If you’re considering becoming a trained locksmith, I’ve put together a brief article to share my personal insights and advice. Before investing time and money into this venture, it’s crucial to carefully examine your motivations. Are you drawn to the prospect of helping people in need without the risk of exploitation? Or is the potential for easy money your primary interest?
The reality is that being a self-employed locksmith is far from simple. You’ll be responsible for every aspect of running a business – from vehicle maintenance and accounting to web design, stock control, and marketing. Can you handle the full scope of tasks required to keep your company afloat? Remember, the buck stops with you; there’s no safety net or fallback when you’re out on your own.
Many are lured by the notion of locksmithing as an effortless path to wealth and freedom. However, the truth is that to earn a truly good living, you must be the best in your field – a trusted expert who stands out from the competition through extensive training, skill development, and customer service. It takes substantial time, effort, and investment to reach that level of mastery.
I’ve witnessed far too many people fail in this industry, underestimating the challenges and lacking the dedication required. So before you take the plunge, carefully consider the type of locksmith work you wish to pursue – auto, residential, commercial, or a combination – and ensure you have the necessary resources and commitment to succeed.
1) Emergency 24-hour locksmith.
2) General locksmith.
3) Warrant locksmith. Or again a combination of all 3.
As a 24-hour emergency locksmith, I am on call 365 days a year, 24/7. I specialize in gaining entry to properties non-destructively around 95% of the time. While the demanding schedule can take a toll on one’s social life and sleep patterns, and prohibits the consumption of alcohol, the trade-off is the ability to capitalize on the lucrative after-hours market. To excel in this field, I must possess extensive knowledge of lock mechanisms and be adept at modifying tools, in addition to maintaining a rapid response time of 30 minutes or less when receiving a call. Even when not actively working, I dedicate time to ongoing training and equipment development to stay ahead of the curve.
As a general locksmith, your typical workday is around 9 to 5. Much of your time is spent fitting new locks to wooden doors, so strong carpentry skills are essential. You’ll also be called upon to provide emergency entry services, re-pin locks, change locks and handles, and even fix double-glazed doors. However, once you’re home, your time is your own.
Warrant locksmiths are the professionals who work with bailiffs, courts, or local councils, as often depicted on television. Personally, I do not engage in this type of work, as I believe it is unethical to take advantage of someone in a vulnerable situation. However, if you have a more detached mindset, this could be a lucrative career path for you. Warrant locksmiths frequently carry out evictions and change locks on properties. While the income may be substantial, you should expect your work vehicle to occasionally be vandalized, and you will likely face both verbal and physical abuse from clients – an occupational hazard that comes with the territory.
Becoming a locksmith requires a significant financial investment, especially in the first five years. To start, you’ll need to budget around £100,000 or more. This includes the cost of a van, installing 230V AC power, taking the necessary training courses, acquiring all the right tools, building up a stock of supplies, securing insurance, and developing a website. Given the high startup costs, if you’re ever presented with the rare opportunity to purchase an existing locksmith business, it’s worth serious consideration. That way, you can hit the ground running with the necessary equipment and infrastructure already in place, allowing you to focus on learning the trade.
There is one last point I need to emphasize, and it is quite significant. Regardless of how skilled you are as a locksmith, securing work is essential. In today’s world, utilizing Google is crucial for obtaining jobs. I must highlight that locksmiths are unfortunately at the top of Google’s disfavor list, and if you are not listed on Google Maps, you will struggle to find any work. Currently, Google is placing locksmiths under considerable strain by suspending their business profiles, and you must demonstrate your value to regain access. From my personal experience, this process can take months, which means no work until you are reinstated. So, consider this: can you afford to be out of work for three months or longer?
Based on my personal experience, if I had truly understood the challenges of becoming a locksmith, I honestly would not have pursued it. I only wish I had come across an article like this earlier to avoid wasting my time and money.
I hope my article has been helpful or, at the very least, prompted you to pause and reflect before taking action. Whatever decision you make, I wish you the best of luck. Remember to train hard.