Small accredited trade training centre

Career changers paying their own fees, employers training staff or apprentices, and sometimes people using funding or loans where the course is eligible.

Course fees per learner, usually higher for longer or accredited courses. Extra income can come from employer contracts, short refresher courses and renting out spare workshop time.

• Strong trade experience and credibility
• Teaching and assessing learners
• Admin, record keeping and managing instructors

• Centre approval from awarding bodies can take time and has requirements for staff qualifications, quality systems and facilities, so check these early
• Some trades, such as gas or electrical work, have specific approvals or scheme requirements for training, so check before promising a qualification
• Public liability and employer's liability insurance, plus cover suited to training
• Premises costs, planning use, business rates and workshop safety, including PPE and machinery
• Learner numbers can be uneven, so keep enough cash to cover quiet months

Startup costs are typically estimated at around £20,000 to £80,000, depending on your premises, workshop equipment and the trades you teach. Premises, safety equipment and insurance are major items, so keep some cash back for quieter months.

Monthly revenue is typically estimated at around £6,000 to £25,000, depending on course numbers, fees and how many employers you train. Learner numbers can be uneven, so treat these as estimates and plan cash for quiet months.

Check early, as centre approval from awarding bodies can take time and has requirements for staff qualifications, quality systems and facilities. Some trades, such as gas or electrical work, have specific approvals or scheme requirements, so check before promising a qualification.