Whether as a result of the many redundancies which followed the banking crisis, or as a reaction to the relative ease with which practically anyone can work from home these days, it is very much the case that being self-employed is something which many more people now aspire to. For sure, working for one’s self is seen as being a very desirable route to go down as it enables those with the confidence and know-how to be 100 per cent in charge of their work schedule. This can be as exciting as it can be scary as working in this way means self-employed individuals are solely responsible for who they will work with and how much they will (or won’t) earn..
While there is a wealth of jobs in all manner of industry sectors which can be done on a self-employed basis, it is fair to say that some jobs have more appeal than others.
Working as a self-employed driving instructor
With flexible working options, versatile schedules and often very lucrative earning potentials, it is easy to see why many people regard driving tuition as being one of the most attractive self-employment options around. Moreover, the fact that there are no seasonal fluctuations and that there will always be a steady stream of people wanting to learn to drive ensures this is an industry sector which can – to a certain extent at least – be relied upon to weather economic ups and downs quite well.
However, whilst driving instruction has plenty going for it, there are a number of aspects surrounding it which potential instructors need to consider carefully before making any concrete “yay” or “nay” decisions.
Considerations
When it comes to key considerations, insurance is right at the top of the list. Suffice it to say, driving instructors need to have specialist insurance as their requirements differ significantly to those of other road users. For instance, the fact that instructors have paying clients in the car with them and need to use modified (dual-control) vehicles ensures their insurance needs are very specific indeed.
With this in mind, it is vital that wannabe instructors consider insurance policies which will cover all of their business requirements, right from the outset. For example, prospective instructors that are looking to (perhaps initially) share resources with several other instructors may need to look at insuring a fleet of vehicles rather than just one. Moreover, individuals just starting out in this industry will need to look into getting PDI (potential driving instructor) insurance before opting for any kind of ADI (approved driving instructor) policy.
Additional insurance options, such as liability cover and replacement vehicle cover can also prove to be invaluable so these too should also be considered when determining overall requirements.
Summary
Without doubt, assessing the types of insurance policies that are available and accurately identifying their relevant business needs will help any prospective self-employed instructor to get the level of protection they need and start their fledgling career in the best possible way.
About the author – Bo Heamyan is a web writer who, as well as blogging regularly about insurance-related topics, perennially extols the virtues of always being suitably covered for a number of leading websites, including www.mastercover.com.