WHAT'S IT REALLY LIKE WORKING AS A DRIVING INSTRUCTOR

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1 WHAT'S IT REALLY LIKE WORKING AS A DRIVING INSTRUCTOR By Paul Kenney

2 Hi, my name is Paul Kenney and I am the proprietor of ELITE DRIVING ACADEMY in the county of Inverness. The reason for producing this book is to give an insight to what its really like working as a driving instructor. The vast majority of people that come in to this industry are looking for a lifestyle change. It could be that, you have become disillusioned with your current job and you would like to take more control of your life by choosing the days and hours that you work. It could be that you are looking for a job that is more rewarding and one that will give you a higher level of personal satisfaction. t could be, that you are that time of life when you are just looking for a fresh start with a new career and a fresh challenge. One other major reason that you are attracted to the driving school industry is the dreaded redundancy. I guess when this happens, suddenly the future is far from predictable and retraining for a new career can be a scary prospect especially if you have been employed in the same job for a number of years or you feel you are getting to old to start over again. The huge attraction is that almost anyone can do this job.so, what exactly are the benefits of becoming a driving instructor? The reason for producing this book is to give an insight to what its really like working as a driving instructor. The vast majority of people that come in to this industry are looking for a lifestyle change. It could be that, you have become disillusioned with your current job and you would like to take more control of your life by choosing the days and hours that you work. It could be that you are looking for a job that is more rewarding and one that will give you a higher level of personal satisfaction. It could be, that you are that time of life when you are just looking for a fresh start with a new career and a fresh challenge. One other major reason that you are attracted to the driving school industry is the dreaded redundancy. I guess when this happens, suddenly the future is far from predictable and retraining for a new career can be a scary prospect especially if you have been employed in the same job for a number of years or you feel you are getting to old to start over again. The huge attraction is that almost anyone can do this job. Current Industry Situation. The driving school industry is in need of a very serious overhaul and the DVSA are well aware of this. We have a situation where the vast majority of driving instructors are not teaching the new client centered learning and are still relying on old and outdated methods. We receive countless calls every week from unhappy pupils who have no structure to their driving lessons and as a result make little or no progress. The industry is rife with poorly trained driving instructors who are fast becoming dinosaurs and who resort to competing on being the cheapest in town, always a sure- fire way to becoming extinct. Its essential that you are trained to the very highest standards both before you qualify and after, along with on- going support to ensure you succeed in a very competitive market place. I am writing this book in August 2015 and I am struggling to remember a time when the industry was so buoyant, so get the best training you can, do a good job and you should never be short of good quality customers.the author: Paul Kenney. "I started the driving school way back on the 1st April 2006 with my brand new Peugeot 206. Having spent 18 months learning my trade with the LDC driving school, I decided to take the brave decision to start out on my own. To be honest, I have never looked back and my only regret is that I never did it much sooner. Over the past 10 years, I have been fortunate to enjoy a very high degree of success in this industry and i have been able to assemble a team of instructors who share my beliefs and principles". Paul Kenney: Director."I am always hugely disappointed when learning that a prospective client as had a poor experience and feel its a sad refection on the industry that they were misinformed and not only wasted their hard earned money but also their time and effort". Be Informed! I am certainly not trying to put you off but you do need to go in to this with your eyes wide opened and as well informed as possible. Instructor trainers are very different than Approved driving Instructors. An Approved Driving Instructor (ADI) is trained to teach learners to drive

3 An Instructor Trainer is trained to teach the general public to become driving Instructors The two are very different and require a completely unique set of skills. Many standard ADI's supplement their income by offering this service and it's another major reason for the poor qualification rate. If you find that you are being offered "cheap" training, beware the hidden cost of cheap! Don't Despair! The 25% qualification rate is not proportionate across the board and some training providers have closer to 90% - 100%. There are plenty of very good training companies out there who will ensure you qualify. First of all lets explore the Nationals v Locals: Nationals Pro's: Generally cheaper training as they move far more trainees through the system and with huge marketing budgets they usually have a never ending supply of clients. Well known brand name. Often offer the opportunity to sign up to their driving school franchise