Per week · UK
/week
Approximately 150 per week. UK companies face a winding-up petition.
Harbourfirst
Introductions that change outcomes · UK-wide
We keep the night watch. You act first.
When a business hits serious trouble, the outcome is decided by who they speak to — and how fast. Harbourfirst puts companies in front of the right regulated specialist at the moment it matters most, on terms agreed before anyone picks up the phone.
The watch in numbers
The scale is quiet, constant, and rarely spoken about — so we keep the count.
Petition source
Approximately 66 percent. of petitions are brought by HMRC.
Representation
firm
One. firm per case, always exclusive.
Availability
24/7
the watch never sleeps.
Nationwide coverage
The watch, nationwide
From Glasgow to the south coast, every winding-up petition is seen the moment it’s filed — and routed to a regulated adviser within reach.
- Petition detected
- Regulated adviser matched
The watch
How the watch works
Three deliberate steps between the first sign of trouble and the right conversation. No noise, no scramble — only a steady hand while the options are still open.
01
We see trouble early
Our watch runs day and night across the UK. When a business enters difficulty, we know early — while options still exist and decisions still matter.
02
We understand the case
We speak with the director, explain exactly who we are, and record their consent before anything moves. Facts and context — never advice.
03
We open the right door
One matched firm receives the case, on terms agreed in advance, and the director is expecting the call. No lists, no auctions, no cold handovers.
Why Harbourfirst
Why businesses use Harbourfirst
01
The right door, first time
Not a directory and not a call centre. One specialist firm, matched to your situation, sector and region — and they already know you’re calling.
02
Terms you see up front
We work with firms that agree how they engage before any introduction is made. You know where you stand from the first conversation.
03
It costs your business nothing
Our fee is paid by the firm we introduce you to — always disclosed, never added to your bill.
The winding-up timeline
The life of a petition
From the day a winding-up petition is presented, events move in a fixed order. Knowing where a company sits on this timeline is the difference between having options and having none.
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Presented at court
A creditor files the petition. Few directors realise how much can still be done at this stage — it is the widest the options will ever be.
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Served on the company
The petition is delivered to the registered office. The clock is now running towards a hearing date.
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Advertised in the Gazette
The petition becomes public knowledge. Banks watch the Gazette closely, and so do trade creditors.
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Bank account frozen
On seeing the advert, banks typically freeze the accounts. Trading becomes difficult, and payments made after presentation may later be unwound.
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The hearing
The court decides whether the company is wound up. Options narrow sharply as this date approaches — which is why acting early matters more than anything.
The earlier the light reaches you, the more doors remain open.
Every referral, standardised
What a qualified referral contains
No cold leads, no half-formed enquiries. Each introduction arrives complete — six things settled before it ever reaches your desk.
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Consented director conversation
A recorded, permission-based conversation with the director, in their own words.
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Company number & filings context
The registered number and current Companies House filing history, already pulled.
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Stage & hearing date
Exactly where the matter sits — petition, hearing date, or a looming creditor deadline.
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Indicative debt & asset picture
A working view of liabilities set against remaining assets and secured positions.
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Stated objective
What the director is actually seeking — rescue, orderly wind-down, or personal protection.
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Conflict pre-screening
Screened against your existing matters before it ever lands on your desk — so the introduction is clean the moment you open it.
Regulated by design
Built to survive scrutiny
Every introduction we make is documented, disclosed and defensible — constructed so that a regulator, a solicitor or a worried director can question any part of it and find the answer already in writing.
01
Lawful sourcing, warranted in writing
Every introduction originates from lawful, permission-based data. We warrant our sourcing in writing, so nothing reaches you that could not withstand a regulator’s question.
02
Screened & disclosed outreach
Directors are contacted openly, never covertly. Each approach is screened, logged and disclosed — the conversation begins with honesty, not a cold script.
03
We never advise
We are an introducer, not an adviser. We never opine on a director’s situation or recommend a course of action; regulated professionals do that, strictly within their remit.
04
Fee disclosure supported
Any fees are made plain before anyone commits. We support full, upfront disclosure so the commercial terms are understood by every party from the outset.
For directors
If our letter reached you
You have done nothing wrong by reading this. We write when public records suggest a business may need serious help — that is all we know, and we do not judge. We do not charge you anything, and we do not give advice.
What we do is connect you with a regulated solicitor or insolvency practitioner who can act — one firm, matched to your situation, on terms you will see up front. The earlier that conversation happens, the more options stay open.
Harbourfirst is an introducer, not an advisor. Nothing we say or send is legal or financial advice.
No cost · No obligation
What happens if you reach out
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A short, private conversation — no obligation, no cost to you.
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We match you to one regulated specialist, not a list of names.
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You see how they work, and their terms, before you commit.
Or email enquiries@harbourfirst.co.uk — a person replies.
The light left on
Take the first watch with us
Each qualified case goes to one firm — yours, where territory and work type match. You pay only when an introduction becomes an engaged client.
Start the conversationEnquiries
A quiet word, in confidence.
Whether you place professional work or you are a director weighing your options, a partner reads every line personally. No call centre, no note lost in a queue.
Received, with thanks.
Your note is with the desk. A partner will reply personally, usually within one working day. If anything is urgent, write to enquiries@harbourfirst.co.uk.