What you need to start a uk locksmith business

[toomush2drink]

I just have to say.

The price guides in this post is about right, but why spend £15000 on tools that you can shop around for and get for LESS than £1500...?

I opened up my own locksmith business in central London for £1421.74...

I got ALL the tools that I need to do the job (Non-auto) and so far I have not drilled one single lock.
(So I have basicaly a 100% non-destructive rate)

I do not use a company van, I decided to go "Green" and use the city bikes which gives me just over £1800 a year from the council.

I do not carry a large stock, normally 2 Union, 2 Yale, 2 ERA Euro Cylinders, 2 Chubb 5 lever Mortice, 2 ERA 5 lever Mortice and 2 Union 5 lever Mortice locks.

What I don't undertand is why people is always so negative when it comes to OPEN a new business.
You can always start small and expand as it comes.

As for the training.
I did not attend any training courses what so ever, however I did spend almost 1 year on the internet studying the art of lockpicking and I spent every single free night and day practice on old locks at home.

I just wish that other people was more helpsome when it comes to explain how the start-up works.

I would personally recommend NOT to get in to Auto/Safe work until you have at least 1-2 years experiance within the trade (and a bit of loose cash) and it is right that it will cost a lot to get all the tools for that, otherwise anyone could buy the tools and we wouldn't need safes...

(I hope I did not upset anyone by this post, I just want for people to be more helpfull)

Happy picking and don't break the law...

Well what can i say ? Im also in london and the originator of this thread and what a load of tosh if ever ive seen it. Mainly shops eh with no stock and no van ? Giving customers what they want ? Extra keys sir ? Oh sorry havent got the key machine on the bike today sir.
£900 per day ? Yeah right. To be generating that much ££ you must be spending a fair bit too.If you are making over 3k a week then should a have a van soon enough and could also afford the associated running costs.

The amount of variety ive seen on buildings around london is amazing,banham,evva,bramah are all common in london,in fact some will only get insurance with certain brands of lock fitted.

If you only do lock outs then so be it but doing one at 3am and then finding out your supplier isnt open at 3 am so cant replace the lock you have just drilled is a problem.Could always fit a one size fits all euro, bit hard selling the upgrade though with only 2 in the rucksack.Ive changed quite a few multipoints too,quite a few new builds in london have them.

The difference in start up costs is because some do it properly and some dont.If i get called out to an ali door,multipoint,burglary damage,freshfit lock in wood,metal or even upvc i can do it without a return trip.If they want extra keys not a problem.If they want the lock rekeyed or keyed alike i can do it.Only a few days ago i repinned a restricted evva cylinder in the van to save the customer the expense and inconvenience of waiting for a new lock.

I know a guy in london who uses a motor bike with a lot of kit in paniers but also who can whizz back to home in central london if he needs something he hasnt got on him.He also has a van too as the bike doesnt cover everything.

I can only assume this post is a wind up or another wannabe operating under the guise of "locksmith" to part unsuspecting members of the public from their cash.

[lockey1963]

you keep the old cylinder and cut keys for it and fit it to the next job ? are you informing your customers that they are buying 2nd hand locks ? i very much doubt it, and if selling as new then im afraid you are a rip off , a scammer and no more.

As has been said with the variety of locks fitted across london and some of the restrictions to brand put on commercial premises by the insurers , this is complete tosh.

so you are 100% non destructive , but drill a lock in 8 to 10 mins rather than make the customer wait 40 to 50 mins for you to pick it ? how then is this 100% NDE ? And i have to say if it takes you 40 to 50 mins to pick the average BS lock then maybe you need one of those courses, as the average nde lockie will average 4 to 5 mins picking these and even average pickers will do so in much less time than this, in fact i cant think of any bs3621 lever locks that would take any nde lockie this long to pick open.
If you know your area so well , and if you only need to carry a handfull of bs locks to cover what you get called to , then you only need a handfull of tools capable of opening these locks in minutes with you too.

I know london and alot of london based locksmiths , some who know their marketing inside out, but none who could cover this level of work on a bike with minimal stock and equipment, and none that charge the rates you make mention of for a euro change .

as has been said , this is either another succesfull wind up or you are a bored care in the community chappie living in medication land, or you have breathed in a little too much of the jamaican blend.
but reading this was certainly more entertaining than watching im a celeb or wagner on x factor , so i suppose not all bad, but now its back to real life.

[anthrax28]

thanks for informations. I had no idea that.

Currently in Brazil is very easy and widely used this profession.
We have no laws governing the license for possession and use of tools. Can easily be purchased over the Internet virtually all tools at low cost.

I hope one day my country check your assumptions about the professionals.

With $ 10,000, about $ 5,000 is already possible
starting a business here.

