HOW TO BECOME A LOCKSMITH IN 10 SIMPLE STEPS!
If you’re wondering how to become a locksmith but are finding the information difficult to pull together, then do not worry. I’ve got you covered. This page is for people who wish to become a locksmith and set up their own locksmith business from home.
Before you do anything – choose a domain (website address) and set a website up!
The reason you should do this before anything else is because it will take time for google to index your website and the longer your website is live – the better.
By the time you have done some
locksmith training and set yourself up, it will start ranking higher and give you a good head start.
I recommend picking a domain that relates to your business and has your target area included.
This is called an EXACT MATCH DOMAIN and it will really help your website to get found on google. Let’s say you live in Orlando Florida, a great domain for you to choose would be: www.orlandolocksmith.com
Basically – try to pick a domain that matches what people will type into google.
If it’s not available, just get creative and add a word at the beginning or on the end or include your company name, for example: www.mikeslocksmithorlando.com
Just go to www.godaddy.com and see if your domain is available.
Wait! Don’t buy your domain yet! I’m going to show you how to get it for free with your website.
Should you pay a company to build your website or should you build it yourself? I highly recommend building your own website as you will have full control and it will be cheaper in the long run when you want to make changes.
However you should invest in SEO (search engine optimization) to help you get found on google. More about that later.
Building a website is easy – Visit my
resources website page where I recommended the best platform and show you how to set your own website up in 10 minutes! Let’s worry about the detail later – for now just get it set up, the sooner – the better.
Choose your niche – do you want to be an automotive locksmith or a domestic locksmith?
Let’s look at both options:
As a domestic locksmith, your initial investment will be much smaller as you will only need some basic hand tools and some specialist locksmith tools which I recommend on the
locksmith tools page.
As an automotive locksmith you will earn more but will have a higher initial investment in key cutting machines and key programmers.
NOT SURE? – If you are not sure what option is right for you at this stage, for a small investment you could
watch this free training which will give you a deep insight into both niches.
My courses have demonstrations of real life scenarios so you will learn both skills and see exactly what it’s like to be both a domestic locksmith and an automotive locksmith.
This way you won’t need to invest in weeks of training courses, expensive hotels and equipment! Maybe after taking the courses you wish to pursue both options.
I currently run a locksmith business in the UK that offers both services and it’s a great business plan as the work never slows down! The jobs that I can’t cover, I sub-contract them to other locksmiths and make passive income.
Remember there are other avenues that you can explore too, safe engineer, access control engineer, forensic locksmith..
There’s a quote by Elon Musk that I love:
“You get paid in direct proportion to the difficulty of problems you solve”
Elon Musk – Founder of Tesla and SpaceX
Start learning: How To Become A Locksmith? – Find A Mentor!
I know this won’t be possible for everyone,
that’s why I created The Locksmith Mentor.
My goal is to help you every step of the way, through my
online locksmith courses to my
resources page, I am giving you a blueprint to follow. You can either work it out yourself or learn from my 15+ years of experience!
Other ways to learn how become a locksmith are to gain an apprenticeship at your local locksmiths or attend a course in your area.
With
The Locksmith Mentor you can learn how to become a locksmith from the comfort of your own home and any lessons you need to go over again you can just play them back. You won’t have this benefit when you take an in person course. Plus you will save thousands on courses, hotels fees and equipment!
Remember – Practice makes progress..
Choose your tools – I’ve made this super easy for you!
On my
Locksmith Tools page, I have listed most of the
hand tools you will need as a locksmith along with my recommendations for the best
locksmith tools that I use.
These are not just locksmith tools that I think will be good..
I know they are good because they have opened thousands of locks for me and made me a lot of money!
Ring Ring… Let’s set up your phone right from the start.
Now is the time to get another mobile phone number for your business.
The reason for this is because you will need to answer the phone professionally each time it rings and you need to keep it separate from your personal life. Also you will need to record a professional voicemail message for when you are not available.
Start giving this number out and tell everyone you are now set up as a locksmith!
Cleaning up time – Get your marketing hat on..
