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BUSINESS REFERENCE : CC036 / RightBiz TRAINING, LEARNING & DEVELOPMENT SOLUTIONS PROVIDER | | | | | | Training, Learning & Development Solutions Provider Confidentially offered for sale Ref. no: CC036 Location: South East but fully re-locatable Asking price £600,000 | | | BUSINESS LOCATION: | Undisclosed Relocatable UNITED KINGDOM | | BUSINESS SECTOR: | Services | | TRADE TYPE: | Other | | SALE: | Agent Sale | LEASEHOLD: | £600000 | | | | | | | | | | | BUSINESS DETAILS: | Business profile:
Established originally as a sole trader, this business, now a Partnership, has grown significantly since 1989 to become one of the UK’s leading providers of innovative Learning and Development solutions across a wide range of Public and Private sector organisations.
As an accredited centre for a number of awarding bodies including The Institute for Leadership and Management and AMSPAR, this business has an enviable Client list for which it delivers training and development programmes for front line staff through to senior management.
This business is perhaps best known for its on-site accredited development programmes in the Health Care and Local Government sectors. Clients in this sector include Primary Care Trusts, Social Services Departments, a number of Borough Councils, Housing Associations and national charities.
The business is active, however, in the Private sector having trained hundreds of Managers in Supervisory & Management Skills for leading blue chip organisations. Specifically designed to meet the training and development requirements of each individual organisation these programmes offer full accreditation by nationally recognised lead bodies in General Management.
Limiting time away from the workplace, its fully accredited distance learning programmes, developed in partnership with KnowledgePool, part of the ICL/Fujitsu group and a major supplier to Learn Direct are becoming increasingly popular, fully supported as they are with specially developed workbooks and interactive CD-ROM materials.
This business also offers a highly developed and successful computer based appraisal and performance management system as well as a wide range of innovative and tailored management services including psychometric testing, customer satisfaction and employment motivation surveys, competency development and strategy development for senior management as well as a range of programmes dedicated to the all important areas of Customer Services training and HR. They also offer Outplacement Consultancy.
Not surprisingly with such a wide range of learning and development programmes available, this business includes amongst its assets a phenomenal portfolio of training materials, workbooks, information packs, videos and PowerPoint presentations covering management and other subjects which could possibly be developed as a separate business.
This business can boast an extensive Client list that has been providing repeat bookings for the last five to ten years. It already has substantial forward bookings for the next two to three years. Run by just three partners supported by six ‘Client Service Managers’, some assignments exceed £100,000 in fees. With a large proportion of Public sector Clients in Local Government and the NHS, cash flow is very positive with many courses paid for in advance. Consequently this is a very profitable business.
The product range:
The Health Care sector: This business has been established in Primary Care training and development for over 17 years with courses designed for all staff working in Health and Social Care organisations, ranging from GP receptionists to PCT senior management. This business has trained more managers in Primary Care than any other single training provider. Consistently at the forefront of training and development in this sector, the business’s senior tutors are highly experienced specialists with unrivalled Primary Care experience.
Building on this experience this business has also developed a simple and reliable piece of software addressing the need for regular annual appraisal for all staff in a G.P. practice. Paperless, the process accommodates inputs from those who manage appraisees as well as staff that work for the appraisee and groups to whom the appraisee provides service such as other colleagues and patients using input from patient surveys.
Local Government and the Public sector: This business has developed any number of versatile and adaptable solutions to meet local government assessment, training and development needs. Packages for all levels from front line staff to senior managers are deliberately developed to be as flexible as possible to meet individual requirements. All or any part can be provided separately or linked with other elements to give a unique and tailored solution.
Packages can include creating competencies, assessing development needs, installing & managing online appraisal, delivering one off workshops or complete management qualifications via Fastrack, Blended Learning or conventional means. Training materials are also designed and customised. All competencies and training and development are benchmarked to National Standards.
E-Learning: Developed in partnership with KnowledgePool, these programmes are undertaken as self-study through interactive computer based training CD-ROMS at work or home. With the learning reviewed in face-to-face workshops or residential sessions, the result is effective learning and less time away from the workplace. Web based solutions are also available.
On-line Appraisals: All organisations require appraisal systems that are effective, flexible and easy to understand and which provide managers with practical performance management tools. This business offers a fully automated online appraisal and performance management system that is cost effective, fully customisable, easy to use and fully integrates with other Performance Management tools such as Training Needs Analysis, Competence Development, Recruitment, Selection, PDP and Pay.
Management Services: A full list includes:
· Psychometric Testing
· Customised Web Based Assessment
· Assessment Centres
· NVQ Assessment Centres
· Competency Development
· Customer Satisfaction Surveys
· Customer Relations & Tracking System design and installation
· Downsizing Project Management
· Marketing and Sales Process Consultancy
· Training Needs Analysis
· Electronic training needs analysis
· Customised Web Based Assessment
· Strategy Development for Senior Management
· Employee Motivation Surveys
Private Sector: Established in private sector learning & development for over 14 years this business runs a wide range of development programmes for staff in the private sector having trained hundreds of managers in Supervisory & Management Skills for leading blue chip organisations. These programmes are specifically designed to fulfil the training and development requirements of the organisation and in addition offer full accreditation by nationally recognised lead bodies in General Management.
