4LW CREATIVE BY DESIGN LIMITED
🌳Matureactive
08508565 · ltd · incorporated 2013-04-29
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 Oct 2024
Net worth
—
book net assets
Opportunity
71/100
Strong
What this business does
Primary activity: Video production activities
Sector: Information & communication
Investor take
PursueStrong opportunity: active trading company with strong profile and bankable structure.
Opportunity 71/100 (strong), bankability 75/100. High owner-dependency — earn-out structure likely required for clean transition. Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Most likely exit: strategic trade sale (65/100).
Data confidence
Overall: medium (72/100)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
1 year of iXBRL accounts extracted (no YoY comparison) + narrative notes parsed
50
Lenders & charges
Confirmed no charges registered
85
Directors & officers
2 officers (2 active, 2 linked, 2 with DOB)
90
Ownership & PSC
2 active PSC(s) of 2 total, 2 with control declared
90
Director network
3 connected companies via shared directors
54
Filing history
40 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
71/100Strong
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
90
Good data coverage for analysis.
Key financials
1 year extracted from filed iXBRL accountsCash
—
Net Worth
—
Current Assets
—
Current Liabilities
—
Financials
Extracted from Companies House accounts · FRS 102| Metric | 2024-10-31 |
|---|---|
| Average employees | 200 |
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
1
filing
- • 1 change-of-name
Last 90 days
2
filings
- • 1 change-of-name
- • 1 confirmation-statement
Last 180 days
2
filings
- • 1 change-of-name
- • 1 confirmation-statement
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (19 events)Click to expand
- 2026-04-30✏️certificate-change-of-name-companychange-of-name · CERTNM
- 2025-04-09📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2024-07-26📄change-account-reference-date-company-current-extendedaccounts · AA01
- 2024-07-24📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2023-08-23📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2023-07-21📄change-account-reference-date-company-previous-shortenedaccounts · AA01
- 2023-02-24📄notification-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC01
- 2023-02-24📄change-to-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC04
- 2022-07-21📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2021-09-07📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2021-07-19📄change-account-reference-date-company-previous-shortenedaccounts · AA01
- 2020-11-06📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2020-02-13📄resolutionresolution · RESOLUTIONS
- 2019-07-24📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2018-07-19📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2017-07-07📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-smallaccounts · AA
- 2017-04-01➕WILLS, Leanne appointeddirector
- 2013-04-29🏢Company incorporatedAs 4LW CREATIVE BY DESIGN LIMITED
- 2013-04-29➕WILLS, Lester appointeddirector
Owner dependency
71/100
High — earn-out structure requiredMaterial founder dependency. Consider a 2-3 year earn-out and build in a handover plan before completion.
FACTORS
- +Two-director setup: Only two active directors — typical of owner-managed SMEs but limits succession.
- +Family involvement: Multiple officers share a surname — likely family business, which concentrates governance.
- +No director turnover: Company is 13 years old with no director changes — suggests a very tight-knit founder team never broadened.
Succession & seller-readiness
49/100
Moderate signalSome succession indicators present. Worth watching; approach if sector/strategy fits.
SIGNALS
- secondaryTwo-director governance: Small-team governance. Succession depth is thin but not absent.
- secondary12+ year tenure: Director in role 13 years.
- supportingClean filings + long tenure: Disciplined long-tenure operator — classic lifestyle-business pattern that often sells quietly.
Red flags
1 med ·Name changed recently
mediumName changes can be benign (rebrand) but can also precede distress, phoenix activity, or buyer concealment.
Evidence: 2026-04-30: certificate-change-of-name-company
Shareholders & ownership
2 active beneficial owners| Name | Shares | Voting rights | Nature of control | Notified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Mrs Leanne Wills Individual · British · DOB 04/1986 · age 40 | 25–50% | 25–50% | 25-50% shares · 25-50% voting | 17/04/2017 |
Mr Lester Wills Individual · British · DOB 11/1980 · age 46 | 25–50% | 25–50% | 25-50% shares · 25-50% voting | 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 · Technology · WS postcode area| Company | Est. value | Turnover | Net worth | Staff | Age | Opp | Director |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12TREES TECH LTD→ 16487110 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 13JSMEDIA LTD→ 15839777 · est 2024 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 1y | — | — |
| 167 SOLUTIONS LTD→ 15918548 · est 2024 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 1y | — | — |
| 20TWENTY TALENT LIMITED→ 12535168 · est 2020 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 6y | — | — |
| 3D AJF ULTIMATE ENTERTAINMENT LIMITED→ 11408808 · est 2018 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 7y | — | — |
| 3DNATIVE LTD→ 07341978 · est 2010 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 15y | — | — |
| 3T LOGISTICS LTD→ 03973355 · est 2000 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 26y | — | — |
| 3TECHSOFT LTD→ 16084946 · est 2024 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 1y | — | — |
| 4 BETTER ANCESTORS LTD→ 16010600 · est 2024 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 1y | — | — |
| 4710 PRODUCTIONS LTD→ 15980496 · est 2024 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 1y | — | — |
| 65 BIT CONSULTING LTD→ 11932989 · est 2019 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 7y | — | — |
| 7 / 52 PRODUCTIONS LIMITED→ 14241555 · est 2022 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 3y | — | — |
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
Incorporated2013-04-29
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC59112 — Video production activities
Registered office
Brickyard Road
Aldridge
Walsall
West Midlands
WS9 8SR
Filing status
Accounts
Next due: 2026-07-31
Last made up to: 2024-10-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2027-02-28
Last: 2026-02-14
Officers (2 active · 0 resigned)
WILLS, Leanne→
Activedirector · ~40y · appointed 2017-04-01
View their other companies + combined net worth →
WILLS, Lester→
Activedirector · ~46y · appointed 2013-04-29
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.
Recent filings (40 total)
certificate-change-of-name-company
change-of-name · CERTNM
2026-04-30
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2026-02-25
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2025-04-09
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-02-28
change-account-reference-date-company-current-extended
accounts · AA01
2024-07-26
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2024-07-24
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-02-26
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2023-08-23
change-account-reference-date-company-previous-shortened
accounts · AA01
2023-07-21
notification-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC01
2023-02-24
change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
2023-02-24
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-02-24
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2022-07-21
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-02-21
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2021-09-07