 2024-05-28📄change-to-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC04
- 2024-05-28📍change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-addressaddress · AD01
- 2023-06-07📄gazette-filings-brought-up-to-dategazette · DISS40
- 2023-06-06📄gazette-notice-compulsorygazette · GAZ1
- 2023-03-29📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2022-12-02📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2022-06-15📄gazette-filings-brought-up-to-dategazette · DISS40
- 2022-06-11📄dissolved-compulsory-strike-off-suspendeddissolution · DISS16(SOAS)
- 2022-05-31📄gazette-notice-compulsorygazette · GAZ1
- 2022-03-11📄termination-secretary-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM02
- 2022-03-11📄termination-director-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM01
- 2022-03-03➖SWAIN, Jamie resignedsecretary
- 2022-03-03➖SWAIN, Jamie resigneddirector
- 2021-11-17📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2021-06-16📄gazette-filings-brought-up-to-dategazette · DISS40
- 2021-06-12📄dissolved-compulsory-strike-off-suspendeddissolution · DISS16(SOAS)
- 2015-08-24🔒Charge registered #1Lender: Hsbc Bank PLC
- 2011-08-01➕HUGHES, Clive Howard appointeddirector
- 2009-03-20🏢Company incorporatedAs 1ST ABILITY LIMITED
- 2009-03-20➕SWAIN, Jamie appointedsecretary
- 2009-03-20➕SWAIN, Jamie appointeddirector
Owner dependency
The business appears inseparable from the founder. Acquisition without a serious earn-out or meaningful transition period would likely destroy value.
- +Sole director: Only one active director — all governance concentrated on one person.
- +Senior director age: Director aged approximately 59 — approaching natural succession window.
Succession & seller-readiness
Multiple signals suggest succession is on the horizon. Candidate for proactive outreach.
- secondaryFounder aged 58+: Senior director is approximately 59. Early succession window.
- primarySole active director: Only one director in control. No visible successor — buyers solve the succession problem.
- secondary12+ year tenure: Director in role 15 years.
- secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 17 years old and no new directors in the last 3 years — succession not yet being planned internally.
Red flags
2 high ·Statutory accounts have not been filed by their due date. Can indicate admin breakdown, cash preservation, or deliberate delay.
Evidence: Next due: 2026-03-31
Annual confirmation statement not filed on time. Required statutory filing — overdue is a strong discipline signal.
Evidence: Next due: 2026-04-03
Shareholders & ownership
2 active beneficial owners| Name | Shares | Voting rights | Nature of control | Notified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Mr Jamie Kaswell Albert Swain Individual · British · DOB 03/1972 · age 54 | 25–50% | — | 25-50% shares | 06/04/2016 |
Mr Clive Howard Hughes Individual · British · DOB 12/1967 · age 59 | 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.
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10 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 →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
Registered office
Filing status
Officers (1 active · 2 resigned)
Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.
Mortgages & charges
| Type | Properties | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| outstanding | HSBC Hsbc Bank PLC | A registered charge | 1 property | 24/08/2015 | — |