for 1-2 years in exchange for discounted training. Some companies will assign an area manager to look after you and give you a point of contact, essential when you start as you will have many questions and support will be invaluable.nationals, the Cons: Generally faceless organisations and you will probably never meet the salesperson who sells the course to you ever again. Unfortunately, this can mean the information they share with you is not as correct as it might be as they do not have to deal with you personally should you have grievances. The business model will often mean two or three trainees to a vehicle. You may be comfortable with this, just bear in mind that your training session will be diluted by the number of trainees you share the vehicle with. This practice will substantially increase the time it takes you to qualify. You may not have the same trainer for each session so building an understanding and rapport is more difficult. You may have to travel for training as a central meeting point will often be used. (Don't underestimate this factor as the cost of travel could be considerable when taking training sessions. People are often attracted by the big brand name but the training you receive will all be down to the individual trainer(s) you are allocated. Nationals, the Cons Continued: A cheap training package in return for taking a franchise package can seem like a good deal but this is where the vast majority of complaints materialise. Many trainees have taken this option only to find that the introduction of new pupils is no where near the levels promised and then finding they are tied in to a water tight contract with very hefty get out clauses. This has been a major issue within the industry and it's made driving instructors very wary of committing to long term contracts. It's generally a much better option to separate the training and the franchise agreement. I would recommend that you evaluate a training course and pay for the training only to get you qualified. Once qualified, you will then be free to choose to work with your training provider as a franchisee if you wish. Make sure you read the terms and conditions very carefully before signing any long term agreements. National companies often claim to be the largest provider of training or the fastest growing driving school but take this with a pinch of salt, yes they may be the largest "nationally" but how many tuition vehicles do they operate in your chosen area and will they have enough customers to keep you busy?local Training Providers. Pros! Generally, training will be with the same trainer on every session and on a 1-1 basis. Training on a 1-1 basis should not be underestimated as it provides coaching at a very personal level. Your trainer will have undivided attention to you and not having to cope with two or three trainees in the vehicle at the same time. Having the same trainer for all your sessions is another huge factor as you will build rapport and they are more likely to see your qualification as a personal crusade when they are solely responsible for your progress. The qualification process is generally much quicker with a smaller and local company as training sessions are more readily available and in combination with the 1-1 training your time is not diluted

4 Training will normally be available in the town where you choose to work, this has several advantages: Far less traveling to training sessions, you will be familiar to your own local area and your trainer will be able to show you where to take your new customers once qualified. Local Training Providers. The Pro's Continued. Local providers may guarantee you a position with the school once qualified. This can be a real benefit BUT you do need to be careful as with the national providers that you are not tied to a water tight contract! Ideally a non contract franchise is the best way to go as if you feel insufficient new pupils are being supplied to you, you have the option to leave and choose an alternative school or you could decide to go independent and find your own pupils. Local providers will have a 'local' reputation and will rely heavily on recommendations to attract new trainees. They will not have the huge marketing budgets of the national companies and will have far less capacity for the amount of trainees that can be trained. This is generally a good thing as you are more likely to be seen as a real person, rather than a number. It will come down to a well known brand name and a conveyor belt approach versus the smaller local and personal service. Congratulations, you are now a fully qualified ADI. The exciting part is about to begin and you will now be rewarded for all your efforts to qualify. Choosing a school to franchise with or going independent. PLEASE NOTE! If you elected for a subsidised training package that included a franchise agreement, you will NOT have this choicethe vast majority of newly qualified ADI's choose to take a franchise with a driving school. Assuming that you are not tied to your training provider as part of your training package, you will now be able to choose who you work with. Some local training providers will guarantee you a position with their driving school when you take a training course with them, this is very different than being 'tied' in by contract. Driving School franchisees vary enormously as to what they offer. I strongly recommend that you look for more than a simple pupil referral agreement. Will they offer you ongoing support and training? What