Starting a Locksmith Company – Sample Business Plan Template
1. Get Trained as a Locksmith
The training that is required before you are qualified as a locksmith is in two folds. You would first be required to take some courses from a college or a technical school and then you will be assigned to work as an apprentice with a certified locksmith before you can be licensed to work as a locksmith. The bottom line is that you can’t work as a locksmith without being trained to do so.
During the course of your training, you can choose an area to specialize in. The various areas you can specialize as a locksmith are, automotive locksmith, residential door locksmith, and safe and security system locksmith. Before choosing an aspect of locksmith to specialize in, ensure that it is an area that will guarantee you steady flow of income.
2. Apply for the Required License and Permits
After you must have undergone both the academic and on the field training as a locksmith, then you should approach the local authority in your city to make enquiries and apply for a locksmith license. In the US and in most developed countries, it is illegal to work as a locksmith without first obtaining a license and permit from the government.
3. Acquire the Required Working Tools
Part of where you are expected to spend the bulk of your startup capital on when establishing your own locksmith business is in the purchase of the required tools. The tools you should purchase to be able to launch your locksmith business are; key duplicator, code cutting machine, lockout kits, lock picks sets, re – keying kits and generator. You would also be required to purchase a utility vehicle to convey your tools from your office to the site where you are expected to work.
4. Choose a Location to Start Your Locksmith Business
No doubt the location you choose to establish your business no matter the nature of the business definitely influences your business either positively or negatively. So before deciding on what location to start your locksmith business, ensure that you consider the following factors: the numbers of certified locksmith in that area, the population in the area, the number of cars in the area, and the nature of the construction industry in that area and other factors that will be to your advantage.
As a matter of fact, you can start your locksmith business from your home as long as you have enough space to keep your working tools, but if you don’t, then you should look for an office space outside your house. The bottom line is that the choice of your location should be a place where you can easily get to any place where your services is needed within the shortest time possible – because sometimes you could be handling emergency cases.
5. Advertise and Market Your Business
There are various ways you can advertise and market your locksmith business. Part of what you might need to do to market your locksmith business is to install a sign post in the area where your locksmith shop is located, you can get listed in the yellow pages of your state or city, you can advertise on national or local newspapers and you can as well adopt mouth to mouth mode of advertisement.
Lastly, it is important to join locksmith association in your state so that you can be abreast with the happenings in your industry. Another benefit that you stand to gain when you belong to a locksmith association is that you can get trained on current best practices in the industry and you can also get referrals and recommendation. The truth is that if you belong to a national locksmith association, you can easily gain trust from your clients.
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