When driving instructor Toseef Cheema moved to Luton he thought he’d be happier running his own private driving school.
 
Toseef, a former IT engineer, had built up a busy Bill Plant franchise in Leeds and hoped to continue successfully in business on his own when he moved 180 miles away to Bedfordshire.
 
‘I wanted to work for myself.   Self employment worked best for me, providing I could earn enough money,’ says Toseef, a 30-year-old father of two.  ‘The trouble was after four or so months it just wasn’t working. I was worrying about finding more pupils instead of concentrating on helping pupils learn better.’
 
Desperate, Toseef got in touch with Bill Plant, signed a franchise agreement and within a fortnight had a full diary and was turning away potential pupils.
 
 He says; ‘I didn’t know Luton at all.   But hundreds of people go on the internet and find Bill Plant’s site.  The lessons are good value and their enquiries filtered down to me.
 
‘It’s the cheapest franchise on the market. Best of all I remain totally in control of what I do.   I fit the driving lessons around what else I want to do in my life.  It’s like working privately without all the hassle.  I don’t have any worries about where the work is coming from.’
 
‘When I officially started with Bill Plant, I asked for a few more pupils. They gave me 15 students in two weeks.  I was fully booked up.  It was unbelievable. “

Like his racing greyhounds, Rob Tunmore took the fast track when he switched careers and trained to become a driving instructor with Bill Plant Ltd.
 
For  Rob, 51, passed all necessary training and exams to become a fully qualified Approved Driving Instructor in a record five weeks.
 
Rob, was a  fed up transport manager working 70 hours a week when he signed up to Bill Plant’s ADI intensive training program.
 
He said: ‘I wanted a different career with freedom to work my own hours and be my own boss.  It can take 18 months to become a fully approved driving instructor. Many people try to fit training around their existing jobs but I wanted to get started and qualify as soon as possible.
 
When he is not instructing learners, Rob, who has three grown up boys, enjoys watching his greyhounds race.
 
He says: ‘The Bill Plant intensive training package cost £2,900 and I cannot fault it in anyway. Thanks to Bill Plant I had all the necessary literature, instruction and support required to pass all stages of my test.
 
Rob is now running a successful Bill Plant driving school franchise in the Marlborough and Swindon areas in Wiltshire.
 
‘He says: ‘Owning greyhounds and training to be a driving instructor both require a great deal of hard work to get results.  Becoming a driving instructor has been a very steep learning curve and I get a real buzz from the interaction with the pupils.’

Driving instructor Val Smithson was running her own driving school and had no intention of signing up to be a franchisee -  until her car needed replacing.

‘I was checking prices of new vehicles on the internet and saw the Bill Plant website,’ says Val. ‘The more I weighed up options it was cheaper and easier to go with Bill Plant. They supplied the car, insurance, everything and promised to help find me some pupils

Val, aged 40,was moving from Kent to Fareham, Hampshire.  She says: ‘ I was starting out in a new area; I didn’t know anybody and I genuinely had nothing to lose.

‘Within two weeks of contacting Bill Plant I had a full diary and couldn’t take any more bookings. One senior examiner told me to get established in an area like this is very difficult but I’ve had no problem whatsoever.’

Val has had an assortment of jobs from bus driver, hotel receptionist and estate agent before settling for a career as a driving instructor.

Val who is qualified to drive HGV’s, buses and motorcycles, is one of Bill Plant Fleetcraft’s experienced trainers.

She says: “I love driving, I like being out on the road but if someone said one day I’d be a driving instructor I’d have laughed.

‘Best of all I like getting to know my pupils, In fact I’m still in touch with some. Sometimes it’s a bit like being an agony aunt and counselor as well as a driving instructor.’

When former bank manager Ian Sherwood took early retirement, he had no fixed ideas as to future work but felt he had a wealth of valuable experience in both business and dealing with people to offer prospective employers.

However, applications were rejected and Ian discovered being over 50 was a serious handicap to finding a worthwhile job.

Ian, who worked at Barclays Bank for 32 years, says “I’d heard about ageism but this was the first time I’d ever experienced it for myself.”

‘I applied for a few jobs. I know I was over qualified for them but I was rejected without an interview and it had to be down to my age. At 53, I felt I was on the scrap heap.
 
‘At the bank, I admired people going into business on their own, taking risks and relying on their skills and determination to be successful. I’ve always enjoyed driving and meeting people so I thought I’d train to become a driving instructor.

‘That way I could become my own boss and put all my experience helping people to good use instead of being made to feel useless at over 50.”
After qualifying, Ian signed up to a Bill Plant franchise nearly 4 years ago. Within a week he was swamped with a full diary of pupils and has never looked back since.

Ian, now 59, who lives in Dalton-on-Tees, near Darlington says: “I really enjoy my work and get a buzz every time a pupil passes their driving test - it’s terrific. I’m now also training other people to become driving instructors. Also, if I decide to semi-retire at some time in the future, then all I need to do is cut back on my hours and fit the work around my life.”

Mother-of-two Rachel Darby believes becoming a driving instructor is an ideal job for busy women juggling childcare arrangements.
 
She says; ‘It’s a perfect job for mums like me.  Yet it’s not a career most women with kids would think about entering.   What else could I do to be in control of when I work as well as earning a good salary?’
 
Rachel, 29, lives with her two children Oliver, three, and one year old Owen at Catterick Garrison, North Yorkshire. While her husband Dave, a sergeant in 5 Regiment Royal Artillery, was away on a seven month tour of duty in Afghanistan, Rachel qualified as an approved driving instructor.
 
She signed up with Bill Plant due to the low weekly franchise fee, compared to other schools, and the company’s ongoing support package.
 
Rachel says: “At any point my husband could be posted elsewhere in the UK. Thankfully doing this means all my efforts to build up a business as a good instructor won’t feel wasted. This is one job I’ll be able to carry on doing because my skills are totally portable and Bill Plant will help me fill my diary with new pupils in another part of the country.’
 
Rachel switched to become a driving instructor after working as a graduate trainee restaurant manager in the catering industry.  She says: ‘The shift work didn’t suit me even when I had no children. Being an Army wife when Dave is away is like being a single mum. I need set working hours which I control to fit round childcare and the kids. 
 
‘I’ve always liked meeting people and passing on new skills. The feeling I get when one of my pupils passes their driving test is fantastic.’