Is it better to be self-employed or employed? Personally, I prefer being my own boss, but there is definitely something to be said for turning up for work at a certain time, going home at a certain time, being paid at the end of the month and also being paid for time off through illness or injury.
Possibly the biggest challenge in being self-employed is continually chasing new business. It was easy when I had my pubs; customers walked in the door, spent money and staggered out. Every day. We worked hard to make the pubs welcoming, ensure the beer and food were of the best quality and make people want to come and spend money with us. But we didn't have to advertise or wonder who our next customer would be.
Being a driving instructor, I have to look after my pupils/customers as best I can while I have them, but I know that, one day, they will pass their test and I will no longer have their custom. Sometimes, especially when I have several pupils pass in a short time, I get people commenting that 'it is bad for business'. Well, yes, it means that (unless they take the Pass Plus course) someone passing their test means no more income from that person. However, by the time we decide they are ready for their test, they are good enough to be driving on their own. So if they don't pass, they rarely have many more lessons; just a lesson or two to work on their weakness and few 'refreshers'. In fact, I think a pupil passing their test will actually generate business, through word of mouth.
But sometimes we lose pupils for other reasons. If I look at my list of pupils from 2011 alone, I have lost pupils because they have moved away, gone to university, lost their job, are spending time travelling, have run out of money or have broken bones in a motorbike accident. But there are one or two pupils who just seem to have 'disappeared'. When my diary is really busy, it is tempting to forget about them and concentrate on those who do seem to want lessons. But there will be times when my diary isn't so busy and I don't want to regret losing any pupil through not bothering to contact them.
This morning I was reading another instructor's blog, and he was talking about losing a pupil because he had not contacted her for four weeks because he did not want her to think he was stalking her. I sympathise. I usually try to contact all pupils on my books at least once a week, but there is always the nagging feeling that the ones that don't reply might think I am harassing them. Once someone has started a course of lessons I presume they want to continue until they have passed their test, but some pupils don't seem to think like that. While I was still with BSM they provided me with a new pupil (it was a rare moment). I looked at the name and thought 'Where do I know him from?'. It turned out he had started lessons with me several years earlier, taken a break, gone to university, then decided he wanted to resume lessons. He had some lessons, went back to university, had some more lessons several months later, went back to university, went abroad, had some more lessons etc. Each time I saw him I began to think 'I wonder how long he will have lessons this time?'. Finally, early last year, he sat and passed his test, nearly four years since his first lesson with me.
And he is by no means an exception. Even last night, I had a lesson with someone who has not had lessons for over five months. I have no idea why she took a break, especially when she still had three lessons still in credit with me.
With numerous pupils taking their test over the next few weeks, I am looking at my diary and wondering 'What happens then?' But I often do this. It is tempting to consider advertising, anything to feel that I am doing something positive about keeping my diary full. The thing about this job is that sometimes I can go a few weeks without any new enquiries, then, strangely, I can get several new pupils within one day, even within a couple of hours.
I sometimes hear of instructors who have a 'waiting list' of people who want to take lessons but can't immediately be accommodated. A nice position to be in (for the instructor), but it has not happened to me. Maybe tomorrow.
(Edit: Within two hours of writing this post I had two brand new pupils booking a block of ten lessons. I should write something similar every week.)
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