Marketing is critical as a self employed locksmith to convey a strong brand so people will remember you. There’s no doubt that the competition is tough out there, but don’t worry. You will beat them with a personal brand that stands out. The big competition are often soulless, boring brands. So let me help you on where to start..
Branding
Now is the time to start designing a logo, designing your business cards and cleaning up your website! These are all marketing materials that lets your customer know exactly what you’re all about. This means screaming from the rooftops to let everyone know that you’re the best locksmith in town.
Now, you’re probably like me and have no idea where you would even start to create a logo. Fear not! You can do all this and more on www.fiverr.com where there are thousands of freelance designers willing to do all of your design and technical jobs for as little as.. $5.00!
Remember – you don’t need to become an expert in graphic design to become a locksmith. The trick to growing a small business and learning how to become a locksmith is to know what you’re good at and outsource the rest.
Creating a Google Business Profile
We’ve all used Google to find local businesses in our area. To get listed when someone searches “locksmith near me”, you’ll need to create a Google Business Account (formerly Google my Business).
But why do you need to do this? Haven’t you just spent money on a logo, business cards and a website?
Studies have found that in recent years,
searches including the terms “near me” have increased 130% year on year. This means that searches are increasingly becoming focused on local results, which is great news for small businesses starting out. It won’t limit you to only working in your local area, but it will significantly increase your visibility. It’s just another string to your marketing bow. And when you’re starting out, every little helps.
I won’t be able to give you a better blow by blow walkthrough than the experts in this field. So follow this video
here for a step by step guide on how to create Google Business Account.
Once you have a Google Business Profile, you should encourage customers to leave you a review. This will quickly add credibility to your listing. We want to let other customers know that you’re a top notch locksmith!
Respond to Reviews
Now that you’ve set up a Google Business Account, you should be visible to people when they search for locksmiths. This allows Google to show your business on the right side of search. Here they can find your contact details, opening times and existing reviews.
Taking note of and responding to reviews is incredibly important. This is your opportunity to get feedback from your clients. They’ll tell you what they really value, but also what you can improve on. This is free feedback that you definitely do not want to miss!
Using this information, you can then adapt areas of your service to create more happy customers in the future.
Responding to these reviews gives you another opportunity to talk to your customers. It also shows that you’re a responsive brand that cares about their opinions. For example, an unhappy customer might leave a bad review. If you reply straight away, you can help them to resolve the issue and they might still use you again.
Providing a response shows the customer that you’ve taken their feedback on board. You’re providing them with a positive outcome and also showing potential customers that you’re willing to learn.
Happy Customers Deserve Attention Too!
Reviews aren’t all negative though, and if you follow my guidance then there’s no doubt yours will be positive. Responding to positive reviews is just as important, as you have the opportunity to communicate with your happy customer again. A short sharp “Thank you. I hope you’ll keep me in mind if you know of someone that needs a locksmith in the future!” will do the job. This helps to build your brand as the local friendly locksmith and beat the bigger faceless businesses in the area.
Taking payments.. Let’s make this part easy for your customers!
I personally use Paypal Here chip and pin reader. The little card reader is only around $30.00 to buy and the transaction fees are 2.75% per transaction.
It connects to your phone via bluetooth and works using the app. You also have the option to take payments over the phone using the app which is handy if you want to take a deposit or the customer is not present.
For taking cash, you should get some carbon copy receipt books printed up with your company details. This looks more professional and legally you must give everyone a receipt if they ask for one.
Let’s keep our books straight and keep the tax man off our back!
By now you should think about registering yourself as self employed or as a sole trader. Visit your countries government website for more info.
An accountant will help you square your books up at the end of the year. Don’t forget to keep all of your receipts and make a note of your expenditure.
Your vehicle – Should you go out and buy the most expensive van today?
The simple answer is no.
If you currently drive a car – then use that!
I know you are going to want to look the part at this stage but my strategy is all about starting off small and building this up.
When I started my own business in 2009, I had an old Renult Megane with all my tools and stock in the back!
Of course it looks more professional to have a van with nice stickers of your company logo on but I would say if you have spare money to invest then you should save it for stage 10 of this page.
