Hi everyone,

Sorry its been a while since my last post but it has been hectic here in the world of locksmithing. We have had a few changes since last post. Starting with acquiring a shop in Dagenham, Essex. It all started by accident in January of this year. Another Locksmith Danny, went to a friends new shop which was opening as an estate agents on a parade of shops. Danny went there to change his locks. Whilst there the agent told Danny that the shop next door but one was vacant and was at one point a locksmith shop. Specialising more in auto stuff, but did do domestic and commercial work in small amounts.

Danny agreed to go have a look when the keys were available. Later on I spoke with Danny and he had told me about going to look out of interest to see if there was any machinery, tools etc etc. I was intrigued too. So said I’d go look at same time. I’d never wanted the responsibility of a shop, due to the overheads, parking, and staffing. So we went for a nose and the shop was stripped bare. Just odd key blank and a door ring pull. Though all the counter and shelving remained. The Agent said how much it was to rent and that no business rates applied and bills were a minimum. You could park outside shop and then general parking was unreal. No restrictions and ample of it.

We left the shop and went into the agents to have a general chat. He then turned to Danny and me and said so you’s two thinking of taking on the shop then. I just laughed and said oh yeah we will be taking over a certain chain of so called locksmiths that operate now out of some supermarkets. We left and went our separate ways and it was in the back of my mind that the shop was already on the map as it were as a locksmith shop. So a base had already been started. More and more I thought about it. Then Danny rang and we spoke about it and both had said similar things. We both felt we wanted a base for storage and that and felt it was worth a punt. We liaised back and fourth and a 6 month trial was agreed to test the water.

We’d agreed to take shop on. We then proceeded to start work on the shop and continue our working days. After a month or so me and Danny spoke about names for the shop and we came up with 100’s. Though nothing was quite fitting enough. We trawled the internet, etc to come up with clever names but nothing really fitted. Then one day I was sitting there and thought it would be complex trying to run effectively x2 businesses. One was hard enough. I spoke with Danny and put the idea to him. We spoke it over for an hour or so and then we agreed it would be simpler to combine and merge together as one company. As I was already VAT registered and had just completed the Master Locksmith Association exams and gone down the route of becoming an Associated company, It made sense to then become Locks in the City. We made arrangements to go speak with my accountants and we spent an hour with them and went through the options. We then agreed to become a limited company and both become equal Directors.

A lot of people were like you sure its the right thing to do etc. As a joint business can become an issue and each of the two could rub up against each other and create friction and arguments. Though its quite the opposite. We both have our strengths in different areas. Danny is the talker and the salesman and has a natural flair for networking. He knows his UPVC mechanisms and is also willing to work the hours required to make the business grow and work. Myself, I have the experience and knowledge in most aspects of the locksmithing world. I am able to turn my hands to al things and have an engineering mind and love solving problems. I have a lot of experience in Domestic and Commercial repos, evictions and forfeiture of leases. So neither of us steps on each others toes. Neither thinks one is better then the other. We accept there may be days, or weeks were one may do more jobs then the other but we understand that the end result is for both of us, as we both equal. So the incentive is there to strive and do as much as we can. If either is quite, then the other will go help on the jobs that need doing.

So we are now in the process of having ordered 2 new vans and await there arrival hopefully within the week. Then the joys of getting them sign written and racked out etc. Its been a hard few months but we are starting to reap the rewards of hard work.