[locksmiths]

This post i good for newcomers where they will find the valuable information. I also had no idea about that.The amount of variety i have seen on buildings is amazing.
[commercial link removed --Legion303]

[abrodie]

my van and the contents

[cledry]

I am an experienced locksmith 30 years in the USA but will be relocating to the UK. I will need training specifically in the BS mortise locks and lever locks as well as profile cylinder multi point locks as they aren't used here. Most other aspects of the industry are similar. Can anyone recommend courses that address just these specific areas?

[PSS]

Some of those startup figures are waaaaay overestimated.

I know a lot of locksmiths that started on a shoestring budget.

Locksmith tools are overpriced in my opinion, snapper bars, picks and shiny tools arent even neccessary.

There are plenty of cheaper alternatives to snapper bars and pullers (i wont name any though)

Picks can easilly be homemade, tension tools for lever locks can be made by milling down key bits etc.

It may not look fancy but as long as it works you can upgrade to the better looking stuff later on.

There are loads of locksmiths out there with all the gadgets but still cant open a door non destructively...

The main bulk of startup cost is going to be vehcile and advertising, you dont even need a massive load of stock to begin with, just buy as required for the first few months.

[liverladylocksmith]

What are people's views on the UK locksmith franchises? for example lockrite, Mr. Locks (I couldn't work with them obv.), Dyno-locks

Any success/horror stories?

[liverladylocksmith]

So everyone work independently then? No people working for big chains or franchises?

[lockstar5000]

I wish we had here in the USA, seems a great way to gain entry. They are around just not very common.

[dll932]

...no...the initial running costs are about that...before you get a vehicle. Insurance and advertising can take up a large part of the initial costs...you can wait up to three months to get paid (by business customers). Add to this how your current employer will view you taking customers off of him after the time and money he has invested in you.

I am only trying to figure the cost of the van, equipment for the van such as key machines, a grinder etc, will 7-10k be suffucient? I'm not looking to factor in customer billing, but if I need to have a bankroll to cover mostly commerical business' jobs would it be fair then to suggest having 2-3 months worth of light duty inventory (cylinders, grade 2 cylindrical locks etc), and a couple thousand in cash?

Any time invested in me has been paid back in spades. That said, my current employer and I have an understanding - He pays well for a job well done and nothing is more healthy than a competitive market.

If you're lucky, that much cash will just buy you a van that's in fair shape and maybe a couple used key machines-that's about it. I gave up the idea of being a full time locksmith (for myself OR someone else) years ago. I was just (very) lucky to get a job as an institutional 'smith a few months ago. Not many of those around, except at jails and casin0s, maybe a college.

[dll932]

What are people's views on the UK locksmith franchises? for example lockrite, Mr. Locks (I couldn't work with them obv.), Dyno-locks

Any success/horror stories?

With a franchise you're always working for someone else-giving them a cut, buying stock from them and dancing to their tune-and that's AFTER you pay the franchise buy in fee.

[dll932]

Here's my 2c/2: the situation in the States is little different than in the UK. Even if you can do nearly anything, it's a tough way to make a living. If you want to specialize in safe & vault work or heavy-duty commercial stuff (like electronic access control) you would cut down your competition by 90%. Trouble is, you will never learn all you need to know from a school, EVEN A GOOD ONE. If you can wangle your way into an existing firm that does that kind of stuff and manage to stay a few years, you stand a chance of making a living.

[pikmac]

I have just joined lock picking 101 and this is the first forum I have looked at and I see it goes back several years. From reading through I can see that the issues facing setting up as a locksmith in the UK have not changed too much over the years apart from the franchises seem to be becoming more of an issue to some. I have been trading now on my own for just over 2 years now and yes it was hard the first year but I did do some good training after doing my homework before setting up. I did training with 1st call lockouts (Automotive)and also with A1 Safe & Secure (General Locksmithing), both courses were great and I got a lot of after care and support. A1 was extremely good as the third week was spent working alongside an already trading locksmith who not only gave me more practice in the skills learnt in the classroom but also taught me how to run a business, or at least gave me an insight.
I wish I had come across this forum when I started as there is some really good advice on it, but I am glad I set up as I am now making a decent living (Not making millions, as some would have you believe) but enough to pay myself a nice wage each month. Most of my work now comes from word of mouth and I still refuse to be subcontracted as to me that makes it look like my prices are the prices the company contracting me out are charging are, getting off my backside in the first year and talking to people was my tactic, I have always charged the going rate, never undercutting anyone and I will never take a job that I think I cant complete 100%. One thing I have had to do is find another area to specialise in that not many of the other locksmiths in my area are doing and so I also carry out UPVC work, access control and CCTV instalation all of which I did courses on and surprisingly cost effective courses as well mainly due to the companies that are willing to train you are the ones who make the systems and so want you to buy from them (Fair enough) but well worth it as my business has done well and it all runs hand in hand with the locksmithing.
Anyway a very good forum and my biggest advise to anyone thinking of setting up is, DO YOUR HOMEWORK, its worthwhile but a hard slog at first.