For Quality One to One Pay as You Go Driving Instructor Training

BE AWARE

There are some driving schools who will lock you into a long term franchise (12 to 18 months being the norm). This will require a long notice period should you wish to terminate the agreement. Therefore, if you decide that you wish to leave earlier then they will expect the franchise fees for the duration left of the agreement. Also, once you have decided to leave, they will usually starve you of new pupils.

Don't be taken in by all the sales patter, verbal promises and charm. Get anything that is verbally agreed put in writing and I recommend that you should only sign up to a franchise that will require one months notice should you wish to leave.

 IF IN DOUBT SEEK LEGAL ADVICE BEFORE SIGNING

For most, running your own driving school is the ultimate goal. However, if you are new to the driving school industry it can be useful to run a franchise in order to gain some insight of the industry but bear in mind that you are in effect running your own school as in today's climate you cannot always rely on your chosen driving school to produce the pupils. You will often have to do some of your own marketing and deal with sales enquiries. When you do decide to start your own school there are some very good deals on new cars and if you choose to go the route of contract hiring a car you can get a new car every 12 months for a very competitive price. For stationary there are some excellent deals from companies such as Vista Print or National Pens.

The support you get from driving schools varies. Some driving schools will charge a high fixed fee for which you will have a call centre, a car (which is basically a mobile advertising billboard!) some stationery and some pupils. Whilst some schools will supply pupils for free, others will charge a slightly lower franchise fee but will charge you extra for each new pupil you receive. There are some schools who even charge extra for stationary and other sundries. It is also worth noting that with many of the cheaper franchises, you may be responsible for supplying your own car.

Whilst training, you may want to gain further experience and operate on a trainee instructor licence. In order to do this you will usually have to work with a larger driving school and the ratio must be one fully qualified Approved Driving Instructor (ADI) to every Potential Driving Instructor (PDI or trainee)

Most driving schools offer franchises to trainee instructors but when deciding which school to go with, you ideally want to find a school that won't overload you with pupils and try to find one that will give you all the support that you are likely to need.

Questions to ask before taking a franchise
Before committing yourself to a franchise you may want to find out the following information as there are some unscrupulous driving schools who are only
interested in one thing and that is your franchise fee every week.How much is the franchise?Is there a start up deal?What is included in the franchise? (e.g advertising, call centre, business cards, stationery etc)Who supplies the pupils?What help is given if the school is unable to supply pupils?Is there a pupil introduction charge?Is the car supplied? (If no, there are some specialist car hire firms who hire dual controlled cars at a sensible cost . See the links page)If a car is included in the franchise fee, is there a spare car available?Are there any limitations imposed on out of hours usage or excess mileage charges imposed?How much does the school charge the pupils?If there are any special offers, who bears the cost? (e.g. First 5 lessons £50.00 or first lesson free)Is there sickness/accident insurance provided?If you are a trainee, what support is there? (Some of the better schools will provide a mentor or supply some additional training)If yes, is there an additional charge?Is there any CPD provided? If so, is this provided free?What notice is needed to terminate the franchise?If on a trainee licence, what happens in the event of failing to qualify at the 3rd attempt?

Before committing yourself to a franchise it could be useful to try to talk to a few driving instructors or go on a few driving instructor forums to find out which driving schools are worth going with and which ones to avoid. Whatever you choose to do, help and advice will usually be at hand.

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