Positive thoughts for a Driving Instructor

Posted on November 27th, 2008 by admin, under Driving Instructor.

Every day the news we hear suggests that the future for Driving Instructors is truly bleak. Lack of driving lessons, fewer learner drivers, driving lessons being canceled. One thing is certain, if you do believe it, the future for Driving Instructors will be bleak.

There is an alternative. If you change your thoughts, you can change your beliefs to see that there are opportunities to create more driving lesson enquiries and potential pupils, even in the bleakest times. You will discover what only the best leaders have discovered – that being positive opens you up to possibilities and can improve your outcomes.

Difficult times are when your business acumen skill is truly tested and your ability to maintain a positive attitude towards your driving lessons and learner drivers and use all your creative and caring qualities can make a real difference.

If you take these 9 actions today and repeat them every day, you’ll begin to see things differently.

1. Only think positive thoughts
2. Maintain an attitude towards your customers that exudes enthusiasm
3. Know your financial numbers and be realistic about cash, lesson prices (do you need to reduce the cost of your lessons?)
4. Do everything you know to book more lessons: contact pupils you’ve not heard from in a while, contact any pupils who owe you money, reduce some of your work areas and distances you might go for a new learner driver, reduce your lesson prices, make a special offer to your pupils.
5. Hold on to current pupils by adding value to your driving lessons – how long is it since you really looked at your teaching methods, are they up to date ?
6. Watch other driving instructors in your area, listen to what they tell you, work out their failings and ensure you are unique in your teachings and approach.
7. Take the opportunity to improve your teaching skills, when was the last time you read a driving book, or joined a course to help with your teaching skills
8. Are there any creative ideas that can get you noticed? Is your car branded? Do you have a web site?
9. Join a local Driving Instructor group that could bring some external wisdom to your challenges, visit on-line forums to exchange ideas.

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The discipline of a good Driving School business

Posted on November 5th, 2008 by admin, under Driving Instructor, Driving Schools.

Having clearly established the purpose of setting up a driving school business you then need to be clear about the “shape” of the business and set a market leading strategy. There are three basic principles for establishing a good strategy:

- Teaching excellence
- Exceptional value
- Complete customer satisfaction

Driving Instructors must aim to be an expert in at least one of the above fields – just one, but you need to be at least “industry average” in all three. If you are not then you are likely to have weakness that undermines your strengths in other areas. But first let’s discuss numbers.

What information do you need to get started in setting up your driving school.

• Start with what’s important – Profit (assuming you’re interested in making money)
• Keep a strict diary of what’s happening in your business, how many pupils you have and where they came from
• Keep a balance sheet so you can see at first hand how much is in the bank and how much is in your pocket!

The above information shown on a month by month basis should you give you a good idea what is going on in your driving school business. Next, you need to look at the big picture. This is more important with financial information than probably any other area in the business. Whether you are comparing year on year, or just checking a few months at a time, I would recommend you draw up a simple driving instructor profit and loss account.

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