HEATHER ANN DOWD LTD
No material changes in the last 30 days.
No material changes in the last 90 days.
No snapshot from 180 days ago — start tracking from today.
Opportunity 80/100 (exceptional), bankability 75/100. Strong seller-intent signal (70/100, director aged 64). 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 (75/100)Adequate coverage. AI outputs are reliable for the sections scored high; verify the rest in diligence.
Strong composite across quality, acquirability, and risk. High-priority target — progress to serious diligence.
Key financials
2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accountsHover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series
Financials
Extracted from Companies House accounts · FRS 102| Metric | 2025-03-31 | 2024-03-31 |
|---|---|---|
| Average employees | 3 | 200 |
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 (22 events)Click to expand
- 2026-01-06📄change-to-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC04
- 2025-11-11📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2024-07-08📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2024-01-17📄change-person-director-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH01
- 2023-09-06📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2023-02-16📄change-person-director-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH01
- 2022-12-20📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2022-07-13📄change-to-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC04
- 2022-07-04📄change-person-secretary-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH03
- 2022-07-04📄change-person-secretary-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH03
- 2021-10-26📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2020-10-26📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2019-11-13📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2018-12-18📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2017-11-08📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2008-01-17➕MELDRUM, Hazel appointedsecretary
- 2008-01-17➕DOWD, Heather Ann appointeddirector
- 2008-01-15🏢Company incorporatedAs HEATHER ANN DOWD LTD
- 2008-01-15➕DUPORT SECRETARY LIMITED appointedcorporate-nominee-secretary
- 2008-01-15➖DUPORT SECRETARY LIMITED resignedcorporate-nominee-secretary
- 2008-01-15➕DUPORT DIRECTOR LIMITED appointedcorporate-nominee-director
- 2008-01-15➖DUPORT DIRECTOR LIMITED resignedcorporate-nominee-director
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.
- +Founder name in company name: Company name contains director surname "DOWD" — strong identity link between founder and business.
- +Long-tenure founder: Senior director has been in place 19 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
- +Senior director age: Director aged approximately 64 — approaching natural succession window.
Succession & seller-readiness
Strong acquirability signals converging. Worth approaching directly — this is how off-market deals start.
- primaryFounder aged 63+: Senior director is approximately 64. Approaching typical UK retirement age — succession thinking likely.
- 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
cleanShareholders & ownership
1 active beneficial owner · dominant holder ≥75%| Name | Shares | Voting rights | Nature of control | Notified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Ms Heather Ann Dowd Individual · Scottish · DOB 05/1962 · age 64 | 75–100% | — | 75-100% shares | 15/01/2017 |
From Companies House Persons with Significant Control filings. Share ranges are banded per the public PSC regime.
Similar companies
Active · Technology · FK postcode area| Company | Est. value | Turnover | Net worth | Staff | Age | Opp | Director |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2E-VOLVE (UK) LTD→ SC261922 · est 2004 | — | — | £194.2k | — | 22y | 82 | 66y |
| PIXEL IMAGE LIMITED→ SC204703 · est 2000 | — | — | — | 1200 | 26y | 82 | 58y |
| QUALITY TRAINING (SCOTLAND) LIMITED→ SC192934 · est 1999 | — | — | £17.0k | — | 27y | 82 | 62y |
| CITIZENS ADVICE BUREAU (GRANGEMOUTH & BO'NESS) LIMITED→ SC126238 · est 1990 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 36y | 81 | 85y |
| GRAYLINK LIMITED→ SC090783 · est 1984 | — | — | — | — | 41y | 81 | 83y |
| INCYTE CONSULTING LTD.→ SC329486 · est 2007 | — | — | — | 100 | 18y | 81 | 78y |
| AMA SOFTWARE LIMITED→ SC329364 · est 2007 | — | — | £207.8k | — | 18y | 80 | 69y |
| ANDY GRANT LTD→ SC249619 · est 2003 | — | — | — | 200 | 23y | 80 | 74y |
| ASPIRE CONTINUITY LIMITED→ SC226806 · est 2002 | — | — | £857 | — | 24y | 80 | 59y |
| ASSYNT IP SYSTEMS LIMITED→ SC263256 · est 2004 | — | — | £0 | — | 22y | 80 | 63y |
| BASS CHAMONIX LIMITED→ SC267904 · est 2004 | — | — | £9.6k | — | 22y | 80 | 67y |
| BLETCHLEY IT LIMITED→ SC207825 · est 2000 | — | — | £51.4k | — | 25y | 80 | 58y |
7 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 (2 active · 2 resigned)
Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.