4LESS LIMITED
Opportunity 71/100 (strong), bankability 70/100. High owner-dependency — earn-out structure likely required for clean transition. 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 (58/100).
Data confidence
Overall: medium (78/100)Adequate coverage. AI outputs are reliable for the sections scored high; verify the rest in diligence.
Solid opportunity signal. Worth a dedicated memo and management meeting.
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 | 2025-01-31 | 2024-01-31 |
|---|---|---|
| Total assets | £11.3k | £10.1k |
| Current assets | £5.6k | £8.2k |
| Net assets | £11.3k | £10.1k |
Amounts extracted automatically from iXBRL. Fields left blank were not reported or not mapped. Values in GBP unless stated.
Recent activity
- • 1 confirmation-statement
- • 2 gazette
- • 1 confirmation-statement
- • 1 accounts
Corporate timeline (12 events)Click to expand
- 2026-01-07📄gazette-filings-brought-up-to-dategazette · DISS40
- 2026-01-06📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2025-12-30📄gazette-notice-compulsorygazette · GAZ1
- 2024-11-29📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2024-02-03📄accounts-amended-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AAMD
- 2023-10-15📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2022-06-14📄change-person-director-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH01
- 2022-06-14📄change-to-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC04
- 2022-06-10📍change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-addressaddress · AD01
- 2022-01-18🏢Company incorporatedAs 4LESS LIMITED
- 2022-01-18➕RUFFELS, Richard James appointeddirector
- 2022-01-18📄incorporation-companyincorporation · NEWINC
Owner dependency
Material founder dependency. Consider a 2-3 year earn-out and build in a handover plan before completion.
- +Sole director: Only one active director — all governance concentrated on one person.
Succession & seller-readiness
Some succession indicators present. Worth watching; approach if sector/strategy fits.
- primarySole active director: Only one director in control. No visible successor — buyers solve the succession problem.
Red flags
cleanShareholders & ownership
1 active beneficial owner · dominant holder ≥75%| Name | Shares | Voting rights | Nature of control | Notified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Mr Richard James Ruffels Individual · English · DOB 11/1982 · age 44 | 75–100% | 75–100% | 75-100% shares · 75-100% voting | 18/01/2022 |
From Companies House Persons with Significant Control filings. Share ranges are banded per the public PSC regime.
Similar companies
Active · Wholesale & distribution · EC postcode area| Company | Est. value | Turnover | Net worth | Staff | Age | Opp | Director |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1359 RUM PUNCH LTD→ 15825272 · est 2024 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 1y | — | — |
| 29 07 2004 LTD→ 15923374 · est 2024 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 1y | — | — |
| 2M GLOBAL LTD→ 16609519 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 3 BAGSS LIMITED→ 15793397 · est 2024 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 1y | — | — |
| 3M JEWELS LTD→ 16662095 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 3T OVERSEAS LIMITED→ 13357338 · est 2021 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 4y | — | — |
| 420 BEVERAGES LTD→ 11663827 · est 2018 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 7y | — | — |
| 4M GLOBE MANAGEMENT LIMITED→ 04316309 · est 2001 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 24y | — | — |
| 4SQUARE WHOLESALE LTD→ 15448594 · est 2024 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 2y | — | — |
| 59 RAIN AM LTD→ 17049000 · est 2026 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 7 STARS NDA LTD→ 16133886 · est 2024 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 1y | — | — |
| 7ATIM LTD→ 17001338 · est 2026 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
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 →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 · 0 resigned)
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