How to Ensure Your School is in Good Hands After the Sale

Selling a business is unfamiliar for most business owners and after years of hard work and determination, you want to make sure your school/schools are left in good hands.  After all, this is most likely your life’s work and the relationships you’ve built along the way have contributed to the reputation of your school.  You’ll want to ensure the employees that have gotten you to where you are today and the families that have remained loyal to your school over the years are taken care of as you progress to the next chapter of your lives.  Not only do you want the best price for your business, you want to ensure the business is left in good hands and the new owners will run your school with integrity it deserves. 

SchoolWise Partners conducts an extensive due diligence process to vet all buyers prior to discussion of said buyer with the seller.  Our goal is to identify reputable buyers with capital in hand ready to make a deal while weeding out the noise of unqualified buyers along the way.  We don’t want to waste anyone’s time with low-ball offers or risk the possibility of the transaction falling through during closing.  When vetting a potential buyer, we will focus on 3 main questions to ensure a smooth transaction.  These 3 questions are:

1. What is the buyer’s reputation and track record as well as their acquisition process?

   • We will evaluate previous acquisitions completed by the buyer and inquire about the process of bringing a school under their ownership.  We will also assess how your school will fit within their existing portfolio of schools (if applicable) to ensure a strong strategic fit.

2. Does the potential buyer have access to capital and can they provide proof of funds for the transaction?

   • Before we connect a potential buyer with the seller and tour the facilities, we will confirm that the buyer has access to adequate capital and can afford to proceed with the transaction.  Our goal is to weed out buyers that don’t have access to proper funding that will waste your time or get your hopes up only to have the transaction fall through prior to closing.

3. Is the buyer willing to make a reasonable offer in relation to the asking price?

   • Our goal here is to get a target offering range from the buyer to make sure they are going to come in above, at, or close to asking price.  SchoolWise Partners founders were previously in your shoes as preschool owners with a portfolio of schools across the country.  More often than you’d think, “interested parties” will come in well below asking price by those who are either unfamiliar with the industry or private equity firms trying to make a quick buck with a low-ball offer.  We are experts in the industry and have worked on all side of the transaction which makes us confident we will be able to get you the best price and find you the most reputable buyers for your school.

SchoolWise Partners has built strong relationships with a number of strategic buyers over the years and depending on what the seller is looking; we will ensure the seller is happy with who they decide to take over their business, getting them a great price in the process.