Mobility Equipment Training
In 2018 m.E.T.C. Ltd mobility equipment training centre opened their doors.
The founder, Steve Whitmore, an army veteran, was trained as a Chieftain Tank Commander, Physical Training Instructor, Unarmed Combat Instructor and 12yrs as Regimental Signals Instructor.
Steve has now worked in the mobility equipment sector for more than 17 years. Over these years Steve had trained many people in the mobility business, which he enjoyed, and this gave him the opportunity to use his teaching skills. With all the knowledge and experience he had gained he wanted to be able to pass this on. Steve started to research and realised that his training, structure, commercial knowledge, and good engineering practice could save his students at least 3yrs in starting up their own business. His blueprint and training course would be a fast track through the mobility industry and into a new life and career for those who would train with him.
M.E.T.C. is a family run business, and they strive to support their students transition into civvy street understanding this process having gone through this themselves. M.E.T.C. run various courses; servicing, fault finding and fixing scooters; installing, servicing, fault finding & fixing stairlifts and hoists; LOLER & PAT testing and a surveying course.
Steve told us “We have trained many engineers that have now started their own mobility businesses, others that have found new employment within the mobility sector and we have also trained many people who already working in this sector giving them different skills.
People have travelled to us from as far away as Scotland, Guernsey, Worthing, London, and the Isle of white just to name a few places.
Although 2020 has been a challenging time for M.E.T.C Ltd forcing them to close their doors over several months due to Covid 19, they continue to stay positive and with many courses already set for 2021 are set to grow over the coming year.
Steve told us “we are proud to say that we have now secured 2 new contracts and have become preferred suppliers for the CTP, and also the DWP department of work and pensions who will fund suitable candidates to attend our courses through Job Centre Plus.
With our continued success we intend to recruit and train local people to join our team in Mobility Equipment Training Centre Ltd.
There are 80,000 mobility scooters sold per year, which is increasing by 10% per annum, there are 300,000 – 350,000 mobility scooters in use in the UK, that is 1 in every 185 people that use a scooter. (Rica 2014).
Acorn stairlifts sell over 1 million pounds worth of stairlifts per week, 59.2 million per year, which equates to 65,555 units/ stairlifts sold.
Brooks which is Acorn trade, sell 7.2 million per year or 8,000 units/stairlifts per year. (Acorn 2018) There are at least 7 more stairlift manufacturers in the UK, Stannah, Handicare, Minivator, Bruno, Thyssen, Companion, Freelift.
Below are few ideas of how you could use your knowledge when completing courses run by M.E.T.C.Ltd.
• Part time along with existing job.
• Online shop/ eBay, Preloved,
• Amazon, Gumtree.
• Work from home.
• Lock up unit
• Open a shop
• Work for another company, selfemployed or employed
• Contract through other companies
• Offering your services to rental companies.
• Agent/ Engineer for mobility shops in your area
Examples of the type of work you could be carrying out and charges involved. This will give you an idea of what can be earned, with the right amount of time and effort. Any call out in a weekday during working hours £70, weekends or out of hours £95 Purely a guide line, different area’s charge a little more or a little less. Scooter or stairlift repairs, carried out at the customers home £70 plus parts.
• Servicing £70
• Servicing and battery change vary,
• Stairlift £210, average scooter between £140 to £400 (profit £100+£70 for the service)
• Service and repair £140 plus parts.
• Battery change stairlift £120 Scooter battery change, average profit £70- £90
• purchasing repairable scooters and stairlifts, reconditioning them and selling them for a profit, this could be a lucrative business on its own.
Example of earnings/profit for a week
• Sell one scooter £175
• Service 5 scooters £350
• Change batteries on 2 scooters £100
• Do 3 contract jobs £140
• Total profit for that week £765 (x48 weeks £36,720pa)
• The example above is an average quiet week.
• Stairlifts 1 month’s profit
• Sell 3 reconditioned straight stairlifts
• £1800
• Sell 1 new stairlift £800
• Repair 4 stairlifts £280
• Service 4 stairlifts £280
• Change batteries 1 stairlift £75
Total profit for that month £3235 (x11 = £35,585pa)
Combine both stairlifts and scooters, the sky’s the limit.