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5 Tips for Somebody Starting a Locksmith Business

There’s a lot to like about life as a professional locksmith. If you work as an emergency locksmith, everyone you interact with will be happy to see you, even after having waited patiently for two hours outside their own front door. You’ll learn a great deal about these intricate little machines and how they work, and you’ll get satisfaction from deconstructing them. Plus, you’ll enjoy a respectable salary.

Let’s take a look at some of the steps you’ll need to take in order to get your new locksmith business off the ground.

Get Trained

Locksmithing is a skilled profession that requires considerable knowledge and practice. As such, those who start their own locksmithing business are usually competent locksmiths to begin with.

The easiest way to become skilled is to go on a locksmithing course, or enjoy an online one, either through Youtube, or through an organisation like the Associated Locksmiths of America. In many states, you’ll need to pass a background check and obtain a licence – so be sure to research the regulations which are local to you.

Get your Marketing Right

Most of your would-be customers aren’t going to seek out a locksmith until they absolutely need one – which means that maintaining a presence on search engines and ratings sites like Trustpilot is especially important. If your customer is literally outside their own front door with just their phone, then there’s limited utility in newspaper adverts.

Make sure that you have the right tools

Locksmithing, as a profession, requires reliability. If you show up to a job for which you’re not adequately prepared, then you’ll end up wasting time and ultimately causing the customer inconvenience. This is a great reason to invest in high-quality tools. Having finished your training, you should have a strong idea of what’s required. Locksmithing jobs are varied, and so on occasion you might find yourself reaching for a tool that’s not used every day. For example, you might need a supply of spare slide latches there for replacements. Get your equipment right so that there’s something there for every contingency.

Know your rates

By having a consistent pricing policy, you’ll ensure that you’re maximising your profits and keeping your business growing. Make sure that you clearly specify how far you’re willing to travel, but don’t charge for distance travelled, as a taxi driver might. You want to be able to quote customers ahead of time, and give them a reasonable estimate. If it turns out that the work is more complicated than you anticipated, then customers are more likely to be understanding if you were transparent about this possibility from the beginning.

Build your Reputation

The more happy customers you leave behind you, the stronger your reputation will be with Google, Facebook, and all of the other places where businesses of this kind are reviewed and rated. But it’s also worth thinking about the informal referrals you might get when a person heads to their WhatsApp group of choice in desperate search of recommendations. Bear in mind also that customers who have a negative experience are vastly more likely to be vocal about it – so make sure that you keep everyone happy.

Written by Eric

37-year-old who enjoys ferret racing, binge-watching boxed sets and praying. He is exciting and entertaining, but can also be very boring and a bit grumpy.