I get asked this all the time: “I’d like to do what you do”, “Would you recommend it?”, “How do I get started?”
so here are some brief notes…
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Pros – the advantages of management training as a career
- It’s relatively well paid – on the days when you’re running courses. A good trainer can do 2 or 3 days a week for at least £1000/day which will bring in £80,000 – £150,000 per annum.
- Your costs are tax deductible – though actually you have very low costs, that turnover is pretty much all profit (income).
- Variety of people and location – better than going to the same old office every day with the same problems and the same boss….
- It’s a positive job that helps people
- You know what you are doing to do and say before you start – unlike coaching or consultancy, which are harder
- You get closure after each course finishes
- You can choose your holidays – when and how many
- Nobody can 100% fire you like in an employed job – you are spread across a number of customers, so losing one doesn’t really matter
- It’s often a really fun job
- More repeat work than you might expect
Cons – the disadvantages of management training as a career
- You need to be able to sell AND to present courses – do you have both skills??
- You’ll need self discipline and good time management skills (organised)
- Travel – it’s hard to avoid lots of driving around the country – although the arrival of Zoom has changed this quite a bit!
- Flexibility with dealing with a certain amount of variation: groups vary, venues and groups often come with problems
- You can’t ever be late or fail to turn up to a course
- It’s a solitary life – it seems sociable but after the course ends, you’re on your own again
- You WILL get the very occasional complaint / criticism / bad group
- It’s no good for the nervous or those who can’t improvise
- You’ll need to pay for IT support and an accountant – and also there’s tax, and you need to pay into your own pension, …and health insurance, and your holidays aren’t paid
There is quite a long list of snags but still, if you’ve got the right temperament I would definitely recommend it as a career. I am thankful every day that I discovered training as a way to earn my living, I love it, and I’ve never got bored with it.
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Some thoughts for getting started
- Can you test the water somehow, and fund out if training is for you? Maybe volunteer to run some courses in your current organisation?
- When you go self employed, maybe even before you do – tap up your current/ex employer to be your first customer. Which means leaving on good terms!
- It’ll take one to three years to build up a decent level of work, so maybe overlap with your current job to start with, if you don’t have some other form of financial support
- Get a great accountant even if they cost a bit more than a cheap one
- Set up as a sole trader, or (better) as a limited company
- Get VAT registered
- Buy a big / fast laser colour printer – and a smaller one as s backup
- Spend quite a bit on making your website really good
- Do more than one subject so you don’t get bored
- B2B is easier and better paid than B2C
- Allow for packing, travelling, and selling time as well as presenting.
- You don’t need to worry about establishing a unique niche, just be reliable and good.
- Decide whether to get up very early and travel or lose the previous evening and pay for a hotel (I personally prefer the second option)
- Decide whether to charge per day or per person and whether travel is included or extra
- Experiment with pricing to find out the right price for you – I know of trainers who underprice themselves due to lack of confidence.
- It’s much easier to start anything new if you have a coach or a mentor, otherwise you’ll make numerous rookie mistakes.
If you want to know more about becoming a trainer, I might be able to help. I am coaching a small number of people to become successful trainers. Book a call with me here and we can discuss whether it would be a good plan for you.
Onward and upwards!
Chris
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