Re-training as a locksmith. UK based questions.

[toomush2drink]

Anything i cannot cover gets passed to only those i know and i get it back when they need something covered. Prices are getting driven down by desperate startups chasing the next £. I rarely get much domestic work and do more and more commercial work to the point im about to take someone on.
Any new startups need to look at the bigger picture with every tom dick and harry "doing a bit of locksmithing on the side".

[lockey1963]

in my area in past 3 years we have had 1 locksmith retire and over 120 new start ups, of which just few remain by skin of their teeth as not enough of a living for them, so this equation is is typical of most areas.

The locksmith industry changes every year and we must change with it, we need to evolve into other areas to survive in many cases but certainly to make a living.

every new start up believes they will do it and they have the right plan.

[toomush2drink]

Virtually every new start up gets trained into how to open this lock or that lock and thinks yep im going to do 3 a day and make ££. The reality is that you get very few lockouts or when you do you cannot cover it as you have just shown up at another job to fit a lock or are out of the area etc.
Toes and healing upvc doors,opening failed upvc mechs,adjusting door closers on ali doors,rehanging ali doors etc etc are all everyday locksmith jobs but most courses dont teach these skills.

I speak from experience, in this section you will see a post i did 4 years ago on how to set up as a uk locksmith.Since that post it has changed so much its unreal.How anyone manages to set up now and survive without serious ££ is beyond me.
At the time i set up i had a job paying me 38k a year and involved shifts which meant i could fund it and also work daytime hours building it up.Only by doing stupid amounts of hours doing 2 jobs did i make it work.I would do a day locksmithing and then a nightjob too with little sleep.

It took 3 years before i could risk giving up the night job and then i took a pay cut.

For myself it was worth it and i have a very supportive wife.I was driven by my longterm aim to become a lockie. You need the passion to want to succeed. If you have that passion you wont be put off by all the previous posts pointing out the realities of the locksmith industry.

I prefer to be honest with people before they become another who loses ££ because they didn't know the score.

[lockey1963]

just a word on investment, tool , stock and equipment investment is generally around the £20k to £30k mark excluding autos and safes, and locksmith advertising budgets range between £5k to £20k a year to make a living.

This should help you in formulating a business plan, marketing plan etc.

then decide on what will give you an edge over the established competition , the joiners , the plumbers and the drill and kill oikes, why should someone come to you ? if you work this one out cheaply then you are on a winner.

[chip]

Just to add my 2p worth.

I started up 2 years ago in the SE. I came from a carpentry background so I was up on the fitting and repair of locks and the install of Upvc doors and locks. I was still doing mainly carpentry 12 months later, like toomuch2drink, just to fund the start-up.

The first year saw me spending in excess of 25k, just to get going.

After many nights and days building the business and getting a rep in the area for NDE, it has realy started to come together. I have picked up a few contracts with estate agents, built my own customer base of regular commercial work and building my rep around my area for residential customers.

I wouldn't be lying if I said I had to put in 100hr weeks, on the net, at work during the day etc etc. (and still do sometimes)

I still spend hours building relationships with new clients, and hours having meetings with my regulars, just to be sure they are happy or if there is more I can do for them. it all takes time, which in turn means time away from the family.

Compitition wise, there were just 2 lockies serving my area when I started, there is now 14, well 12 because I know that 2 are closing shop, and I have found myself expanding my work area, and looking at the best was to keep in front of the comp.

What I am trying to say is, this job is no way a stable living at the best of times. you have to be on top of your game, be ahead of the pack and find as many ways to evolve the business. this takes time and money which, if it doesn't work, can give you a major kick in the teeth.

I'm going to stop now, I can tell I'm rambling. If you do find yourself still interested, Just be sure to do as much homework as you can within your area BEFORE weighing out too much money.

[lost profit]

The mla are not the greatest to train with ,and you will have to do six weeks learning about locks before you learn to pick one. Locksmithing is not the holy grail that everyone thinks it is. You can get off the starting blocks with a proper weeks course. I could tell you most of what you need to know in about five minuites, and for all you doubters here we go;

Getting through a wooden front door, six methods
1. Mica
2. Raking tension
3. Electric Pick Gun
4. Bumping
5. Letter box tool
6. Drill to your hearts content.
(If the snibs dropped drill just above the retaining screws if you look at any cylinder you will see where they are, take out the brass housing they are connected into, put a short metal bar into the back of the lock, hit once or maybe twice with a hammer, the pathetic little screws that hold this night latch on will give way and hey presto your in, no damage to the door just refit with bigger screws. Or if this is a bit bullish for you, take out the two retaining crews with a drill, make a drill point into the backing plate towards the latch, about 4mm . Fit in a piece of 1.6 piano wire, wiggle up and down and guess what, yeh you know youv'e hit the snib bar which usually goes the width of the lock and is unmissable. )

Sorry got to go. but please pm me and dont listen to the dross most people will fill you with. The way the uk is the locksmithing trade is going it is going to boom because of all the repossessions, my phone at the moment never stops ringing, and if you are worried about the upvc doors don't there the biggest joke going, even the new era multi point victra is pickable in about a minuite.

All the best you disallusioned locksmiths.

[toomush2drink]

The mla are not the greatest to train with ,and you will have to do six weeks learning about locks before you learn to pick one. Locksmithing is not the holy grail that everyone thinks it is. You can get off the starting blocks with a proper weeks course. I could tell you most of what you need to know in about five minuites, and for all you doubters here we go;

Getting through a wooden front door, six methods
1. Mica
2. Raking tension
3. Electric Pick Gun
4. Bumping
5. Letter box tool
6. Drill to your hearts content.
(If the snibs dropped drill just above the retaining screws if you look at any cylinder you will see where they are, take out the brass housing they are connected into, put a short metal bar into the back of the lock, hit once or maybe twice with a hammer, the pathetic little screws that hold this night latch on will give way and hey presto your in, no damage to the door just refit with bigger screws. Or if this is a bit bullish for you, take out the two retaining crews with a drill, make a drill point into the backing plate towards the latch, about 4mm . Fit in a piece of 1.6 piano wire, wiggle up and down and guess what, yeh you know youv'e hit the snib bar which usually goes the width of the lock and is unmissable. )

Sorry got to go. but please pm me and dont listen to the dross most people will fill you with. The way the uk is the locksmithing trade is going it is going to boom because of all the repossessions, my phone at the moment never stops ringing, and if you are worried about the upvc doors don't there the biggest joke going, even the new era multi point victra is pickable in about a minuite.

All the best you disallusioned locksmiths.

Brilliant, no need for a weekend course now.

One thing you missed, how do they get the work with all the competition ?

Yet again focusing on lockouts which is only a small part of a locksmiths work.

[79commando]

You must be the only lockie I know whos phone never stops ringing, unless of course it's people you've trained wanting their money back as they feel ripped off.

[bruce hall]

Sorry got to go. but please pm me and dont listen to the dross most people will fill you with. The way the uk is the locksmithing trade is going it is going to boom because of all the repossessions, my phone at the moment never stops ringing, and if you are worried about the upvc doors don't there the biggest joke going, even the new era multi point victra is pickable in about a minuite.

All the best you disallusioned locksmiths.

Speaking to various locksmiths the above is not a real picture and some established ones are saying they've never seen it as quiet.
If your phone never stops ringing you must have a n excellent marketing strategy.Especially if the work is lockouts etc