Same Honest Advise

[wifiuk]

Ok i only registered here a few days ago and have been reading through lots of information and am getting conflicting answers.

Basically i want to become a locksmith i am 21 years old, full clean uk driving licence and i have absouluty no experiance in locksmithing. i have written to nearly every company in my area for advice and only got 1 reply.

I really want to know what course IS actually WORTH doing, some on these 2 day one's dont look quite right to start a career from.

i live in bromley, kent and would like some advice as what to do?


Thanks in advance.

[pinky]

i have pm you on this, but from what you said in your pm about your current position, forget it, no 2 day course is going to teach you enough to be a locksmith, you will need a minimum of £5000 just to get you going and then be in a position to trade for up to 18 months without taking an income from your business.

If you survive the first 18 months, take extra courses in joinery , upvc repair , and practice for many of your waking hours, you may if very luck survive to continue trading, the odds are highly stacked against anyone nowadays actualy surviving , even those with a large start up fund.

my honest advice in the current climate is to forget it for now anyhow, look at it again when you have the necessary investment, have you researched your area ? formulated a workable business plan ? can your area sustain another locksmith ? can you aford a year or more without a living ?
dont be fooled into thinking you will be anywhere near a locksmith after 2 days training anywhere, it takes years and a shed load of dedication and a major investment to have any chance at all of surviving these days.

though if you contact guardian training, they will teach you to drill locks out, and tell you that its low start up and unbelievable money and that there is a shortage of locksmiths, all lies but tend to be the answers people want to hear.

[taylorgdl]

Unfortuneatly I completely agree with Pinky.
So far I've invested £7000, to buy courses, picks, tools, van, various insurances, advertising, and I haven't bought my stock yet ! (or key machines!), blanks etc etc

You might as well hear how it is from someone that has a lot of experience within the trade (Pinky, not me), rather than go into it with your eyes shut. It would cost you dear.

For what its worth, Pinky does an excellent course, just don't buy his customised NDE kit.

G.

[pinky]

i was going to market the lime st nde kit too, you ! 1 second opening, quicker than my famous green and yellow thumb turn turner!

[taylorgdl]

Well they say it all comes with experience. I wonder if the dog still lives there ?

[pinky]

i was going to market that dog pasifier too!!