One programme is a range of externally accredited management skills development pathways. Offering Clients all the benefits of an internal college the framework can include programmes, qualifications and single subject workshops.
Recognising that Customer Service increasingly makes the difference between success and failure this business offers a range of customer service training programmes as well as a full range of HR consultancy management services.
Workshops and short courses: This business also offers a range of interactive workshop style courses in various aspects of Self Management, Managing People, Finance, Operations and Information. Courses are designed to be highly participative, using practical exercises, group discussion and video where relevant. All workshops are supported by comprehensive course notes.
Key strengths:
This business has worked hard in recent years at developing a highly valuable and very reputable brand within the sectors in which it operates. Although bearing the name of its founding partner, the business now stands alone and is synonymous with high quality, competitively priced, tailored learning and development. This reputation coupled with the experience gained over a number of years means that it has become adept at preparing and winning Local Authority, other Public sector and Education sector tenders, so much so that it wins more than its fair share even when competing with cheaper Colleges and Universities who already have facilities in place.
This business also has a well established franchise agreement with a University which affords access to valuable Higher Education funding for certain Health and Social Care Diploma programmes enabling it to be very price competitive with other training or education providers.
This business ensures it follows up its ‘brand’ promise, delivering at an equal if not higher level than that of other highly regarded but premium priced, international organisations.
Unlike many of its competitors it has a number of branded products - ‘properties’ – products and packages which form the backbone of its learning and development programmes, but which could be just as easily sold as stand alone products. Coupled with its marketing outlook is an entrepreneurial flair. This business is constantly looking for new directions and new ways of product delivery harnessing all that technology has to offer.
Key opportunities:
The ‘Not for profit’ sector in which it operates is constantly changing. Successive Governments are keen to mould the Public sector to their own ideals. As such requirements of the Public sector change with a consequent effect on the training and development requirements of the individuals within Public sector organisations. There will always be demand within these sectors for the programmes developed by this business.
Notwithstanding the requirements arising from future organisational change, this business has barely scratched the surface in its current markets. The Public sector is far and away the largest employer in the UK and with the reputation this business has already established in this sector there is considerable scope not only to service more employees within the organisations it currently works with but also to extend its market penetration bringing in many more Clients. The Housing Association market, in which this business has just one current Client is just one example. The same could certainly be said of the commercial sector – many more commercial organisations and in particular the bigger names within the recruitment sector have already been identified as significant future growth areas.
There is no doubt that this business delivers its programmes at a level equivalent to much higher priced organisations and therefore there is some leeway for increasing prices to similar levels.
This business also believes there is significant potential in its distance learning products. Already identified as a possible stand alone business for the sale of its materials, the potential offered by the Internet and associated IT, with webinars, web-
site tutorials and chat room facilities either augmenting existing courses or as the core to new modules could open up a whole new dimension.
Quality Assurance:
This business is an accredited centre for a number of awarding bodies including The Institute for Leadership and Management, AMSPAR and Southampton Institute. All long qualification-based programmes are accredited to national standards and any short or tailored programme can optionally attract national accreditation.
The accreditation involves regular observation of learning sessions by the awarding body, college or university, audits of attendance, marking and administration standards.
Employees:
As well as the three current Partners who are all very actively involved in the business there are five full time graduate level staff acting in a Client Services capacity plus four part time staff.
Advertising and Marketing:
This business has a very informative, well designed and easy to navigate web-site. Its direct marketing programme to an extensive proprietary database together with its trade advertising is very carefully targeted and planned to coincide with the periods when Public sector bodies in particular are planning their forthcoming training requirements – typically towards the end of the year.
A large proportion of its business is also generated via recommendation and by the high profile the Principals have within their target sectors. Papers are frequently submitted to relevant Journals and the organisation works closely with Governing Bodies with key employees frequently called upon to speak at Conferences.
Premises:
The business is currently run from small leasehold premises with a comprehensive networked office IT support system. All learning and development courses are carried out on-site across all parts of the UK and as such the business is therefore fully re-locatable.
Financial Information:
The business is being offered for sale as a going concern. All financial discussions will take place directly between the vendor and all interested parties under the auspices of Turner Butler.
Support and Training:
The owners will provide full business familiarisation, training and handover and will be pleased to work with the new owners for a period of one month to two years on a flexible contract to suit. | | | | | BUSINESS STATUS: | FOR SALE | | | | | SELLER: | TURNER BUTLER | | CONTACT: | 01895 25 6000 | | REFERENCE: | CC036 / RightBiz | | ENQUIRIES: | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
