For founders of companies that serve K-12 schools
You built a company schools depend on. Here's what a buyer will pay for it.
Exit planning and sell-side M&A for owners of education consulting, staffing, facilities, construction, special-ed, curriculum and technology companies. We build your value, run your sale, and get you ready for life after it.
50+ M&A deals · Three companies founded, two exits · Former member of a statewide Division of the State Architect task force
Buyers are back in education. Most owners aren't ready.
Education deals rose 41% in the first half of 2026 after a down 2025. Private equity platforms and strategic buyers are buying the companies districts rely on: special-ed and therapy providers, literacy and intervention tools, staffing firms, and facilities and construction services.
But up to 40% of sale processes stall. The reason is usually the same: the company runs through the owner, the revenue depends on one-time funding, or the books aren't ready for a buyer's diligence team.
Source: Tyton Partners, H1 2026 Education Deal Recap.
Buyers look at your company the way a coach watches film.
Who owns the relationships.
If superintendents and CBOs call you, not your team, buyers discount the price or tie you up in an earnout.
How your revenue renews.
Multi-year contracts, co-op awards (BuyBoard, Sourcewell, TIPS) and repeat districts are worth more than one-time projects.
Where the money comes from.
Bond-funded, grant-funded and one-time relief revenue gets valued differently from general-fund spending.
How many districts you serve.
One district at 30% of revenue is a risk buyers price in.
Whether your numbers hold up.
Clean financials, profit by contract, and a forecast a buyer can believe.
Every one of these can be fixed before you sell. Fixing them is where the price goes up.
Start with a free game film of your company.
In 20 minutes, recorded, we walk through your company the way a buyer's diligence team would: what it's worth today, what's holding the price down, and the three moves that would raise it most. You keep the video. Share it with your spouse, your CPA or your partner.
Got a letter from a private equity firm? Send it to us. We'll tell you what it really says about price, terms and your people, at no cost.
How we work
| Offer | What you get | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Game Film | 20-minute recorded buyer's-eye review of your company. | Free |
| Offer Review | Written analysis of a letter or LOI you've received, and how to respond. | $7,500 flat |
| Exit Playbook | Full written plan: value, gaps, buyers, timeline, and taxes to plan for. | $15,000 |
| Sell Now | We run your sale: buyer list, marketing, offers, negotiation, closing. | $15,000 at signing + $5,000/month during the sale + success fee |
| Contract Year | 2–3 years of hands-on work to raise your value, then we run the sale. | $7,500–$10,000/month + share of value created + success fee |
Every fixed fee and monthly retainer is credited against the success fee at closing. We're paid mainly on value created above a baseline we don't set.
We've been owners. We've worked inside the K-12 world.
The person who reviews your company is the person at the closing table. Here's who you'll be working with.
- I've worked on 50+ M&A deals and sold my own company.
- I spent six years inside a California K-12 facilities and bond advisory firm and helped grow it from 2 partners to 32+ associates.
- I served on a statewide Division of the State Architect task force, so I know how districts plan, fund and buy.
- I started as a high school English teacher. I know what your clients' days look like.
- Before that I played Division I football. After the Game, my book on identity after sports, is the framework I use to help owners plan for life after the sale.
— Jay Dixon, founder, SuccessCoach
Most owners plan the sale. Few plan the morning after.
Many owners who sell feel the loss within the first year — and it's rarely about the price. It's losing the role, the team and the purpose. Every SuccessCoach engagement includes a plan for what comes next, and coaching for 12 months after you close.
FAQ
- Is this confidential?
- Yes. Nothing about your company goes to a buyer without your written approval.
- Do you represent buyers?
- No. We represent owners. If any conflict exists, we disclose it in writing before we start.
- What size companies do you work with?
- Usually $3M–$25M in revenue, though the game film is open to any founder who serves schools.
- I'm not ready to sell. Should I still talk to you?
- Yes. The best time to start is 2–5 years before you sell. That's when the price can still move.
- Where do you work?
- Nationwide.