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Is 2019 Your Year?
If you are sat at home, just finished work
and thinking of becoming a self-employed
locksmith or window repair engineer, while
you read this magazine, you are not alone.
» » MORE PEOPLE THAN EVER
right now are just the same as you,
and yes it is going to be difficult; but
so is sticking to the same job you
may not like day in day out.
Paul Batty – the ‘Lock Doc’ from
Safehome and SashStop has been
self-employed for more than 30
years and here he has his top 10 tips
for anyone wanting to not only take
your career to the next level but also
gain the confidence, independence,
‘the biggest
mistake new
locksmiths make
is buy everything
they think
they need, but
actually don’t use
most of them’
freedom, family-friendly working
hours, and self-satisfaction you may
not currently have…
1. FIND YOUR NICHE
Look at what other locksmiths
do or advertise, what can you do
differently? What are the other
locksmiths missing?
Pauls says: “I found the niche
that locksmiths overlooked. They
concentrated just on door locks not
the window locks. There may be
two or three door locks, but there
are usually up to 10 window locks,
handles, and hinges; all components
that fail as door locks do expanding
your potential work load. uPVC
repairs are massive at the moment
and very lucrative indeed, so
educate yourself or visit a factory or
ask a window fitter for advice.”
2. BE PREPARED
Have the correct tools and
stock. It is so important to be
prepared for any eventuality but
don’t overdo it.
Paul says: “The biggest mistake
new locksmiths make is buy
everything they think they need,
but actually don’t use most of
them. Only buy the basics, such
as general hand tools drills, hand
picks, and an electric pick gun at
first, and experience will let you
know which professional tools to
invest in as you go along. Same
with stock; you don’t need to
have everything with you as you
can always find a local stockist
with a retail counter, but do your
research when you can so you have
a general knowledge of stockists’
locations and their products and
prices.
“When it comes to training,
remember you learn to pass your
driving test with an instructor
but you learn to drive by yourself
afterward and it’s the same with
a trade. Book a basic course, then
practice every day; saving money
to invest on professional tools, and
stocking your vehicle. Offer free
labour to learn the industry (which
I did); the more you can repair the
more repairs you can offer.
3. GET NOTICED
Paul says “I’ve found a
telephone call doesn’t work but
just popping in for a bief visit in
person really gets you noticed.”
LOCKSMITHJOURNAL.CO.UK | JAN/FEB 2019