A Driving Instructor's Training Calendar

Running a driving school can be very taxing for anyone. Not only do you have to worry about the quality of instruction you give to your student, you also have to keep abreast with all the latest in business management and driving instructional information. It is a need nowadays, with auto and driving safety practices updating every few month. You also have to upgrade your driving instruction. There is a dire need for further training for experienced driving coach operators. This is the reason why seminars and workshops are conducted several times a year. As a good businessman, it is always a wise strategy to attend and conduct workshops and seminars among your staff in order to keep your company competitive. Further training for experienced driving coach operators is now a must.

Training Budget vs Low Sales

Further training for experienced driving coach operators and other workshops are very expensive. This is a truth that driving school owners will have to work with. It is quite a challenge to think about spending money to train your driving instructors especially when your sales levels are still on the low side. The other side of the coin is that by improving your instructors' competencies, you will eventually attract more customers or students to bring up your sales levels.

Deciding on whether or not to conduct further training for experienced driving coach operators is a tough decision to make. It's a matter of planning and budgeting. A business owner will have to prioritize the training programs that are necessary for his instructors. This will have to be based on the existing skills and competencies of the instructors and the potential of the new training sessions to add value to the school's offerings.

Another technique to work with is to send one or two instructors to particular courses and then have an echoing session later on. This can definitely save your company a lot of money while still being able to conduct further training for experienced driving coach operators. You see, getting additional training would actually allow your company to charge higher given the credentials that your driving coaches have. At the end of the day, this would still be a win-win situation for you, as long as you are able to choose your seminars and conventions correctly.

Redundant Training and How They Ruin Your Business

To maximize your training budget, you need to choose your training programs carefully. You need to guard against redundant training. This can ruin your business in several ways. For one, it's a waste of time and money. Your coaches will spend time attending a session that tells them what they already know. Their time could have been spent more productively attending to your customers and bringing in revenues. Your training budget could be spent on more substantial further training for experienced driving coach operators that actually add value to their competencies.

It is highly recommended to plan a training calendar consisting of programs that complement each other and serve to boost the skills and competencies of the coaches. Industry associations usually have lists of their training programs for the month or even for the year.

Team Building Workshops for the Sole Trader

It is not only the skills of the coaches that need to be improved through training. It is also important to hold team building workshops for the entire team to improve working relationships. Part of a driving instructor's training calendar should be a team building workshop. Depending on the size of the company, the program can be run company-wide or on a per department basis. This kind of training would be very beneficial as this actually enhances productivity and promotes better workflow if you are able to improve working relationships. This is something that most bosses forget: being a good company does not only mean having the most clients, but also by having the best workforce behind the company. This is definitely what any company would aspire to have.

Setting up a training calendar for your employees can be quite expensive. This expense on further training for experienced driving coach operators, however, is something that you will have to bear if you want to increase your potential for earning more revenues and building a better reputation in the long run. Spending time and money on training programs for your coaches or instructors and employees is the best way for you to ensure that you are able to stay ahead of the pack.



By Pete Morgan

How To Take Good Care Of Leather Seat Covers

Car seat covers play a major role in protecting the seats of automobiles from stains, pet hair and spills. The covers also protect vehicle car seats from getting worn out. They also protect upholstery from sunlight exposure, water damage, tears and rips.

The covers come in different styles and colors; therefore, you will always find a cover that will be ideal for you. You should note that not all designs are ideal for your car; therefore, you need to try a number of designs before you find the most ideal one for your vehicle.

If you are unsure of the right product to buy, you should do your research online. The good side is that there are many websites that will help you to find the right product for your car.

For the covers to have a long lifespan you need to know how to take good care of them. One of the best ways of taking care of the products is by cleaning them.

The best way of cleaning them is by vacuuming. Here you need to use either the regular vacuum cleaner or a portable auto vacuum. To avoid damaging the leather, you should use plastic vacuum attachments.

You can also use a toothbrush to loosen the dirt in the seams that a vacuum may be unable to pick up.

Other than vacuuming you can also use water to clean the leather. Here you need to use a washcloth to wipe down the seats. For ideal results you should ensure that you use warm water in cleaning.

