# Going Independent as a Driving Instructor? | BrightRay > Thinking of going independent as a driving instructor? Work out what your franchise fee costs a year, what you would keep on your own, and how to fill your diary. Free calculator. Source: https://brightray.co.uk/driving-instructor-franchise-calculator/ For driving instructors # Going independent? See what your franchise really costs. Going independent usually means keeping the whole lesson fee instead of paying a weekly franchise fee, but you then need to find your own pupils. Put in your own figures to see what the franchise costs you each year, and what it would cost to win pupils yourself. Get a quote [See pricing](https://brightray.co.uk/prices/) Or call 0800 208 4430 · [WhatsApp us](https://wa.me/447977785345?text=Hi%20BrightRay%2C%20I'd%20like%20a%20quote%20for%20a%20website.) · [Book a call](https://brightray.co.uk/book-a-call/) - Free and instant - No sign-up - Use your own figures From £500 fixed Live in 7 days 20% off for charities Found on Google Your franchise fee per week£180Months left on your agreement12 National driving-school franchises typically charge somewhere between £150 and £250 a week — check your own agreement for the exact figure. Franchise agreements differ. Notice periods and non-solicitation clauses are common, so read yours and take advice. This is about being ready for the day it ends — not about taking pupils with you. Your franchise costs you £9,360/yr for pupils you never actually own. That's **£9,360** more before your agreement ends. Own it — year one£800 Every year after£300 A £500 website costs you about **3 weeks** of franchise fees. You've got a real runway. Start now and your own site should be earning its keep well before those 12 months are up. [Get my fixed £500 quote](https://wa.me/447977785345?text=Hi%20BrightRay%20%E2%80%94%20I%20used%20your%20driving%20instructor%20franchise%20fee%20calculator.%20I%20pay%20%C2%A3180%2Fweek%20in%20franchise%20fees%20(%C2%A39%2C360%2Fyr)%2C%20with%2012%20months%20left%20on%20my%20agreement.%20I'd%20like%20a%20quote%20for%20a%20%C2%A3500%20website.) Estimates only, to give you a ballpark. Your fixed price is always £500. The bit most instructors get wrong ## Start before you leave, not after. Rankings are not a switch you flip. A new site takes months to earn its place in local search, which is why the worst possible time to start is the week your agreement ends. Start while the franchise is still paying the bills and the risk is far smaller. Months 1–3 Get the foundations down Your own domain, a proper site, and a Google Business Profile in your name. Nothing here breaches a normal agreement — you are building an asset, not touting for work. Months 3–6 Start showing up Local searches begin to find you. Reviews start landing against your name rather than the franchise's. Enquiries trickle in. Months 6–12 Build the waiting list By the time your agreement ends, your own enquiries are arriving steadily — so the diary does not fall off a cliff on day one. Your own pupils start with your own website. BrightRay builds driving instructor websites for a fixed £500, live in about 7 days, with click-to-call, WhatsApp and Google Business Profile setup included. [See driving instructor websites](https://brightray.co.uk/websites-for-driving-instructors/) [Guide: going independent](https://brightray.co.uk/going-independent-after-driving-franchise/) Going independent ## The things worth checking first. How do I go independent as a driving instructor?+ Check your franchise agreement first, especially the notice period and any clause about pupils. Then arrange your own dual-controlled car and insurance, and set up the things that bring in pupils under your own name: a website, a Google Business Profile and reviews. Start those six to twelve months before you leave so enquiries are already coming in. Can I set up my own website while I'm still in a franchise?+ Usually yes, but it depends entirely on what you signed. Most agreements restrict soliciting pupils and set a notice period; some go further. Read your agreement and take advice if anything is unclear. Building a site so you are ready for the day it ends is a different thing from taking business with you while it runs. Why not just wait until I actually leave?+ Because search rankings take months to build. If you launch a site the week you hand in your notice, you will spend your first months as an independent with no enquiry flow at all — which is exactly the pressure that pushes instructors back into a franchise. Starting six to twelve months early means the pipeline is already warm. What am I actually paying the franchise for?+ For most instructors the honest answer is pupils. The car, the branding and the admin are real, but the reason people stay is the full diary. That makes the weekly fee a lead-generation cost — and lead generation is something you can own outright for a fraction of the price. What happens to my pupils when I leave?+ That depends on your contract, and it is the single most important clause to check before you plan anything. Assume the franchise treats the pupils as theirs unless your agreement says otherwise, and plan on replacing that flow rather than transferring it. Do all driving school franchises charge the same?+ No. Weekly fees vary from one franchise to another, by whether a car is included, and by how much of the diary they guarantee. Compare like for like using your own paperwork rather than a headline figure, and put your real weekly fee into the calculator above. Get in touch ## Let’s build yours. Tell us what you do and what you need — two sentences will do. You’ll get a reply within one working day with a fixed price and a start date. No obligation. Or call 0800 208 4430 [Book a call with us](https://brightray.co.uk/book-a-call/) [Request a callback](https://brightray.co.uk/book-a-call/#callback) Prefer to give us the full picture? [Start a detailed project brief](https://brightray.co.uk/brief/) — pick your business type, content and exact brand colours.