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Everyone has to start their business somewhere, so with all the flaming my last post was getting (i assume it was me) Please tell me how i am meant to start up without fitting gear that will end up costing the same as every other company is charging. I feel i need to undercut for now to get a start and a customer base going. I make sure all my customers are happy and have a grade 2 reliable alarm (yes i know some houses require grade 3). I mainly fit wireless one way at the moment (queue flamage) but plan to move to pyronix or hkc very soon, all I'm saying is its hard to start with pricey gear when leafleting/marketing a new company. See how many calls you get when selling at normal prices with a new business leafleting like I'm doing...Yes its hurting the industry if everyone was at it but i dont plan to do it forever. What is hurting the industry is people with absouloutley no idea cold calling fitting yales from a car. Wireless is here to stay and dont get me wrong i plan to fit wired/hybrid more soon but its tonnes easier for me atm to fit wireless. I just wanted to start like this see the response and then go up.

Flame away guys :/

Can you give a simple example of control panel keypad costs , or maybe not , I can't see how buying trade will cost you anymore

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The national company model of sell the system for cost or a loss if it is near the end of the month then rub your hand with glee at the montly charge and the high call out charge  it still works, only if they install hundreds of systems per month and the backers have deep pockets and

 

think how much that  costs and the blind faith it needs

 

small companies  have to sell  the personal service but remember it takes a lot of £50 pounds  clear profit  after all costs  to get rich  and i can think of several who did

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Well as a sole trader I've been leafleting and undercutting my local competition with good results and after 6 months the work has been constant but only targeting houses and not making much at all on each job (days wage here and there and thats it). I have had no business plan but I'm in the very fortunate position i have income from elsewhere otherwise i would not be able to do this at all - It would be back to being a service engineer! Its not easy at all, you need to be prepared to not make ends meet until you get ssaib and the bigger jobs as someone else stated which I feel I'm not ready for yet even though i have had 10 years in the trade and started as an apprentice. Im only doing it to stay busy but it is agro being a sole trader in this game I'm not looking forward now to what the ssaib may bring into my life.

So after 6months you should be offering better gear then? As sounds like your doing well

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Can you give a simple example of control panel keypad costs , or maybe not , I can't see how buying trade will cost you anymore

Im fitting kits from visonic and adding 40 each detector making 120 from each install, yes its peanuts but I've just signed with gardiner and they are letting me have a online account via cash account. The prices are still dear enough with switching to enforcer wireless gear to make it not as attractive to people when promoting an offer is all I was trying to say but I'm just going to have to do it to offer better quality and security. 

 

Sorry to sound miserable in my last post I've had a terrible virus the past few weeks and that was in the middle of it, makes you appreciate your health more once you start becoming better :)

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Customers who always look for the cheapest are a nightmare imo, sell your service and don't be afraid to charge a fair price for it. I would have more respect for someone charging me a good price for a good job.

  • Upvote 1

Nothing is foolproof to a sufficiently talented fool.


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Just do a bit of plumbing on the side until business builds up

lol i agree the customers I've been getting are what people describe as the above but at least its a nice steady stream of work for now and I'm getting my name about. Also with the more respect for higher prices thats exactly what my dad reckoned. Anyways i think ill leave the push fit plumbing to al yeti for now...

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  • 2 weeks later...

Anyone thought of or gone down the road of renting systems and fixed term contracts.....I know it's ADT (sorry for swearing) route. But people like a free install and monthly pay. Don't know how much is involved with setting up credit agreement, advice welcome

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Anyone thought of or gone down the road of renting systems and fixed term contracts.....I know it's ADT (sorry for swearing) route. But people like a free install and monthly pay. Don't know how much is involved with setting up credit agreement, advice welcome

I was once told

"He's onto something"

" you have allot of money?"

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Anyone thought of or gone down the road of renting systems and fixed term contracts.....I know it's ADT (sorry for swearing) route. But people like a free install and monthly pay. Don't know how much is involved with setting up credit agreement, advice welcome

ADT isnt swearing, and they dont have the monopoly on rental lease purchase agreements, its how most people buy their mobile phones so why should they not buy security that way?

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The only problem with renting systems to end users on a fixed term contract is the initial capital outlay for the original install cost  is not high enough to apeal to  factoring company [hp'] , to small a return  on an unsecured loan.

Even if you roll the yearly charges in

 

The national companies  all capilalise the equipment over the contract period  3 to 7 years [most of which they actualy  manufacture] think back even bt could not make this model profitable.[telecom security] 

 

Remember all the old company names  that no longer trade or have been taken over Worked for multi national that bought many alarm companies because the yearly income looked so good on paper they sold out in the end

 

Think about visiting the bank  the manager rolling on the floor with tears rolling down his cheeks saying you want to borrow how much the monthly repayments are x and your profit is only  y

 

It  is ok to put the yearly monitering and maint charge  on  direct debit but your contract needs to be cast iron this model works for most small to medium companies and charge for the install

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  • 4 weeks later...

Not sure the op will listen but I work with several people who have all started their own companies in the past and they all have ended up coming back to be either employed or as subbies. One had quite a big company with 400 plus contracts and now he's back as a subbie past retirement age lugging ladders about with a bad back. I think it's a lot harder than people realise.

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