When cleaning you should be cautious and ensure that you use products with natural ingredients such as mink oil, lanolin and UV protectants.

To avoid damaging your entire seat, you should always first test if the products are safe to use by cleaning a small area. As rule of thumb you should avoid using the products if there are adverse changes to the color and texture of the leather.

Creases can easily result to cracking of the covers; therefore, you should always remove them whenever they appear. The best way of removing the creases is by ironing them. Here you should turn your iron to its coolest possible setting and iron the cover.

In addition to cleaning and ironing the covers, other great ways of taking good care of the products are: putting the wraps away from excessive sunlight and seats. You should also avoid wiping the wraps with paper towels. This is because the towels tend to leave scratches that give the covers a bad look.



By Duncan Lancer

Understanding Your Driving Instructor Contract

Being a professional driving instructor or an approved driving instructor is not an easy venture. You are lucky if you already have the money and the resources to start your own driving instructional school. But if you're an independent ADI looking into opening a driving school franchise business, the market is going to be tough for you. Opening a driving school is no joke. It requires a lot of resources, trainings, and legal documents. However, there are now solutions to that. One can actually explore the possibility of opening a low cost ADI franchise as a franchise business.

Business Mentoring Course 101

Before opening a school, one has to remember that this is not just a school. This is, at the end of the day, a business. More than just being able to drive, having the passion to teach and wanting to start your own school, one must first remember that there are business practices and techniques to learn. It is important to take a business mentoring course.

The ADI franchise actually offers a business mentoring course that allows one to understand the business side of the craft. It is one thing to be able to drive and teach students well. It is a completely different thing to run a business. The good thing about this franchise is that it offers a business mentoring course in order to avoid mismanaging your very own driving school.

Researching the Main Competitor

Running a driving school franchise business is not an easy task. It involves having to understand the playing field. A good driving school franchise does not become the best just by being a good business, it must outrank all the others. Being a business, there will always be other individuals and businesses who will be competing with you. In starting your own business, you must be aware of the playing field where you are going to operate: who, where and how your competitors are doing.

Understanding your competitors would mean not just knowing who they are, but what they can do, their strengths, their advantages and their weaknesses would be able to give you the chance to beat the competition. You can find a lot of information about your competitors online. This means that you can do your competitive research without leaving the house. You can check out what strategies they are using online to get their customers.

As you do your competitor research online, you would realize that building your own driving school would also involve driving school website development. Your competitors are in this arena too, competing for the same target market as you are aiming for. Remember that the individuals who are trying to learn how to drive are also using the internet to find out where they can take their driving courses. Having your own website can make your driving school franchise business more visible on the internet.

Understanding the Industry Standard

The last thing to remember in setting up your driving school franchise, is living up to the industry standards. More than just learning how to teach people how to drive, one must also learn the ways on how to set up your very own driving school. Industry standards, permits, and other requirements must be fulfilled before opening up a good driving school. When you get the cheapest driving school franchise contract, you still must not forget to live up to the basic industry standards.

Compliance to industry standards such as class size, driving instructional books and your office is still necessary at the end of the day. These standards usually differ from state to state and so it would be best to look up the standards required by your home state before thinking about opening you very own driving school.

Furthermore, industry standards such as good business management is also necessary. Other companies have to get ISO certified and have to process most documents themselves. However, when one buys an ADI franchise, one can get assistance on all of these which would definitely make the job easier and more convenient especially for those who are unfamiliar with the industry and the business side of the craft of driving instruction.

Starting your own driving school can be a challenge. Dealing with this challenge is made more manageable when you opt for a driving school franchise business that comes as an entire package ready to be set-up straight from the box.



By Pete Morgan

Replacement Car Keys - Why Get Them Now

Let's face it. Being locked outside our home in an untimely manner or losing our car keys can give us a major headache. Getting the key stuck in the car ignition and damaging it whether by accident or not is another stressful situation. With no spare parts at hand, getting a replacement key ahead of time is not only a wise and logical decision, it can also save you from ordering a replacement key from your dealer, which is not only inconvenient but also expensive.

