Are You Facing Unmanageable Company Debt?

When cashflow collapses, the weight of it falls directly on the directors. You may be dealing with aggressive HMRC demands, a winding-up petition, mounting creditor pressure, or the quiet realisation that the business you built is no longer sustainable.

You are not alone in this. Most directors who contact us find themselves here not because they failed, but because an accumulation of factors have weakened the company – adverse tax changes, loss of key employees, technology changes, lost contract, loss making contract, supply chain disruption, a run of difficult trading due to lower levels of demand, rising input costs etc. Taking advice early gives you more options. Waiting almost always makes things harder.

What Are Your Options for Company Rescue?

Rescuing a company requires immediate, honest assessment of what is actually wrong – and a clear plan for what happens next. Below are the main routes we explore with directors in your situation.

Company Voluntary Arrangement (CVA)

A CVA allows a viable company to restructure its debts and repay creditors (in full or a lesser amount) over an agreed period (usually anywhere from one to five years), while continuing to trade. Directors retain day-to-day control throughout. Creditors, including HMRC, will usually temporarily pause enforcement actions, to give the company a short window to bring forward its proposals for consideration. and gives the company breathing space to recover without the stigma of formal insolvency.

A CVA works best when the underlying business is sound but the debt burden has become unmanageable. If that describes your situation, it might be the best solution.

Company Administration

Administration places the company under the temporary supervision of a licensed insolvency practitioner. It creates a statutory moratorium – a legal pause – that immediately stops creditors from pursuing the business, including winding-up actions.

During that period, the administrator works to restructure the business, find a buyer for the going concern, or wind it down in a more controlled and less damaging way than compulsory liquidation. For businesses facing imminent legal action, administration can be the difference between survival and closure.

Alternative Finance and Informal Restructuring

Not every situation requires a formal insolvency procedure. Sometimes the right answer is a combination of cutting non-essential costs, realising value from underutilised assets, renegotiating supplier terms, or securing alternative financing such as invoice finance or an asset-based lending facility.

We explore these options first wherever possible, because they preserve more control and carry fewer long-term consequences for the directors involved.

Not sure which of these applies to you? That is exactly what our first conversation is for. There is no obligation, and no pressure to commit to anything.

Understand my options – book a free call

Expert Advice, Delivered Personally

The Insolvency Practitioners is an independent national firm led by Michael Chamberlain – one of the UK’s most experienced insolvency professionals. With over 30 years of practice, Big 4 pedigree, and a track record of successful business turnarounds, Michael built this firm on a simple belief: that directors facing financial distress deserve expert, honest advice delivered with humanity, not judgement.

“Thirty years in insolvency, and the conversation I have most often isn’t about CVAs or liquidations. It’s with a director who knew something was wrong six months ago and didn’t know who to call. That delay almost always makes things harder.”

Michael Chamberlain, Founder & Licensed Insolvency Practitioner

How the Rescue Process Works

If, after our initial conversation, exploring a rescue procedure is the right path, we guide you through the following steps – clearly and without pressure.

1. The first conversation. We listen to your situation, confidentially and without judgement. No jargon, no pressure, no obligation.
2. Assessing the options. We review your balance sheet, cashflow position, and creditor exposure to identify whether rescue is genuinely viable – and which route makes most sense.
3. A clear plan. We recommend the most responsible path forward and explain what it means in practice: for the business, for you personally, and for your creditors.

Ready to Take the Next Step?

Whether you are still working out whether you have a problem, or you already know you need help, we are here for both conversations.

Speak to Michael Chamberlain – book a free, confidential call

If you have already decided that closure is the right step and simply need to understand the costs, you can request an indicative CVL quote here.

Start the Conversation

Let’s slow this down and go through it together. Request a callback from Michael or a senior member of the team. We will listen to your situation and outline your practical options.

Your enquiry is strictly confidential. We will never share your details with third parties or creditors without your explicit instruction.

Speak to Michael Chamberlain