Different ways of selling your school or educational business:

Go direct to an educational company

They will know they are the only buyer you are talking to. You will be on your own without specialist advice. You may sell – but you will never know if you have sold for the best (or even a fair) price. Some companies use clever tactics to wear you – and the price – down.

If you allow STC to choose the right companies and negotiate for you, you will get much better results.

Go direct to a Trust

As above but they will probably offer even less than a company. If you allow STC to choose the right Trust and negotiate for you, you should get the best possible result.

Get advice from a solicitor

Solicitors sometimes try to sell their clients’ schools. The chances are that they will not have done this before. They will look for buyers and will probably just come up with the companies and trusts (see above). They will charge you throughout the process and upon any sale. Whereas STC charges not a penny until completion.

Get advice from a business consultant

Much the same scenario as a solicitor.

Sell through The School Transfer Company, STC

• There will be no charges whatsoever; no expenses for visits, meeting clients, marketing. Nothing at all, unless we find you a buyer and a price which satisfies you. The decision is yours
• Our advice is completely independent. We have always refused any and all incentives from buyers, groups, trusts, solicitors, consultants and anyone else
• We act always and only for our clients the vendors – and charge them nothing until sale
• We have been in business since 1986 and have a sheaf of testimonials from both clients and buyers who have used our services – some many times
• We have the widest field of buyers including private individuals and private investors, many of whom you would be most unlikely ever to meet without our introduction
• We negotiate gently, firmly and expertly to achieve the best result and to keep good and correct relations between buyers and sellers. For instance, we discourage direct contact and ‘divide and rule’. All contact, information and negotiation is through STC, protecting your interests
• If you have private buyers who have already approached you, or negotiations already in progress, that is no problem for STC. We simply ask that you tell us at the outset whom you are talking to, in order to avoid embarrassment or duplication.
  This also helps to protect the value of your business
• The partners in STC have run a school and a nursery of their own for many years. We understand the issues and the sensitivities
• STC’s people have worked together for many years. We have no ‘consultants’, ‘advisers’ or secondary agents. We never take on temporary staff. When you place your business with us, we will all know who you are
• STC’s marketing, contacts and web presence are unrivalled

Ground rules for negotiations via STC

We will always recommend to our clients the vendors that:-

• They do not accept any exclusivity period beyond a maximum of 30 days.
• Any exclusivity agreement is subject to an offer being accepted in principle, with no outstanding factors in abeyance which could affect the nett sum.
• All essential basic information relating to the sale price be supplied before an offer. This will include accounts, pupil breakdowns, valuations, and staff salaries and responsibilities.
• Due Diligence only ever takes place after an offer has been accepted in principle, and within a 30-day period after which we expect the legals to be in progress.
• All negotiations, meetings and conversations are arranged through The School Transfer Company at all times. No personal contact details should be accepted or exchanged. Close relationships between buyer and seller are never in the seller’s best interests.

Where can I get advice about running an independent school or college?

There are several independent consultants who can help you understand the workings of the independent educational sector. We know most of them and can particularly recommend mtmconsulting (www.mtmconsulting.co.uk) who have been giving sound advice on demographics, marketing and promotion since 1984. MTM also run regular and most valuable conferences in London for proprietors : the only such conference we know of anywhere.