How to create a business plan for driving instructors

25/04/2023

Any driving instructor who is looking to start or grow their company must have a solid business plan in place. A business plan will help you to clarify your goals, identify your target market and determine how you'll achieve success. But where do you even start? Read on for our guide to writing a business plan to help you get your driving school off the ground.

1. Define your business model

The first step in creating a driving instructor business plan is to define your business model, as this will have a direct impact on how you approach the rest of the steps we’ve listed below. Think carefully about who you are targeting and how your company will operate – is it just you or will you be hiring other instructors? Are you targeting a particular demographic, such as new drivers, mature drivers or those with disabilities?

There are many driving instructors out there, so think about what it is you want to offer and how you can make yourself unique. This might be a particular teaching style or services like independent mock tests and theory classes.

2. Conduct market research

Having a thorough understanding of the industry you are getting into beforehand can be very useful and will allow you to develop a driving instructor business plan that is tailored for success. You should start by researching your local market and seeing what’s already out there. This will highlight any gaps that you might be able to fill. For example, perhaps you’ve noticed there aren’t any driving schools in your area that specialise in teaching people with disabilities, so you may decide this could be a good fit.

3. Develop your marketing strategies

Once you have decided on your target audience, you need to determine how you are going to market your services to them. When it comes to marketing, the first step is to think about your branding. All of your advertising and marketing materials should follow the same colour scheme and design, from your business cards to the signage on your car. You want your driving school to appear professional and trustworthy, and quality branding will ensure that.

After deciding on a concept for your brand, you need to consider where you’re going to advertise your services. Advertising your company here, there and everywhere is not as effective as you may think – more is not always better. You need to be smart about how and where you advertise your company, appealing specifically to your target demographic. For example, if you’re hoping to attract younger drivers, you’ll want to be active on social media, as this is where most of them will look first. If your demographic is mature drivers, then having a website and posting adverts in local shops will be beneficial. There’s no harm in doing some canvassing in your neighbourhood too – posting flyers and pamphlets through doors is always effective.

Of course, it’s also important to think about your actual vehicle. You’re going to be driving around in this car all day, so it only makes sense that it’s branded. Vinyl car wrapping is one option, but for something more affordable, personalised car roof signs are an excellent choice. These are great for displaying your company’s name and contact details whilst you’re on the road and can be seen from quite far away. The signs available at Grade Six Supplies are customisable and can really draw the attention of passersby – most people will spot a roof sign in a sea of cars!

4. Determine your financial plan

Having a good understanding of your business finances and how you are going to fund your driving school is important for achieving your goals. This means considering how much you will need to spend on establishing your services as well as marketing them to get your business off the ground. You’ll also have to determine how much you are going to charge and how many lessons you’re going to offer each week.

When setting lesson fees, you need to factor in fuel costs, wear and tear, MOTs and services, and insurance. There’s also the upfront cost of the vehicle itself to consider and any modifications it requires to meet industry standards. If you don’t have the necessary qualifications already, you’ll also need to include the costs of all ADI training and the ongoing registration fees.

5. Create a management plan

Once you have established how you are going to fund your business, you need to consider how you will run it. Most driving instructors are self-employed, so as well as the teaching side of the job, they’ll have all the marketing, communication and finances to deal with too.

Coming up with a realistic plan is important to prevent you from getting overwhelmed and burned out, so think carefully about what you can realistically handle and what tasks may be better going to someone else. For example, you could hire an accountant to manage your business finances but do all the marketing and lesson planning/scheduling yourself.

6. Adjust your driving instructor business plan if necessary

An important takeaway here is that your business plan should change over time as your business evolves. Don’t be afraid to monitor your plan and adapt it to make it appropriate for your business operations at the current time. For example, perhaps your original plan had you as the sole employee but now you need to hire someone else to keep up with demand. Keeping track of your finances, marketing strategies and student retention rates will allow you to make the changes necessary to continue your growth and success.

To find out more about how we can help you market your business, view our extensive range of supplies or get in touch with us at Grade Six Supplies today!