Build up some customers and save some money – then start to work on your company image.
I’ve seen so many companies go bankrupt because they got excited and spent all their money on vehicles and equipment. If you have a van already then perfect!
You may want to consider getting it sign-written with your company logo and new phone number, just be aware that locksmith vans attract thieves because they want your tools – to carry out more thefts!
If your van is obviously a locksmiths van then
invest in some security deadbolts to the side and rear doors.
Once you become a locksmith or if you have enrolled in my
Auto locksmith course – you will know how easy it is to pick open vehicle door locks!
Get some stock – and get out there and make friends in your new industry!
A good tip is to visit your local locksmiths in your area and let them you have become a locksmith, tell them you would like to buy some stock of locks from them at trade prices.
What this will do is build a relationship with them and the more connections you can make – the better.
If you are specializing in automotive locksmithing for example, the other locksmiths may send customers your way if they don’t offer that service themselves.
This is a great way to build your business up and make friends in your industry, you never know when you may need their help and you can always pass them jobs when you are busy to return the favor.
You should also set up accounts with your locksmith suppliers online. You will find the prices much cheaper and you can get next day delivery. Don’t go and spend thousands on stock at this stage.
In the beginning, I purchased 1 of every type of lock and when I used one of those locks on a job, I would go out and buy 2 of them to replace the stock.
Eventually you are fully set up and become a locksmith will know what you need to buy the most of and what locks to keep as an emergency.
Types of locks vary all around the world so you will need to work this one out for yourself!
Online Communities
As I’ve said, networking is so important and you should grab every opportunity to win over an ally – the more the better! That’s why online networking is also a really good route to explore, but there are thousands of like minded individuals out there just like you.
Whether they’re just starting out or they’re a seasoned veteran locksmith, many will lend a hand should you need help with how to approach a job or getting your hands on tools. So where do you find these guys?
Facebook
A great place to start is Facebook. There’s plenty of groups full of locksmiths that are providing advice, support and sharing work. Some of the broader groups like Locksmith Tools, but there are smaller groups for niches such as Automotive Locksmith Group.
There’s also locksmith groups that are location based, which will help you to introduce yourself to other locksmiths in the local area. These are usually a lot smaller, such as Locksmiths Gloucester with 1.k members.
Typically, these smaller community groups are better starting out because you can establish a relationship more easily due less posts and comments.
Other Online Forums
There are also plenty of other online forums to sign up to, promote your locksmith business and find friends in the industry. A key one that you might have come across is Reddit, that has many different forums covering almost any topic you can think of.
There is a subreddit called /r Locksmith where there are many likeminded people talking about every topic to do with locksmithing.
Although these forums tend to have a much broader focus and have posts from all over the world. But It’s still an avenue that you can use to ask for support and develop your knowledge.
Here’s the one you’ve been waiting for…
The 1 secret to success as a locksmith is not how skilled you are, how many tools you have, how fancy your website is or how good your customer service is.
Of course these things will come in the future and you should strive to be the best you can but…
The 1 secret to success as a locksmith is getting your locksmith website the top of Google for your area.
Back in 2009 when I set my first locksmith website up, I knew how important it would be for me to get found on google and rank at number 1 when people searched for a locksmith on google in my area.
I tried everything from blogging every month, adding keywords to my website, getting backlinks from other sites,
EVERYTHING!
I even brought books on SEO (search engine optimization) and studied it as much as I could.
Why did I spend so much time on this? because I had worked for companies that were not on page 1 of google and I had worked for companies that were number 1 on google and the ones that were on page 1 at the top were about 500 x busier!
In fact, when I started to improve my rankings and I started to go higher in the search results, my work rate reflected it directly.
Even by moving up 2 places on page 1, I would see a huge increase in phone calls for customers needing a locksmith in my area.
Eventually I started to attend SEO conferences and events to see what methods were currently working for the experts.
It was around 2014 when I met a guy at an SEO event who introduced me to
Backlink Beasts, a company that pretty much sky rocketed my website to number 1.