presence do they have in your local area? How is the school perceived and would you be comfortable working under their name? Check out their local marketing, what are they doing to ensure you receive a sufficient supply of new pupils/customers? What are their lesson prices? What is the monthly franchise fee? Your options continued. Will they take lesson fees on your behalf? Do they have pupil terms and condition with a cancellation policy? Do they have a documented operational procedure to ensure you have a successful guideline to follow and a clear understanding of what is acceptable practice and what is not? Will they provide a tuition vehicle as part of the franchise fee or will you be able to source your own? Will they give you help and assistance with being self employed and advise on dealing with HMRC? Will you be able to choose the days and times you wish to work? BEWARE! Never choose a franchise package on price alone. Explore what s on offer in return for your monthly franchisee fee and then you will be able to make an informed decision accordingly.go it alone! You do not have to take a franchise and you may prefer to be completely independent. Pro's: No monthly franchise fee to pay. Work under your own name and not the school. Decide on your own rules and procedures. Cons: You will have to find your own customers. If you have children of your own around the age of 16/17, this will be an advantage as they will be able to put the word out for you. It could be that you run a local football team or some other activity with that age group. Social media such as Facebook plays a huge part in modern day marketing and despite what your own feelings are regarding the platform, that s where our target market live their lives. A website will be essential to attract the hundreds of potential pupils that search online for lessons each day. Choice of tuition vehicle. This particular topic needs some thought as driving schools vary in their requirements: Once you have qualified, you will require a tuition vehicle to teach in

5 The large national driving schools rely heavily on branding and its almost certain that they will supply a tuition vehicle to you, this will reflect on the amount of franchise fee payable. It would be a very good idea to investigate the type of vehicle they use. It may be that you have small children and a three door car will not be suitable, especially as most driving instructors use their tuition cars for both work and pleasure purposes to keep costs down rather than running two vehicles. Everyone has different ideas on the type of car they prefer from the amount of doors, colour, make and model, diesel, petrol and the various extras and spec to make your working day more comfortable. Should you choose to work with one of the nationals, it s unlikely you will have this choice. Working with a local driving school is likely to give you much more flexibility in your choice. Many will still require you to display their livery for local promotional purposes but they tend to be far more flexible on the vehicle you use. Most local schools also offer a franchise package that excludes a vehicle, this means that you can shop around and arrange your own vehicle package. There are many specialist driving school packages offered by the major brands and one of the most popular options among ADI s is contract hire. Here the choice is completely yours and the vehicle will be supplied on a one to two-year deal with fixed cost motoring that includes dual controls and a maintenance package. This takes away any concerns over breakdown, repair costs and depreciation, you simply swap the vehicle for a new one at the end of the term. The other attraction of this type of deal, is that all your monthly payments are tax deductible. Worried about being self-employed? For many people coming into the driving school industry, it will be the first time they've encountered self-employment and this can be a scary prospect especially if you have spent most or all of your working life as an employee. The great news is there is absolutely no need to worry at all and registering with HMRC is a very simple process as is registering for self-employed National Insurance. It's no more complicated than signing a couple of forms. Some driving schools will be able to give you access to their own accountants who be more than happy to advise you on the steps that you need to take but you really don't need an accountant at all. One thing you will notice is that the way you are assessed and the way you pay tax is very different and very beneficial I might ad. EXAMPLE: You start work as a driving instructor on the 1st August. Your financial year will run from 1st August to 31st July (12 months) Shortly after your year end, you will send your trading figures to your accountant. He / She will complete your tax return and submit to HMRC on you behalf. Then you will receive notification on the amount of tax you are liable for. As a self employed person, you will pay tax only twice a year: July and January. Using the year end of July 31st, you will pay half of the tax due at the end of January and the other half at the end of January. (You don t actually pay any tax for almost eighteen months) HMRC will assume you make the same profit each year until they receive the actual figures from your accountant at which time they will recalculate accordingly and make any adjustments on your nex tax bill. There are many very simple software solutions that you can use to record your weekly sales and