Wed Aug 22, 2018 5:06 am by Visitor
If you're doing lockout only you might not need a key machine, how good is your impressioning Lol.
I've seen your other thread about machines and see you've ordered one so won't dwell on that here. Get yourself a handful of blanks for each common lock but don't go mad, buy quantities when you know what's popular.
Lockout only service will harm you I think, the thing with service businesses is that you've got to be there all the time. If you get called and go do a good job that person might tell their best mate they needed a locksmith and then the jokes will start. If that person called you while you're at your day job and you turn them away that person will tell every person they meet that day that you couldnt do it, if they get asked in the future they will reply with 'I'll tell you who not to call' so be very careful.
If you keep advertising to family and friends only to begin with they will pass your name on with a proviso that you can only work a couple hours each evening which might not be the most common time for people to be locked out but it gets your name out there, advertising potentially will bankrupt you especially if you've no constant work coming in.
My calls are hardly ever lockout these days, i think the people that have grown up needing to lock everything pay more attention to keeping the keys, probably 75% of my lockouts are old people who don't really value security much (when I was a kid it was common practise to just leave stuff unlocked).
A lockout means you've got to drop everything and go out now. I fear no local locksmith is going to help you if your only charging a quarter of their charge, in fact they will do everything they can to put you out of buisness including dirty tricks and reporting you for no locksmith license (if you need one).
In my opinion you need to offer a service that isn't urgent and can be done on your timescale. Maybe freelance for local lockies by saying you will rekey locks for them or do night lockouts for them etc I know some us firms only work 9-5 and turn out of hours work away that you could pick up.
There's also postal services like rekeying or keying alike etc.
Unfortunatley there is a big chance that you're going to come out of this in a couple months with a load of gear you can't use, no customers and a sizeable debt. Unfortunatley used key machines are not worth anything near the initial outlay and blank keys are only useful to a key cutter who won't buy them off you. Be careful what you outlay.
Just as a note, your 30k suggestion is just a drop in the ocean, i know I'm in the UK and running a buisness but I'm certain I'm up over £300k easily in tools, stock and equipment. Be strict on keeping your lock stuff separate to the rest of your life because as soon as you start putting money in from elsewhere because the lock stuff isn't earning enough to buy your keys this week or pay your insurance etc then you've already lost the battle.
You could maybe look into cosmetically changing locks then offering for sale, some people go mad for these patterned keys, you could engrave or paint locks to match that you can supply and fit for that personal touch.
I think you'll struggle on lockout only unless you're doing auto.