Driving Schools in Winter

It is almost winter time here in the UK, and it is the time of the year when driving school businesses start to struggle due to the normal down turn in the number of people taking driving lessons as they divert their money towards christmas presents and take time off to travel with family and friends.



This is however a time when the instructor or business owner should use to work a bit more on their driving school marketing efforts not only inorder to get more learner drivers at this time of the year, but also to strengthen the position of the franchise in preparation for the new year when all those 'I want a full driving licence resolutions' take place.

If you don't already have a driving instructor website, then take the oppourtunity to start one, it doesn't cost a lot to create and start one especially if you do it yourself, and by the time winter is over, you could start reaping the benefits of the online advertising that a website will do marketing your services.
If you have a website, then use any extra time you have in promoting it, by spending time on learner driver forums answering questions about the test, maneuvers, making sure that your profile and signature include you website url. Remember the forums will be there for a long time and will serve as a constant referal for you especially if you are very helpful to those that need help passing the DSA practical driving test.

Other ways of marketing yourself during winter could be parking your car outside colleges of learning and education, and handing out your business cards (it is not going to be very effective, but if your card has a website address on it, then you might get more viitors, and maybe a new client or two. It is better than sitting at home with your car in the driveway doing nothing and hoping that someone will call looking for driving lessons.

Personally, I don't believe in leaflet drops, but if you have any advertising material at home that is gathering dust, then you might as well go round the local streets dropping them through post boxes, you never know you might post it at the right time for someone.

Whatever other things you can think of to market your driving school services, then by all means do it (encouraging your current clients to refer you to their friends can be effective especially if you give them a free lesson in return for block bookings or after a minimum lessons from their friends), but if you are thinking of advertising in newspapers, other websites, don't believe what the sales people tell you, consult other local instructors and ask their opinions, not only costs but more importantly results of the campaign, as there is no point in spending money on any non effective marketing resources.

Additional Reading
The new BSM driving school car AKA the Bubble.
Learning to drive - Roundabouts
Reverse Maneuvers on the Test
cheap BSM lessons.