CARLYN LIMITED
Company number 02954674 · Monitor this company
This analysis was written by an AI from the company's public filings. It may contain errors or omissions and is not financial or professional advice.
Credit Assessment: CARLYN LIMITED
1. Credit Opinion: DECLINE
This application warrants a decline. The company exhibits a sustained and severe deterioration in financial position over multiple years, with net assets declining 94% from £121,126 (2017) to £7,458 (2025). Revenue generation is negligible and inconsistent, the equity base is virtually non-existent, and there are no tangible assets to provide security. The business lacks the financial capacity to service any meaningful debt facility.
2. Financial Strength: Critically Weak
Balance Sheet Trajectory – Sustained Erosion
| Year | Net Assets | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | £121,126 | — |
| 2018 | £114,110 | -5.8% |
| 2019 | £101,552 | -11.0% |
| 2020 | £70,931 | -30.1% |
| 2021 | £38,081 | -46.3% |
| 2022 | £9,015 | -76.3% |
| 2023 | £9,608 | +6.6% |
| 2024 | £11,801 | +22.8% |
| 2025 | £7,458 | -36.8% |
The overall trajectory is unambiguous: this business has consumed approximately £114,000 of its net asset base over eight years. The brief stabilisation in 2022-2024 has reversed sharply, with net assets falling 37% in the latest year.
Key Balance Sheet Concerns: - No fixed assets (£0 in both 2024 and 2025) — no property, equipment, or investments to serve as collateral - Total assets of only £15,474 — the entire asset base is minimal - Share capital of only £2,000 with retained profits of just £5,458 — virtually no equity cushion - Single employee operation — the business is effectively a personal service vehicle with no organisational depth
Leverage Position: Current liabilities (£8,016) now exceed net assets (£7,458), indicating the company is effectively over-leveraged on a going-concern basis. Any additional borrowing would push the company into a negative net asset position.
3. Cash Flow Assessment: Inadequate
Revenue Generation:
Turnover is only reported sporadically due to micro-entity filing exemptions, but available data tells a concerning story:
| Year | Turnover |
|---|---|
| 2020 | £10,567 |
| 2021 | £73,715 |
| 2023 | £9,344 |
Reported turnover is erratic and, at best, modest. The 2021 figure of £73,715 appears to be an outlier — potentially a one-off project or asset disposal rather than recurring revenue. The normalised revenue run-rate appears to be approximately £10,000 per annum, which is insufficient to cover operating costs plus any debt service.
Liquidity Position:
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Current Assets | £15,474 | £34,920 |
| Current Liabilities | £8,016 | £23,119 |
| Net Current Assets | £7,458 | £11,801 |
| Current Ratio | 1.93x | 1.51x |
While the current ratio appears adequate at 1.93x, this is misleading. Current assets have nearly halved year-on-year (£34,920 to £15,474), and the improvement in the ratio is driven primarily by creditors being paid down rather than operational cash generation. The working capital base of £7,458 provides no buffer for debt service.
Cash Flow Conclusion: There is no evidence of consistent, sufficient cash generation to service new debt obligations. The declining asset base suggests the company is consuming capital rather than generating it.
4. Monitoring Points
If any future consideration were made (which I do not recommend), the following would require strict oversight:
- Net asset floor: Net assets have fallen below £8,000 and are trending downward — any further decline would push the company toward technical insolvency
- Revenue verification: Full management accounts would be required to understand actual trading performance, given micro-entity accounts provide minimal visibility
- Creditor behaviour: The reduction in current liabilities from £23,119 to £8,016 should be investigated — is this genuine repayment or creditors writing off debts?
- Related-party transactions: With Geoffrey Holmes holding >75% control, there is significant risk of preferential transactions or extraction of value
- Asset composition: Breakdown of the £15,474 current assets is essential — if predominantly debtors, collectibility must be assessed
- Business purpose: The company's SIC code (82990 — other business support services) is vague; clarity on actual trading activity is required
- Director conduct: Both directors appear to have clean records, but the long-term capital erosion raises questions about financial stewardship
Additional Risk Factors
Concentration Risk: Geoffrey Holmes controls >75% of shares, voting rights, and director appointments. Lynne Holmes serves as both director and secretary. This is a husband-and-wife operation with no independent oversight, no board diversity, and complete control resting with one individual.
Filing Quality: Micro-entity accounts provide the absolute minimum financial disclosure. There is no profit & loss account, no cash flow statement, and no notes beyond employee numbers. This severely limits credit assessment capability.
Historical Pattern: The company was incorporated in 1994 and appears to have been a viable entity for many years (net assets exceeded £100,000 as recently as 2019). The dramatic decline since then suggests either a fundamental change in business model, loss of a key contract, or systematic extraction of value by the owners.