How do I transfer the course content I wrote for my coding school?
List every course you wrote, then record who authored each piece and whether anyone else contributed. Gather the files in one place and name them in your sale documents so ownership passes in writing, not by assumption. Keep a copy of the list for your records.
Begin with an inventory. Walk through each course and list the slides, exercises, projects, videos and answer keys. Note where each file lives now and who holds the only copy. Material stored on a personal laptop is the first thing a buyer will worry about.
Next, trace authorship. If you wrote everything yourself, say so. If contractors, instructors or students added to it, find out what was agreed with each of them. Some of that work may not be yours to hand over without their written consent, and your lawyer can tell you how to fix gaps. Keep an up-to-date version history too, so the buyer can see which edition each class currently teaches and what changed along the way. Clean records make a smoother handover for both of you.
Also check what you borrowed. Open-source examples, textbooks and third-party datasets may come with conditions on reuse. Mark which parts are original and which are reused, so the buyer is not surprised later. Finally, plan the handover itself. Offer a short walk-through of how the courses fit together and how you update them. A buyer who understands the structure can keep teaching from the first week. Ask your lawyer to name the content in the sale agreement.
Key takeaways
- Build a complete inventory of lessons and where each file is stored.
- Confirm in writing who wrote what and whether contributors agreed to the transfer.
- Separate original work from reused material before the buyer asks.
- Keep version history so the buyer sees which edition each class uses.
Related reading
12 pages on the same subject, grouped by topic.
Selling
- Expert answerHow do I transfer student relationships when I sell my music school?
- Expert answerHow do I sell a kids coding or STEM enrichment school?
- GuideSelling a golf course in Canada
- GuideSelling an online course business in Canada
- GuideWhat pesticide, water-taking and liquor duties matter when selling a golf course in Ontario?
- Expert answerHow do I show a buyer the monthly ad income history of my content website?
- GuideSelling a content site with ad revenue in Canada
- GuideSelling a Niche Content Publisher in Canada
Buying
- Expert answerWhat should I check before buying a kids coding or robotics school?
- Expert answerWhat should I ask about the one developer who wrote most of a SaaS product’s code?
- Expert answerHow do I compare kids coding and robotics franchise opportunities?
- Expert answerHow do I find a STEM or kids coding franchise for sale in Canada?
Sources
This answer is checked against primary sources. Links were last confirmed on the dates shown.
- 01Canadian Intellectual Property OfficeGovernmentTransfer ownership
- 02Business Development Bank of CanadaIndustryHow to sell your business
- 03Business Development Bank of CanadaGovernmentHow to minimize negotiations when selling your business
Deavo is an advertising and listings platform, not a brokerage, law firm or valuation firm. This page is general information, not legal, tax, accounting or valuation advice, and rules differ by province. Confirm anything you rely on with a qualified professional before you act on it.