Business for sale

Business description

Established over twenty years ago, this business is one of the UK’s market-leading, independently owned English language schools. Working in the areas of General English, Executive Communications and language training, Academic English and Military English, this business occupies excellent freehold premises which have been specifically adapted and designed for their purpose totaling 25,000 square feet in the heart of one of the most popular academic centres in the South.

This business is involved with an unusually wide range of language training types, nationalities and adult age groups. As well as being British Council accredited, this business is also a member of the International Association of Language Centres (IALC) – an elite and exclusive club of all the very best language training schools throughout the world. The business is also a member of EnglishUK, the national Association for the accredited ELT sector as well as BusinessEnglishUK, the association of specialist centres operating in the business and executive training field – a field in which this school is internationally recognized as being one of the market leaders. The school is also one of the few private testing centres for the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) Examination - this is the language qualification required by universities for all foreign students and by the British Medical Council (BMC) and the British Nursing Council (BNC) as the required language test for employment in the fields in the UK.

This is a very popular language school, increasingly so with students from the Far and Middle East and Latin America. Student numbers vary from around 180 General English and Executive English students in the quietest part of the year and up to 300 in the peak summer months. In the Executive and Business sector it is estimated that over 500 senior managers and civil servants from around 300 international companies and Governments will have come to this establishment for communications training during a typical financial year. Offering specialist training for international negotiations, meetings, professional presentations, congresses, cross-cultural communication and management and with a deserved reputation within the defence, aerospace, petroleum, telecommunications, engineering, banking, financial services and the automotive and related industrial sectors this business can name some of the largest international businesses including Siemens AG, Grupo Santander, Credit Suisse, Alcatel, Nomura and Renault to name just a few amongst its very loyal and prestigious Client base. Naturally, these specialist courses which are run on a 1-1 or very small group basis are also very high value courses.

This is a very successful business with a superb reputation in the marketplace, a good trading record and excellent growth and expansion prospects. With projected turnover for the 2007/8 financial year of approximately £2.1m generating a pre-tax net operating profit in the region of £200K - £250K and an asset base that includes a freehold property valued at between £3m - £3.5m, this represents an excellent acquisition opportunity for anyone looking to establish a foothold in this very buoyant and lucrative industry or for an existing operator to increase their penetration within the market sector.