How many do Lockpicking as part of a business?

[Bendezium]

Just wondering how any of you guys got started up. My bro got me a set for christmas and I think its a lot of fun. Did you do apprenticeships?

Thanks

[jason]

I don't know what the situation is like over there in the US. I went on a course run by Justlocks.org (they're on the web) and apparently they do run courses over in the US.

I do locksmithing as a little sideline (pays for beer and take away food!) - I have a "regular" office job.

I would suggest that you consider it as a back up trade or use it as a base and train to be a carpenter (you can then offer burglary/break in repairs through insurance companies)

Most of my work is in changing locks over, the real profit is in the lockouts.

Hope that helps and good luck it gets to be more fun, the more you learn.

[Bendezium]

Yeah I thought it would be a cool side job while I'm in college. I could just post a flyer in the parking garages cause I'm sure it happens all the time, even though my schools slogan is "Temple students, they're just smarter."

[scifibuff]

Jason
Done the same course Justlocks. I also have a day job but would now like to do some locksmithing as well. Did you just advertise yourself in local paper or do you pick up your work from word of mouth?
scifibuff

[Dark Angel]

I have also done the justlocks course, i took mine in november 2002,don't suppose any of you was on that course.
I had some cards made up and gave them to estate agents and car washes etc.
There are always people locking there keys in the car when they are having them washed.And estate agents tend to need to get into properties and change locks from previous owners.

[jason]

I stuck an advert in yellow pages (it looked a little dwarfed next to the big ads for "Dynolocks" and the other big players). The upside is that you get more people phoning for lockswaps (they've got the time to call around - unlike lockouts).

I did a couple for some elderly people (80+)and gave them a decent discount, unlike some of the other lockies. They told their neighbours and that helped get me more.

Talking pages is probably more cost effective as people locked out call them on their mobiles from the doorstep.