Like any business, a childcare business is all about the amount of profit you can reasonably expect to make from the business. Businesses trade on a declared price to earnings factor which can also be described as a Return on Investment (ROI).
2. LIKE ANY BUSINESS, A
CHILDCARE BUSINESS IS ALL
ABOUT THE AMOUNT OF PROFIT
YOU CAN REASONABLY EXPECT
TO MAKE FROM THE BUSINESS.
BUSINESSES TRADE ON A
DECLARED PRICE TO EARNINGS
FACTOR WHICH CAN ALSO BE
DESCRIBED AS A RETURN ON
INVESTMENT (ROI).
3. Example: A leasehold centre for $200,000 annual profit selling
of a multiple of 3 would sell for $600,000
C H I L D C A R E C E N T R E B U S I N E S S E S C U R R E N T L Y
S E L L G E N E R A L L Y I N T H E R A N G E O F 3 T O 5
T I M E S A N N U A L P R O F I T ( 3 3 % T O 2 0 % R E T U R N
O N Y O U R P U R C H A S E P R I C E ) D E P E N D I N G O N
T H E L O C A T I O N , S T R E N G T H O F T H E
B U S I N E S S , L E A S E T E R M S A N D O T H E R
F A C T O R S . A C H I L D C A R E C E N T R E I N A
R E G I O N A L A R E A S H O U L D S E L L O N A L O W E R
M U L T I P L E E G M U L T I P L E O F 3 O R R O I 3 3 %
T H A N O N E I N A C A P I T A L C I T Y W I T H A
M U L T I P L E O F 5 O R R O I 2 0 % .
4. The profit per annum is expressed on an
PEBITDA (proprietors’ earnings before tax,
depreciation and amortization. In layman’s
terms this is the money which comes out the
bottom before you allow for any depreciation,
tax or interest payments.
The first financial document a potential buyer
should look at is the PROFIT AND LOSS
statement for the previous financial year and if
possible the year to date.
5. T H I S I S T H E D O C U M E N T W H E R E Y O U R B O O K K E E P E R
O R A C C O U N T A N T R E C O R D S A L L T H E I N C O M E , A L L T H E
E X P E N S E S A N D T H E R E S U L T A N T P R O F I T F O R T H E
P E R I O D . T Y P I C A L L Y A C H I L D C A R E C E N T R E L I K E A N Y
S M A L L B U S I N E S S H A S I T S A C C O U N T S S T R U C T U R E D T O
M A X I M I S E T A X D E D U C T I B L E E X P E N S E S A N D S O M E O F
T H E S E S H O U L D B E T A K E N O U T F O R C A L C U L A T I N G T H E
P R O F I T F O R S A L E P U R P O S E S . W E R E F E R T O T H E S E
T Y P E O F E X P E N S E S A S A D D B A C K S . A D D B A C K S
I N C L U D E I T E M S O F A P R I V A T E N A T U R E S U C H A S A
V E H I C L E N O T U S E D I N T H E B U S I N E S S , I N T E R E S T
P A Y M E N T S , D E P R E C I A T I O N , A N D A N Y P E R S O N A L
E X P E N S E S R U N T H R O U G H T H E B U S I N E S S . A L S O T A K E N
O U T A R E N O N - R E C U R R I N G E X P E N S E S S U C H A S A
S U B S T A N T I A L R E P A I R S O R R E P L A C E M E N T E X P E N S E
W H I C H I S U N L I K E L Y T O O C C U R F O R S E V E R A L Y E A R S .
I F Y O U N E E D H E L P I N D E C I D I N G O N T H E A D D B A C K S ,
Y O U R C H I L D C A R E B R O K E R O R A C C O U N T A N T W I L L B E
A B L E T O A S S I S T .
6. Always remember that it is not a question so
much of what the current owner makes out of the
centre but what you can do under your
management. Some examples of centres ripe for
improvement are centres being run with over
staffing, poor promotion, inappropriate staff and
buildings lacking maintenance giving a poor
impression to prospective parents.