Starting a Mobile Locksmith Business (part 2) - Locksmith Mesa

Locksmith Mesa. Now is the 2nd part. This article was written by George Robertson. Let continue our lessons...

Lesson Number Three: Do the homework required to determine if acquiring a business license is all that is needed to establish your locksmith service. One phone call to your state's Attorney General office will likely answer that question.

Once you have lined up an affordable vehicle and put a reasonably professional sign on it, you must begin outfitting it. This should, and must, be done before you begin advertising your services because if you are like I was at this point you know next to nothing about the business and not much more about the work. We will endeavor at this point to educate ourselves. Locksmithing is in point of fact one of the few professions left in this world in which a formal education is absolutely UNnecessary. I have spoken to very few professionals during my career who got to be that way through going to a 'locksmith school' or a college. This is certainly not to say that a formal education isn't desirable. If you can afford it, if you have the means, then by all means take that route. This article is for those of you who can't.

The vehicle you purchase will in large part determine how it is to be equipped. I've always preferred a full-size van (I've owned Ford, Chevy and GMC models during my career), but there are many locksmiths who just love the Astro Van or Safari Van made by GM. These minivans are popular with many different professions and are ubiquitous. You can undoubtedly find one in your price range. Either way, the first order of business is to erect a work bench that will give you as much space as possible. Best to have the bench on one side of the van and leave the opposite side for shelves or storage bins. Make it sturdy! There is nothing worse than a wobbly bench when you're trying to rekey locks. Make it level for the same reason.

You'll need a power source. It is excusable to string extension cords until you can afford something better, but bear in mind that this detracts from your professionalism. The ultimate is probably having a RediLine Generator that runs off your van's 12V power. This is not a power inverter, it is actually a generator and it kicks out 110-115V power. They are wonderful sources of AC power and you can even run a bank of flourescent lamps off one of these for your interior shop lighting. There are several models to choose from with varying outputs, but they are expensive. If you can locate a rebuilt, so much the better. A good inverter might do the trick if you can't afford a RediLine, but be careful. Some key machines (and you're going to have to have one) will not run with an inverter.

Power now available, you need to start out with at least a key duplicator on your bench and preferably, as well, a good code cutting machine. The latter is desirable but not necessary in the beginning unless you plan to launch directly into automotive locksmithing, in which case you'll find it hard to get along without one. We'll touch on that in a moment. Key machines are almost impossible to find used. You'll likely end up buying a small HPC Speedex because they're pretty much the least expensive good key duplicator around. Expect to pay around $500. Best if you include this in your initial loan. A key duplicator is bread and butter for any locksmith, mobile or otherwise, so don't even think about starting up until you have one.

Equip yourself with a good rekeying kit. I've always preferred 'universal' kits because they do the work of dozens of other keyway-specific kits and they are easy to use. LAB makes the best of these, hands down. If you have the space, try to get a metal Classic Kit. If you don't, you can start out with one of LAB's Mini-Durex kits or, better, the miniature version of the Universal Kit (LMK-005 or LMK-003). You simply can't rekey locks without one, and if you get a Universal you won't be confined to keying up one or two brands . . . you'll be able to handle them all. Don't know how to rekey locks? Pick up an instruction manual on the Internet or at Amazon.com. They are available and this is one of the quickest locksmith skills to pick up. While you're at it, buy at least one plug follower, a pair of pin tweezers, and ideally a pair of TruArc pliers. Over time you'll accumulate more rekeying tools but these fundamentals are nearly essential.

This is the end of part 2. Part 3 will be continue in next post on Locksmith Mesa : Starting a Mobile Locksmith Business (part 3)

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