Choosing Your Replacement Key

Most of the time, your car key comes with a spare set; however, we tend to forget where we place them or in some instances, this spare set is also damaged in another way. A master-key is the best type of key if you have no spare to show your locksmith to duplicate. Although most locksmiths have a master-key made, there are times when one needs to show their car or tell the locksmith the car model or brand for them to be able to make a replacement key.

If your car key is the transponder type, then you might find it difficult to find a spare as most keys are pre-programmed on the vehicle type. This can be bypassed by locksmiths that have specialists on automotive keys. They can provide a blank key that can be programmed to work on the model specific vehicle. Although it might be costly, it is more affordable than purchasing one from the auto dealer. Additionally, one would be able to use the key immediately after the programming and not wait for the dealer to send a new one.

For those car owners that have key fobs or keyless remote car keys, replacement is much easier. Aside from the auto dealers, automotive locksmiths also have replacement key fobs that can be programmed to work on the vehicle type. Although authorized dealers can do the programming, automotive locksmiths more often than not have instructions and can do it for the car owner.

Aside from transponders and key fobs, other types of car keys are also making their way to the market. Some of these include laser cut, switchblades and smart keys. These keys are made to ensure that auto-theft is prevented. These keys can also be easily replaced by your local locksmiths and although much more expensive than regular car keys, one can get it much cheaper than having to purchase it directly from the dealers or buying a new one which can cost from $100 - $200.



By Patrick Laurence

What To Know Before You Purchase A Car

Though buying a car may seem like a walk down the hill, many people have reported the experiences as stressful and unpleasant. This is because of the decisions that one has to make and the keen attention, which is put into the process before acquiring the car. Whether you are in the progress of buying a car in the near future, below are some of the ways to go about the tense situation.

• Make a right, informed choice
  

This seems obvious; before you go on to buy that car that you are looking for, it is essential to make sure that you go for one that best fits you and your needs. Many people rush into the decision of acquiring a car only to make a regrettable decision that they would have been avoided easily by making an informed decision. Some of the consideration here is your body type and the regular functions that the car will be performing.

• Set your price target

By using the internet, you can be able to acquire great deals on the type of car that you are searching. Moreover, the internet has made it easier for buyers to be able to compare prices of the various dealers while interacting effortlessly with them and hence the internet should be the first stop to view the different costs and land on a good deal.

• Check your credits

If you are to buy the car on a loan, you should make it your homework to check your credit union to be able to find the lowest available rate. By getting a pre-approved loan, you get confidence in negotiating a better lower pr ice for the car.

• Do not buy the car on the first visit

Many experts recommend that you do not buy the car during the first visit. This is because you may be able to find other suggestions or change your mind on the processes. Many people who have ignored this step or have rather rushed into the buying decision have been faced with regrets after making a wrong choice.

• Check for warranty, insurance and repairs

Before you go to purchase the vehicle, it is important to check for other credentials such as the warranty repair services, guarantee and insurance policies. This will be essential in case of accidents and in legal proceedings regarding the car. For instance in case of an accident or repairs for the car you will need a lemon law attorney's help in legal matters that concern the repair and management of the vehicle.

By Saich M Kate

Abridged Car Theory Test - Discover a Cheaper Alternative to the Standard UK Driving Theory Test

The 'abridged' car theory test was introduced in October 2009 by the now defunct DSA as part of an overhaul to the UK driving theory test. The test gives safe road users an opportunity to complete a shortened version of the standard exam at a reduced cost. It has proven to be a successful initiative in getting more road users to acquire the 'Safe Road User Award'

To be eligible to take the 'abridged' test learner motorists must have successfully completed a voluntary course - the 'Pre-Driver Qualification In Safe Road Use' course - which was introduced in January 2009 and, at the time of writing (10th June 2014), is currently available at 10 locations throughout England and Scotland.

Those who successfully complete the course will be issued with a Safe Road User Award, permitting them to take the 'abridged' car theory exam. There are many benefits associated with taking this exam.

