September 28, 2023

How to Exit Your Childcare Business the Right Way with Nathan Kelly

46 minutes

It's an information-packed episode this week as Kris welcomes Nathan Kelly, an industry veteran and trusted figure from Founders Advisors. As the Director of the Consumer Practice at Founders, Nathan is responsible for business development, market process management, and coordinating the analyst team. In the conversation, Nathan talks with Kris about tips for business exits, expansion strategies, wealth building, key considerations for business owners, and the optimal timing for exiting your business. Plus, Nathan gives a sneak peek about an awesome new assessment tool that he will unveil when he takes the stage as one of the mainstage speakers at the upcoming Child Care Success Summit in Orlando!

Key Takeaways:

[7:42] Some fun in store for the Summit, so make sure you join the waitlist.

[11:57] More about Founders Advisors and the type of clients they serve.

[13:03] More about Nathan's personal life and being a busy dad of three.

[14:34] Fun fact: Kris once competed in a mini ladies' triathlon!

[15:21] Nathan's fun fact is that he once hiked 70 miles through the wilderness while in the Boy Scouts.

[16:09] Tips for founders preparing for exit, and how long does the process usually take?

[18:11] What are the most common pitfalls of people who want to exit?

[21:49] The importance of measuring your KPIs.

[23:10] What are some strategies that founders can develop in the three-year period while they get ready to exit?

[25:35] The importance of market timing and personal timing.

[28:29] How inflation has changed things and how leaders can make their pricing strategy reflect the current state of the market.

[30:38] The two models in the childcare world: value-based and premium.

[37:54] More about the assessment tool Nathan has created that will provide a quick and easy way to evaluate a business's financial health and prepare for exit.

Quotes:

"The reason that you hire an investment banker or someone like us is to create leverage when it is time to exit or when it's time to take on growth capital." — Nathan [16:53]
"You generally have a lot more leverage over the buyers when you're running a competitive process than you do when you try to do it on your own." — Nathan [17:25]
"People are seeing now that childcare is becoming more and more hard to find. The good quality businesses are out there fetching higher prices than in prior markets." — Nathan [24:25]
"It's all about the team. If you invest in your team, your team will invest in you." — Nathan [31:40]