Business Exits By Industry

Selling a College Preparatory School

Over the past few years, the college preparatory school industry has seen more than its share of fluctuations in business values. Many sellers have exited their companies under less-than-ideal circumstances. Yet it's still possible to achieve personal and professional goals when selling a college preparatory school during challenging economic times.

When it comes to selling a college preparatory school, there are no shortcuts to success.

To sell a college preparatory school now, sellers need to make a strong case for buyers to purchase at or near the asking price.

Selling a College Preparatory School to an Employee

Employee sales have pros and cons. A faithful employee may have the motivation and ability to continue to operate the business. If you need to sell quickly, the timeframe is condensed in an employee sale because you don't need to track down a buyer. But in many cases, employees expect to get a deal from their employer based on their years of service to the company. Most of the time, employees also expect owners to finance a large portion of the sale. So if you aren't willing to finance the sale or need to get top dollar for your college preparatory school, a sale to an employee is probably not a possibility.

Economic Considerations

When you sell a college preparatory school, there are a number of variables you need to consider. Interest rates, spending, inflation, and other variables directly influence how long your college preparatory school will be on the market as well as its sales price. The truth is that perfect market conditions may never materialize. A much better approach is to focus on the factors that always attract buyers and investors. When it comes to selling a college preparatory school, successful sales sales often boil down to the business itself - not the economy.

Benefits of Third-Party Assistance

Rarely, if ever, do owners sell a college preparatory school without outside assistance. The enlistment of a qualified business broker is an excellent first step. Additionally, you may want to hire professionals for legal, valuation and other functions before you put your business on the market. The benefit of soliciting outside assistance early is that seemingly small decisions now can have big consequences later. By consulting professionals throughout the sale of your college preparatory school, you can avoid painful tax and legal complications both before and after closing.

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