Firstly, the 'abridged' version features a reduced number of multiple-choice questions. Rather than the standard 50 questions and having to answer 43 correctly, 'abridged' car theory test candidates are required to answer 35 multiple choice questions, answering 30 correctly.

However, 'abridged' car theory test candidates are still tested on 14 hazard perception clips, in keeping with the standard UK theory exam.

Once candidates are issued with the Safe Road User Award they are required need to take the abridged car theory test within three years of getting it, otherwise the award becomes void and the process would need to be started again.

Secondly, the 'abridged' exam costs less, compared to the standard theory test, costing just £24. Candidates stand to save £7 and have the benefit of an accredited award certifying them as a safe driver.

 

The Safe Road User Award was developed in order to build positive attitudes to road use and help young motorists to take responsibility for using the UK's roads safely. The aim of the initiative is to reduce the number of deaths among drivers aged between 17 and 25, which has become a scourge on British motoring over the last 10 years, according to some commentators.

To enquire about the 'abridged' exam it's recommended that you consult a third party booking service or visit the official UK Government website. Either of these services can also be used to book the exam.

Using the official Government site requires you to carry out the booking, whereas enlisting the services of a third party company will mean they will book a test on your behalf.

By D Waldron

Continuous Professional Development for the Professional Driving Instructor

Becoming a Professional Driving Instructor is not an easy task, much more opening your own driving school at the same time. More than just becoming an instructor, you have to learn how to be a good businessman as well. You do not only have to worry about what to teach, how you can produce the best drivers, or how to design the best driving instructor training. You also have to worry about how to attract more customers, how to maintain profit, how to attract more students, how to cut less costs on operational expenses, and how to process important documents among others. This is an aspect of setting up a driving school that most ADI did not exactly learn during ADI training. This is the business aspect of the craft that sometimes you have to learn on your own.

Outsourcing Your Weakness or Train to Improve Standards

Not everyone can do everything all at the same time. There are a lot to learn in dealing with the different aspects of a driving instruction business. To be able to give the best driving instructor training, you must focus in teaching more than administration. If you are unable to do something, you can always outsource them. For example, if you're unable to manage receiving new students, you can always employ a receptionist. Or if you don't have any idea how to create your own web page, well you can always pay somebody else to do it.

Another way to go with this would be to train to improve your standards. Strive hard to give the best driving instructor training. If you are unfamiliar with a certain aspect of ADI training you can always look into further trainings yourself. Especially if you want to be able to brand yourself and your company to become best professional driving instructor. It's a great idea to undergo seminars, workshops and even additional training to improve your quality up to industry standards. Only in doing so can you reach your goal of giving the best driving instructor training.

Driving School Website Development

Everyone is on the internet right now. Therefore it won't only be a great idea to make one, it is practically necessary to stamp your presence on the internet. This would involve setting up a website, putting yourself on Google Maps, and getting some SEO help. Another way to build your credibility among your target audience would also be to set up some form of driving instructor training reviews. That would surely attract more potential clients on your end. Also, never forget to advertise that you give the best training.

New Trends in Marking Modern Businesses

As a businessman, it is also important to keep track of the present playing field. You must be very aggressive in getting new clients and customers. Therefore, one must be very vigilant in watching for new trends. Being the first in line in applying new business techniques and trends would definitely benefit your company in general. Employing all the trends in business practices, marketing strategies and even SEO would definitely keep you in the game and always one step ahead of your other competitors.

Delivering Quality-driven Tuition

Another great marketing strategy would always be good pricing. It is necessary to understand that your clients would always be looking for a good deal. They want to receive the education that they're paying for. It's a big no-no in marketing to shortchange your customer. If you're looking into charging for an expensive tuition, make sure that the services and instructions they receive are worth it and it's not just purely for profit. The truth of the matter is that if you shortchange a batch of people, word would quickly spread around, and a negative reputation would surround your company. This is the last thing that any business would want. The best driving instructor training, does not mean the highest tuition, but that which gives its money's worth.

