The Value of Knowing Your School’s Worth
This article is an Exchange Owner’s Circle column by Kathy Ligon, Founder & CEO of HINGE Early Education Advisors, providing expert insight on timely childcare business challenges and opportunities. Drawing on trends, research, and decades of industry experience, this monthly column offers practical strategies that empower owners to lead profitable, purpose-driven organizations.
The word “value” can carry different meanings in early childhood education. In one light, it brings to mind the quality of care, the relationships built with children and families, and the impact a school has on its community. These are all valid and important aspects of a school’s holistic identity and what ECE professionals most deeply associate with the work they do every day.
At the same time, within the context of ownership and long-term planning, “value” has a more concrete definition tied to the early education business itself, its performance, and its position in the broader market. It reflects how a school functions as an organization and how it would be evaluated by a potential growth partner, investor, or successor.
Both dimensions are significant. And if you’re an ECE owner, understanding your school’s business value is becoming increasingly critical as a practical tool for making strategic decisions amid the complex and evolving childcare landscape.