Is it worth becoming an ADI?

[roadarob]

Hi all,

My employment situation may change very shortly, and I am just considering becoming an ADI, is thier sufficient work for yet another driving instructor.

What additional / alternative work are any of you existing ADI's picking up?

Your thoughts would be most welcome

[ScoobyChris]

I looked into it a couple of years ago and discovered that the headline figures for earnings required me to work significantly more hours (assuming I could guarantee work) to bring home the same pay. So for me financial circumstances meant it wasn't viable, although admittedly that was based solely on L-test learners.

Speaking to a chap who's an ADI (for learners), he said the choice of car seems to be more critical than the quality of instruction these days and he's bought a Mini diesel and is having to turn people away because his books are permanently full.

Of course, being an ADI would open up Fleet training (with suitable advanced qualifications) so may be an avenue worth exploring...

Chris

[Russ_H]

You would be best off thinking very carefully before committing yourself to becoming
an ADI. It is neither easy nor cheap to qualify.

You have no doubt seen the adverts suggesting that you could earn £30000 per year,
whereas most ADIs, I suspect, find it pretty hard going to make a living. It's not a high
margin business. L-test clients are interested only in passing their test as cheaply as
possible. There is usually a fair bit of competition. Finding customers can be difficult.
Most costs are high, especially depreciation and fuel. Insurance is usually pretty cheap.

Fleet work can pay better, but there is not much of it about - less since the arrival of
the recession.

Having said that, depending upon your personal circumstances - location, availability,
competition, and so on, it might be possible to make a living. More realistically, it
could be worth doing as a part-time job.

Regards,

Russ

[The Thinker]

Is it something you can do part time. I thought most of the costs were reasonably fixed (apart from petrol), which means you would have to quite a bit to break even. Just the last few lessons being money to spend.

[ExadiNigel]

What's your business head like?

If you have good business sense then there is work available to you, if you are disorganised or crap at self management then you will struggle.

Nigel

[Russ_H]

Is it something you can do part time. I thought most of the costs were reasonably fixed (apart from petrol), which means you would have to quite a bit to break even. Just the last few lessons being money to spend.

As long as you're running your instructional car as your private car, it can work well enough
as a part-time job. This supposes, of course, that your private car is suitable for instruction.

Assuming a satisfactory car is available, you'll need dual controls: about £350 - £400 fitted.
Insurance for my car, a Peugeot 206 HDi, is £361. Excise duty depends on the car, but
shouldn't be excessive for a typical driving school car. If you're not doing an high mileage,
servicing shouldn't be too much of a problem.

Starting up can be expensive, though. Training costs, and fees payable to DSA for exams
and registration don't come cheap. Then again, almost all businesses have startup costs.

The other challenge is getting hold of enough customers. Once you are established, word-of-
mouth will bring in a steady trickle of customers, but it can be difficult at first. One ADI I
know does a lot of teenage schoolboy football coaching. Once they're old enough, the lads
naturally go to him for their driving lessons. Not everyone has such a supply of potential
customers, though.

The major problem for full-time instructors, especially in urban areas, is price competition.
There is an apparently unending stream of new instructors who are happy to charge absurdly
low prices to attract a few customers. In the long run, such pricing policies won't pay the bills.
But it means that any committed, long-term instructor has a job to sell his or her lessons at
a commercially realistic rate.

Which is why so many instructors are now part-time.

Regards,

Russ

[roadarob]

I am considering doing it part-time initially. I have been to a recent local DIA meeting, and the consensus of opinion was there is sufficient work available.

I would like to think that I have a good business head, I have also been heavily involved in my local RoSPA group for many years.

I do know a number of driving instructors, only one ex driving instructor has tried putting me off (albeit not to me directly yet),

I understand the need in finding alternative sources of income such as from fleet training and driver improvement courses, a prerequisite for the company (Drivetec) who runs the driver improvement courses in both Derby & Nottingham is that any instructor they use must have or attain RoSPA Gold within a timescale - I have held RoSPA Gold for many years. In fact over the last couple of years I have helped driving instructors wishing to work for Drivetec achieve their gold, although some do come along with the wrong attitude and expect you to drop everybody else for them.

I currently have a company car, which will shortly be going back due to being made redundant, so will be actively looking for a vehicle, so what is the best car to use for instruction purposes, I have been told told twice now (one by ScoobyChris) that a Mini appears to be the favoured vehicle, the other 'alf' has a Mini, I have been reluctant to drive it so far, because I'm 6ft tall - although I am now insured for it, I'll have to have a play, Corsa's and pugs appear to be the most popular.

My step-daughter did learn in a Mini, it is a possible that I could take over the other 'alf's' Mini and use that, although it is now a few years old (52), and the step-daughter says it is to old , must be an image thing.

I think a lot of the driving schools that appear to be successful have websites, I know that since we in our RoSPA group had ours we have been inundated with requests, some having links to all-sorts of information.

[ExadiNigel]

I would recommend something a little bigger. I was sold onto a Focus-size car when I was with the AA, much more comfortable for sitting in for hours at a time.

Since leaving the AA I have been using a VW Jetta (Golf with a boot). Pupils enjoy driving it.

Nigel

[jont]

My step-daughter did learn in a Mini, it is a possible that I could take over the other 'alf's' Mini and use that, although it is now a few years old (52), and the step-daughter says it is to old , must be an image thing.

You could always stick an age hiding cherish plate on it - I think they start from around £250, which is probably cheaper than changing cars.

[jbsportstech]

There was a guy on the st owners who running mondeo st tdci 2.2 155bhp said he had about double the lads who could teach!

Car does make a difference. My mate was running a mini diesel but found it unrelaible so now has a new fiesta zetec-s with strips and he gets more calls for that than the mini.

[Phoenix-Driving]

Best Job ever, but much harder than it looks, and it is hard for a new pdi/ adi as they have no reputation.

Good luck !

www.PhoenixDriving.org

[martine]

I qualified as an ADI last year - I found the part 3 test very difficult but got there on my 3rd attempt (phew). I don't see instructing as a main source of income - my intention is to get into fleet training but I haven't had time to promote it properly. I have picked up a few learners (to keep my hand in) from friends/relatives.

Certainly if you want to do it as a main source of income, I reckon you would have quite a long week. If you want to do 35 hours of paid lessons per week you're going to have to be prepared for unsocial hours (allowing time to get between lessons etc). I have deliberatertly priced my lessons in the middle to high end but with reasonable discounts for 'block' bookings. I can't see how some ADIs offer lessons below £20 per hour - except as a one-off loss leader...I reckon they end up being 'busy fools'.

I run a Focus 1.6 petrol as my instructing car which also doubles up as 2nd 'family' car.

We will see how things work out - I am hopeful the fleet market should pick up as Health and Safety get more vocal and the economy recovers (eventually).

[vonhosen]

I think if you want to make it your sole full time earner, then you need to find a niche market & have a good reputation in that with the right contacts.

Of course that is largely dependent on what hourly rate you are happy working with.

[Horse]

I am considering doing it part-time initially. I have been to a recent local DIA meeting

. . .

I currently have a company car, which will shortly be going back due to being made redundant, so will be actively looking for a vehicle, so what is the best car to use for instruction purposes, I have been told told twice now (one by ScoobyChris) that a Mini appears to be the favoured vehicle

Have you joined DIA? Their magazines cover car choice, with regularly updated '?/5' ratings.

MINI is rated 4/5. The only '5's are a Fiesta and a couple of Hyundais -i10 and i20.

Also look at the 'add ons' - can you get additional income from selling DVDs, books, etc.?