The ADI as a Road Safety Champion

Finally, being an ADI instructional school, you must never forget to be an advocate of road safety. It is not just a requirement, it is a must. Promoting a safe driving environment would instill in the minds of your students the importance of driving safety. This is also a business strategy on your end. Advocating for driving safety would give potential clients an impression that you don't only care for profit, but also for their well-being.

Opening and running your own driving school is no joke. When you are properly trained and prepared, however, you will be able to take your strengths and weaknesses and make them work to your advantage.



By Pete Morgan

Choose the Most Reliable Super Cars Hire Service to Accomplish Your Dream

Super cars that refer to high-end sports cars allure almost everyone with their high-class style and utmost sophistication. Most people are passionate about driving these highly luxurious and stylish vehicles, even if they cannot buy them. There are various super cars hiring companies offering high-end cars at affordable prices. Let us see some of the reasons it can be more convenient for you to hire super cars than buying them:

The most significant aspect that makes hiring more convenient is the high amount of money that is required to purchase super cars. No matter how dearly you might cherish the dream of driving a super car, it is not always possible to spend a fortune on purchasing one. Hence the rental companies help you in accomplishing your dreams without having to spend thousands of pounds.

These cars are not suitable for regular use due to a number of reasons. For example, they are not really family-friendly. It is extremely unlikely for you to travel around in a Ferrari Coupe or an Aston Martin or a Porsche 911 with your family and kids. Again, it would be extremely inconvenient to drive these speedy cars on a crowded street if you are living in a city. It is hence wise to own a vehicle that's more family-friendly and convenient for regular use, and fulfill your long cherished dream of driving super cars by hiring them.
However, even when these cars are not suitable for regular use, and can cost you a fortune, it is a dream for most people to sit behind their steering wheel even if for a single day. Let us see what makes these cars so amazingly alluring and tempting:

It can make a huge impression on people around you. You can take the peoples' breath away by driving a stylish and high-end super car. Whether you want to impress someone special by taking them out to dinner or want to make an impression on your valued business clients, a sophisticated sports car can just be the right thing for you.

Driving a sports car is one of the most luxurious and heavenly experiences you can have. They are equipped with high-end features like review cameras and anti-lock brakes to ensure utmost safety and protection while driving. Other additional features like rain-sensor windshield wipers, electronic parking aids, TV screens in head rests and many more enable you to enjoy the most exotic driving experience.

Along with the magnificent outer appearance, sports cars are also extremely efficient, comfortable and luxurious from inside. This provides you huge levels of comfort along with style and elegance.
However, before hiring these sports cars, you must keep in mind certain important points:

Make sure that you have the ability and skill to drive these cars well. And in case you lack confidence in your driving skills, you must hire a chauffeur for travelling safe.

Always choose a reliable sports car hire company in order to avail the most efficient services. You must also check their reputation in the market to avoid any kind of future disappointments.


By Donald Finch 

Solving Problems With Your Parking Space

Have you ever come home from work and either your gate is block, or there is someone else in your parking space? If you have then you will know that it is extremely frustrating.

It seems like a minimal problem, but when you have worked hard all day and you just want to park and relax at home, then its a massive issue, especially if you have to park miles away and then walk home.

Parking further away from home has connotations if you live in a high crime area because your car is more likely to get stolen; the further away its parked. It is less likely to get stolen or broken into if it is sitting on your path, or outside your house.

Therefore, problems with parking can become a lot more serious and you should read on for tips about how to deal with the problem.

Tourists

If you live in an area that is popular with tourists, you might find that they are parking in the suburban areas because they don't want to pay for public parking.

If there are no signs up to show that the area is for residents only, then they won't know that they are causing trouble by parking in residential areas. Therefore, you should ask your local council if you have a resident parking only sign on your street. If a tourist sees the sign, they will not park there.

However, the sign has to have a call to action on it. If the sign just says no parking, then tourists are likely to park there anyway. But, if the sign says that they are clamped, or find, and then they will not park there.

Your council should have no problem having restricted parking in your area because it will drive tourists back to the public parking lots and the council will make more money. It is a situation that will benefit everyone.

