THE CORONAVIRUS pandemic has been hard for Driving Learners and teachers and may have stolen six months of work from this business owner, he’s not backing down.
Keith is driven to help Driving Learners During COVID-19.
In normal times, owner of Wokingham Driving School Keith Gambles is busy running face-to-face practical lessons and offering online help with driving theory.
But he says the virus has taken time and money away from his business over the last year.
According to Mr Gambles, in 2020 Wokingham Learner Driving School lost approximately 26 weeks of work when the coronavirus hit UK shores.
“From a turnover point of view, that’s equal to about £38,000 lost,” he explained.
And he says the pandemic has had a massive impact on his ability to organise week by week.
“I might say to somebody ‘I’ll see you next week’, and then suddenly e’re in lockdown and who knows when they’ll get their next lesson,”
Mr Gambles explained.
“I try and keep in touch with my pupils to keep them motivated and informed, but it’s all been quite hard.”
Despite the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, Mr Gambles says Wokingham Driving School has been finding new ways to work throughout the crisis to keep business booming while staying safe at the same time.
From maintaining regular contact with students online to introducing his own Covid-19 practices, the business owner has innovated.
While practical lessons are paused, when he is able to go out and work he has introduced a number of covid-safe measures to keep students safe.
This includes making masks mandatory, wiping down all surfaces before, after and during lessons, and keeping the vehicle ventilated by having the windows open.
“It doesn’t take that long to introduce these changes once you get into a routine,” he said.
“It just becomes part of the process.”
But with the majority of Wokingham Driving School’s work on hold until coronavirus restrictions are lifted, Mr Gambles says he is finding it hard to stay motivated.
“When lockdown first kicked in, I was pretty distraught,” he explained.
“I was quite motivated to work on marketing, my website, and other aspects of my business but as time goes on, it’s hard to find the energy.”
He says he’s finding the third lockdown especially difficult given there is no end in sight, but says the key is keeping a routine.
“I email my students about twice a week with updates from the government and updates from myself on what’s happening,” he explained.
“And I keep myself busy, but it can be hard watching the bank account go down when bills are still coming in.”
One of the many ways Mr Gambles has kept himself busy is by being there to support his students, many of whom are frustrated because their driving tests keep being moved.
“I think communication with customers, whatever business you are in, is important,” he said. “We should keep in touch with them rather than switching off.
“You’ve got to be a shoulder to cry on, someone for them to talk to when they don’t know what to do.”
All in all, the business owner says that 2020 has been a massive learning curve for Wokingham Driving School.
“At the beginning, I thought maybe we were going to get a couple of weeks on holiday and then go back,” Mr Gambles said.
“I didn’t anticipate the first lockdown lasting for three or four months in one go.”
And he says if he could give one bit of advice to business owners out there, it would be to wake up every day and treat it like business is booming, regardless of whether coronavirus restrictions allow you to work or not.
“Get up in the morning, do some work, orientate your staff,” he said.
“Whether you’re marketing, fixing your website or keeping in touch with customers – keep yourself busy. It’s far better than sitting around the house for two weeks, watching the world go by.
“And just remind yourself that while you may not be making as much money at the moment, you’re investing in the future.”
