CALEDONIAN BUSINESS CENTRES LTD.

🌳Matureactive
SC150783 · ltd · incorporated 1994-05-10
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 Aug 2024
Net worth
£461.8k
book net assets
Opportunity
82/100
Exceptional
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What this business does
Primary activity: Other education n.e.c.
Sector: Education
Investor take
Pursue
Asset-holding vehicle. Family succession underway — not a classic acquisition target.

Opportunity 82/100 (exceptional), bankability 85/100. Same-surname younger director in place — likely family handover, not open to sale. Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Biggest value-creation lever: Cash flow review and working-capital discipline. Cash down -74% YoY — forensic review of receivables, stock turns, and creditor days. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (65/100).

🏦

Refinance opportunity

2 live charges · oldest 25.6y

45/100
under pressure

Refinance would be pressure-driven, not opportunity-driven. Expect tighter margins and covenant scrutiny.

  • · Oldest live charge is 25.6 years old — likely at or near maturity.
  • · Single lender — cleanest path to refinance.
  • · Cashflow trend is negative — lender view likely cautious.

Data confidence

Overall: high (80/100)

Strong data coverage across all sections. AI outputs should be trusted with minimal caveats.

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
2 charges (2/2 with lender, 2/2 with type)
90
Directors & officers
8 officers (4 active, 8 linked, 6 with DOB)
85
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
94 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
82/100Exceptional
PassWatchWorth a lookStrongExceptional 

Strong composite across quality, acquirability, and risk. High-priority target — progress to serious diligence.

Business quality
70
Active, clean filings, stable charge profile.
Acquirability
80
Strong succession / seller-readiness signals.
Risk profile
85
Few red flags.
Signal strength
100
Good data coverage for analysis.

Signals from accounts

Derived from iXBRL accounts · accounting standard not declared
Positive net assets
Net assets £461,798
Cash draining
Cash down 74% YoY
Cash YoY
-74%
Year on year

Key financials

2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accounts
Cash
£10k
↓ 74% YoY
Net Worth
£462k
~ YoY
Current Assets
£76k
↓ 37% YoY
Current Liabilities
—
£0£92k£185k£277k£369k£462kAug 2023Aug 2024

Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series

Financials

Extracted from Companies House accounts · accounting standard unknown
Metric2024-08-312023-08-31
Total assets£461.8k£460.8k
Current assets£75.7k£119.3k
Cash£9.7k£37.7k
Debtors£66.0k£81.5k
Net assets£461.8k£460.8k

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
0
filings
Last 90 days
0
filings
Last 180 days
0
filings
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (33 events)Click to expand
  1. 2025-05-21
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  2. 2024-08-15
    ➕
    MACLEAN, Donald Robert appointed
    director
  3. 2024-08-15
    📄
    appoint-person-director-company-with-name-date
    officers · AP01
  4. 2024-05-24
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  5. 2023-06-23
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridged
    accounts · AA
  6. 2023-05-10
    📄
    mortgage-satisfy-charge-full
    mortgage · MR04
  7. 2023-05-10
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #1
  8. 2022-12-20
    📄
    capital-return-purchase-own-shares
    capital · SH03
  9. 2022-08-16
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridged
    accounts · AA
  10. 2021-04-26
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridged
    accounts · AA
  11. 2020-02-05
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridged
    accounts · AA
  12. 2019-11-15
    📄
    mortgage-satisfy-charge-full
    mortgage · MR04
  13. 2019-11-15
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #2
  14. 2018-11-20
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridged
    accounts · AA
  15. 2017-09-27
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridged
    accounts · AA
  16. 2017-05-15
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-small
    accounts · AA
  17. 2016-05-12
    📄
    annual-return-company-with-made-up-date-full-list-shareholders
    annual-return · AR01
  18. 2016-04-07
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-small
    accounts · AA
  19. 2015-05-13
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-small
    accounts · AA
  20. 2009-12-18
    ➕
    MACLEAN, Frances Lesley appointed
    director
  21. 2000-09-25
    🔒
    Charge registered #2
    Lender: The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC
  22. 2000-09-19
    🔒
    Charge registered #1
    Lender: The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC
  23. 1999-12-15
    ➖
    MACLEAN, Frances Lesley resigned
    director
  24. 1998-06-10
    ➖
    MACLEAN, Susan Jean resigned
    director
  25. 1994-05-10
    🏢
    Company incorporated
    As CALEDONIAN BUSINESS CENTRES LTD.
  26. 1994-05-10
    ➕
    MACLEAN, Frances Lesley appointed
    secretary
  27. 1994-05-10
    ➕
    MACLEAN, Thomas Angus appointed
    director
  28. 1994-05-10
    ➕
    REID, Brian appointed
    nominee-secretary
  29. 1994-05-10
    ➖
    REID, Brian resigned
    nominee-secretary
  30. 1994-05-10
    ➕
    MABBOTT, Stephen appointed
    nominee-director
  31. 1994-05-10
    ➖
    MABBOTT, Stephen resigned
    nominee-director
  32. 1994-05-10
    ➕
    MACLEAN, Frances Lesley appointed
    director
  33. 1994-05-10
    ➕
    MACLEAN, Susan Jean appointed
    director