expenses and even better, many are free including VT cashbooks which is a very popular choice. Personal Satisfaction is a huge factor. You will see from the case study s, just how much it means to the guys to be rewarded and given credit for the hard work they put in and there are few occupations where you receive such a buzz and personal satisfaction when you help and prepare a student to pass their driving test. This will quite often be the biggest moment of their lives so far and one they will always remember. This very small selection of reviews sent in by our learner customers will reinforce our belief that we are utilising modern and up-to-date teaching methods that will have a major impact on the way our students learn. Feedback shows quite clearly their thoughts on the learning experience and why they would recommend us to others

6 To get along with and build up a rapport with my Driving instructor was top of my list when searching for who to have lessons with and that s exactly what I got with my Instructor Paul Kenney. I was also looking for an Instructor who was local to me of which they were and I found them to be a very friendly business. My experience of learning to drive was very good and my Instructor had good teaching methods. In my opinion Paul is the boss!!! Jack Cannell. A high pass rate and a Driving Instructor who had good teaching methods and that was friendly were top of my priorities when searching who to have my tuition with. My Driving Instructor was Paul Kenney and he was firm but excellent, making learning to drive easier than I had anticipated. I was very happy with my learning experience and passed both my theory and practical test at the 1st attempt!! - Are you suitable for this occupation? Can anyone do this job? YES: Is everyone suitable? NO The biggest attribute you can have, is not being a great driver! A training provider should be able to sort any issues with your driving and place you in the top 1% of drivers in the U.K. The biggest attribute is being a people person. You will be spending the vast majority of your time, transferring your knowledge to someone else. Having the ability to get on with a variety of people, mostly in the age group and to help them gain confidence and the skills required to drive safely on the U.K s ever demanding and increasingly busy roads. We work in a very commoditised industry, where the vast majority of students and their parents think all driving instructors are the same. They most definitely are not! There is a huge amount of very poor tuition on offer throughout the industry and unfortunately students and their parents only find out after they have wasted their hard earned money with successive test fails and prolonged learning periods. In some respects, they have only themselves to blame as so many choose to choose their driving instructor or driving school on price alone. The qualifying process to become an approved driving instructor is no different and I urge you to do your homework before you sign up to a training course. The overall qualification rate is poor but don t let this put you off as there are some very good trainers out there who have excellent pass rates. IMPORTANT NOTE! Standard driving instructors are able to offer an instructor training course to you despite not taking any training themselves to make sure you get full value for your money. It is quite a bizarre situation that the controlling body (DVSA) allow this practice and is hugely responsible for the poor qualification rate. You generally get what you pay for in life and I would sugges you research the training providers available to you but please don t make the huge mistake of buying on price. If indeed, you find that you are attracted by cut price training how will you then have the mind-set to convince your future learner students to invest in their driver training? As mentioned elsewhere in this book, so many learner students and their parents purchase cut price tuition and then suffer repeated test fails and wonder why the process has taken so long. The biggest question to leave you with is this: If a training provider is confident of the training that they can offer you, why would they even think of competing on price with those who offer an inferior service? Beware of any training provider who cannot command a realistic course fee for the services they provide and ask the question WHY?Summary: If you are looking for the personal satisfaction that comes from changing someone s life and you would like to be rewarded for your efforts, this could be the career for you. If you would like to become your own boss and take complete control of your working and social life, this could be the career for you. If you feel that you are in a rut and now is the time to break free, then becoming a driving instructor could be the career for you. Hopefully, this book will have given you an insight in to the driving school industry and what it s actually like to undertake the training required to qualify and what to expect working on a day to day basis. You can t change your past. BUT you can change your future! I would like to express my thanks to all contributors who have taken the time to send in their case studies, from the driving instructors who are out there doing the job you are contemplating to the learner drivers who have given their feedback. I wish you every success in whatever decisions you make in life and sincerely hope that you find the lifestyle that you are looking for. Yours sincerely, Paul Kenney.