Neighbours

If you have a problem with the neighbours parking in your space, or across your gate, then you can talk to them and ask them not to. You have to make sure that you are friendly here because you don't want friction between you and the neighbours. You do have to live with them and if they have a problem with you, then being at home can become very stressful.

They might not even know that they are causing you a problem and it might just be that they are only parking there because someone else is in their space. Then you could join and stop the person parking in their space.

Parking Barrier

If nothing that you have done so far, has worked, then you have no option but to install a parking barrier in your space. This will definitely stop people from parking where you usually park.

If you rent the property, then you have to make sure that you have permission off your landlord, before you install the barrier. If the space is part of your rental agreement, then the landlord will definitely sign a permission document.

If you own the property and the land where the space is, then you don't need permission off anyone. But, if the council owns the space, then you will have to ask for permission even though you are a house owner. This is especially true if you are parking on a public road. However, once you have the barrier, all parking issues will stop and you won't experience stress anymore.



By Natalie Ayash

Are Used Car Tyres Safe?

i

t is no secret, brand new car tyres can be very costly, this is why many car owners opt for used tyres because they seem like the ideal way to save some good cash on car maintenance.

However, there is more to buying car tyres than just getting a set with a lot of tread and for a cheap price. What many car owners fail to notice is that using used car tyres poses some safety risks that might not be evident then, but will be later.

Car tyres are made out of rubber compounds that are known to age as time goes whether used frequently, barely used or completely unused. However, it is really not clear how long the tyres can serve the car by providing the owner safe transportation until deterioration occurs to the point where they fail to serve their purpose.

When To Change Your Tyres

Tyre manufacturers recommend tyre replacement between 5-10 years regardless of wear and of course depending on the conditions. If the tyres are frequently exposed to humidity, heat, direct sunlight, salt air and other factors that can lead to quicker breakdown of the rubber compounds, then they should be replaced after a few years.

Buying used car tyres should not be an option, it doesn't matter if you are saving on cash or are trying to be environment conscious by preserving the natural resources by use of used tyres. Either way you are reducing your road safety conditions by driving around in used tyres and further outlined below are reasons why.

You Have No History Of The Tyre

It is easy to find the right size of a used car tyre for your vehicle but there is no way you can tell if the tyre was in a vehicle that was frequently overloaded, or was driven at very high speeds.

Such facts can affect the tyre's functionality in a way that might not be initially noticeable but might lead to failure in the near future. The tyres might also have been wrongly repaired, unnoticeably damaged, exposed to harsh elements or simply mishandled which can later affect transportation.

You Can Miss A Recall

With all new tyres being the registered to the car owner buying it, in case of a recall for any reason, the buyer can be contacted easily. However, with used tyres the link between the manufacturer and the buyer is no more and the buyer of used tyres may never know if the tyres have been recalled because of a safety issue. This might be very dangerous for you because you may end up baring the consequences as the buyer of the recalled used tyre.

Will fail When You Desperately Need Them

With used tyres, you can never be sure. Since you have no record of their history and are accepting them because they have plenty of tread and are sold at a great price, you are never quite sure when they will fail. There are common cases where the used tyres failed when the car owners had to rush to work while late, an important meeting, when tending to an emergency and so on.

If You have To Buy

If you are buying used tyres, then let it be only when you are buying a used car because a used car will obviously have used tyres. This way you can see the vehicle the tyres are from and can tell the mileage and overall condition.

You can also get maintenance records of the car to further help you tell the actual state of the tyres. You will not know the complete history of those used tyres in the second-hand vehicle, but you can tell if they are in good condition by looking at the vehicle.

If the vehicle looks neglected, then there are high chances the tyres are too. In this case you will have no other option but get brand new tyres. This is because the safety of you as a car owner and any occupants in your car will depend on the condition of the four tyres that you are riding on.

The Bottom Line

Buying a new set of tyres is no doubt a worthwhile practice because you are wisely preventing the danger posed by the unknown condition of the tyres. Used car tyres will save you some good amount, but they are not really worth the huge risk they pose. Their disadvantages far outweigh the advantages.


By Tyler Higgins