New UK Start Up

[RegencyT]

Morning folks,

Been lurking around here for sometime taking in all the info as I am looking at a slight career change.

My background is installation & consultancy within the CCTV / Electronic Access Control for the public sector only.

As the norm with Public Sector jobs the next round of cuts are coming and its time I look into alternative work, hopefully self employed.

I read with interest about the majority of training schools offering locksmith courses and promising you the world, and fully understand that locksmithing is a time learnt profession but for the likes of me who cannot afford to spend a Saturday as an apprentice to gain experience there must be a small handful of training schools that is worth the money to get a foot in the door and start learning and I was hoping somebody could point me in the right direct. I have to start somewhere, as did some of you guys. Most of the referenced training providers on this forum were made some years ago and things change.

Your right when you say you must offer a diverse range of services as locksmithing may not cut it on its own, especially as a newbie so I have the CCTV, alarm and consultancy to put n the mix in the hope I can become a one stop shop so to speak.

Look forward to hearing your recommendations.

Thanks Jon

[RegencyT]

Really surprised at the lack of replies

[Scope]

It takes time for a reply to any post, can take a few days, here is patience.

With that in mind, good luck with your future plans.

Regards

[mach1]

Too many of the so called training schools make exaggerated claims about earnings etc in locksmithing.
As you have rightly said it is a trade that you learn through time and experience good and bad.
There are one or two very good training schools in the UK, but there are more that are not.
Many of the training schools have been set up after being on training courses themselves.
Some of the better trainers have gone back to locksmithing because too many of the people they trained have set up and undercut the genuine schools.
If you want to pm me with the area you are in I can give you the names of some of the places to look at.

[Rickthepick]

I really would steer clear unless you have some real good customers already to give you work. You will barely make a bean to begin with and probably not enough for a good living after a couple of years.

Saturation is an understatement, there are experienced blokes pulling their hair out because their turnover dropped from £1000 to a couple hundred a week.

People arent spending on lock changes and new locks anymore and the competition for the lockout/emergency work is tremendous.

There are also hundreds of advertising groups preying on fresh start ups like hungry vultures and you will undoubtedly fall victim to a few of those too.

Unless you have a regular part time job or are already making money elsewhere, i would really consider investing any money in locksmithing.