Notice anything different about this blog? Any changes?
I'll give you a clue, it's in the 'About me' bit on the left. I'll give you a minute or two to read it.....
(drums fingers)
(looks at watch)
Spot it? Yes, I have left BSM. Actually, that's not strictly true. I am leaving BSM (I just got a bit ahead of myself).
Various changes at BSM have upset some instructors. I'm not going to bore you with their reasons, because a lot of them are boring. So let me get this out the way; I almost don't want to leave BSM. I am not leaving because of any decision the company has made. As far as I am concerned, I am happy with the Fiat. I am happy with the number of pupils I have. I am happy with the support I get from the office. I am happy with the training they gave me. I can even tolerate the fact that Eddie, the Inverness Centre manager, supports Man Utd (...just).
The fact is that the BSM franchise is not the cheapest going. In return for my weeekly franchise fee, they provide me with a new car, pupils and they manage my diary and make life as an instructor relatively easy. That's fair enough. It's just that perhaps I don't want it easy anymore.
Consequently, I have given notice that I wish to terminate my franchise and have ordered a new car. Exciting stuff.
Bedtime for me now, but I will leave you with some homework. I would like suggestions for a name for my new venture and I want something with a bit more imagination than 'Martin's Driving'.....
Martin,
ReplyDeleteAll the best in your new venture. Unfortunately, it seems that many BSM instructors are the same as you and I - finding the franchise fee just too expensive given the current level of service and benefits offered.
As to the name - how about 'Martin, Signal, Manoeuvre'? ;)
Good luck - if you are in an area short of ADIs , like you say, it should work for you.
ReplyDeleteOther people must beware, though. Running your own business from the ground up isn't easy - and if BSM aren't supplying the work, there is a good chance (a very, very good chance) that someone doing it solo will have even less success.
Pupils don't grow on trees - and you need a pretty big orchard to get enough stuff to eat!
BSM *has* a big orchard, and if it can't supply then solo ADIs picking at single trees may find the going tough.
Again, good luck.
Anonymous,
ReplyDeleteWithout wanting to get into an argument with you, your theory is flawed, due to BSM's "other" business - training new driving instructors. Because of this business, they have a regular supply of new instructors demanding pupils. As they only have a finite number of pupils, very often any new pupils get given to the new instructors first, to get their diary "up and running". This leaves the qualified instructors like myself and Martin to pick up the remainder.
As an example, I currently have 9 active pupils, whereas many local independent instructors I know have more pupils than they have hours in the week, and they are turning business away!
Daniel