Owner dependency

83/100
Critical — business is the founder

The business appears inseparable from the founder. Acquisition without a serious earn-out or meaningful transition period would likely destroy value.

FACTORS
  • +Long-tenure founder: Senior director has been in place 32 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
  • +Founder age: Director aged approximately 70 — succession pressure is live.
  • +Family involvement: Multiple officers share a surname — likely family business, which concentrates governance.

Succession & seller-readiness

40/100
Moderate signal

Some succession indicators present. Worth watching; approach if sector/strategy fits.

SIGNALS
  • primaryFamily succession underway: Not a takeover target — MACLEAN, Donald Robert (same surname) appointed 2024-08-15. Pattern consistent with intra-family handover.
  • primaryFounder aged 70+: Senior director is approximately 70 years old. Natural succession window is now.
  • primary20+ year tenure: Director in role 32 years. Very long tenure is a classic succession signal.
  • supportingClean filings + long tenure: Disciplined long-tenure operator — classic lifestyle-business pattern that often sells quietly.

Red flags

clean
No red flags detected from available public data. (This is not a clean bill of health — detailed accounts review still recommended.)

Shareholders & ownership

2 active beneficial owners
NameSharesVoting rightsNature of controlNotified
Mrs Frances Lesley Maclean
Individual · British · DOB 12/1957 · age 69
25–50%
25–50%board control25-50% shares · 25-50% voting · board control06/04/2016
Mr Thomas Angus Maclean
Individual · British · DOB 04/1956 · age 70
25–50%
25–50%board control25-50% shares · 25-50% voting · board control06/04/2016

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 →

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Peers ranked by estimated value, then turnover, then opportunity score.See all →
🔒Tailored diligence questions

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 →
🔒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
Incorporated1994-05-10
Jurisdictionscotland
Primary SIC85590 — Other education n.e.c.

Registered office

14 Rutland Square
Edinburgh
EH1 2BD

Filing status

Accounts
Next due: 2026-05-31
Last made up to: 2024-08-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-05-24
Last: 2025-05-10

Officers (4 active · 4 resigned)

MACLEAN, Frances Lesley→
secretary · appointed 1994-05-10
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
MACLEAN, Donald Robert→
director · ~36y · appointed 2024-08-15
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
MACLEAN, Frances Lesley→
director · ~69y · appointed 2009-12-18
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
MACLEAN, Thomas Angus→
director · ~70y · appointed 1994-05-10
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
REID, Brian→
nominee-secretary · appointed 1994-05-10 · resigned 1994-05-10
Resigned
MABBOTT, Stephen→
nominee-director · ~76y · appointed 1994-05-10 · resigned 1994-05-10
Resigned
MACLEAN, Frances Lesley→
director · ~69y · appointed 1994-05-10 · resigned 1999-12-15
Resigned
MACLEAN, Susan Jean→
director · ~66y · appointed 1994-05-10 · resigned 1998-06-10
Resigned

Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.

Mortgages & charges

2
Total charges
0
Outstanding
0
Active lenders
Status:Lender:2 of 2 shown
TypeProperties
satisfied
Lloyds Banking Group
The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC
Standard security1 property25/09/200015/11/2019
satisfied
Lloyds Banking Group
The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC
Bond & floating charge1 property19/09/200010/05/2023

Recent filings (94 total)

accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2025-05-21
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-05-17
appoint-person-director-company-with-name-date
officers · AP01
2024-08-15
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2024-05-24
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-05-21
accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridged
accounts · AA
2023-06-23
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-05-12
mortgage-satisfy-charge-full
mortgage · MR04
2023-05-10
capital-return-purchase-own-shares
capital · SH03
2022-12-20
accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridged
accounts · AA
2022-08-16
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-05-10
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2021-05-19
accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridged
accounts · AA
2021-04-26
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2020-05-13
accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridged
accounts · AA
2020-02-05