Is it a good idea to start a Security Camera Installation Company

This is one of the more unique questions that I have received on the site. I wanted to share the question with you and my answer. Enjoy and comment if you like.

Dear Security Camera Expert,

For the last 6 months i have researched opening a cctv and card access install business based on local market need. Most of my friends and co-workers support the idea and have experience in the low voltage industry. Also, i currently work as a contracts specialist in the procurement field and see the need for this business. Is this a good idea?

Todd

My Answer to Todd

Hi Todd,

Is this a good idea? That is a very difficult question. I can tell you what I think of the industry and where I think things are going. It being a good idea is something you need to explore as a part of what you want to do in pursuing your interests and your passions.

I think that is a bigger question to answer. Is having a safety and security business something you have a very strong desire to do? Do you see yourself doing this for a very long time and loving doing it?

So if the answer is yes to that then here are my thoughts.

This is a very competitive industry as are many. There are many great systems out there that you can sell and install and you have to choose the few best you will work with. Everything is converging on IP networks. Security, phones, IT. How do you fit in to all of that?

How can you position yourself differently from every other security installer out there? What "value" do you bring that is better, faster, cheaper (whatever your mantra is) than what they have to offer? What is that USP, the Unique Selling Proposition, or Value Proposition. How can you make your customers life easier? Safer? Etc.

What are the major problems facing businesses right now? Is security the top issue? Maybe not. Increasing revenue and growth and helping their cash flow are definitely big issues. Is there a way to take the technology and help to reduce costs, or even grow revenue?

Example: Customer has beautiful gardens on their location and they occasionally have weddings. What if you could stream live video and audio to the website and the customer can charge a fee to allow family members that could not attend to watch the wedding and interact with the guests?

Example: Customer has multiple locations and they have security people at each location even when there is no one else around. Why not pull the video to a central location so one of the other security people can monitor the site and therefore eliminate the need for security at a location when no one is there.

I would look at how you can do all of the security in a very easy to use integrated way. So that you can pull in the intrusion, video and access control together as much as possible.

You have to focus on the problems with real solid solutions and be at least 10 percent better than the competition.

You will also want to look at how you can get ongoing revenue by doing live monitoring. You can set that up yourself or outsource that. As well as combining equipment and service in a "lease" agreement and lock in your customers for 2 or 3 years at a time.

So is it a good idea? Security is and will be a growing market. There are many security installers out there that are not focused on how technology is changing and how to find new ways to use the technology to solve customers problems. If you can do that effectively then yes I think it is a great idea. There is competition, but there is always room for someone that can do it better and out hustle the competition.

I also recommend you get your website right as the foundation of all your other marketing efforts. If you need help with that let me know and I can point you in the right direction.

I hope this helps. If you have further questions please let me know.

Sincerely,

Peter Brissette

Be sure to check the Security Camera Installer Directory

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Marketing, Branding and USPs

I recently added this post to a discussion regarding branding and developing unique selling propositions. Some of it is out of context for you but you will get the gist of it. It isn't about CCTV but it may help someone with their business endeavors. Enjoy!

I have just been reading about this and wanted to add to the discussion. In general marketing terms there is a focus on "building brand equity". I came upon this because I am researching the word Equity as possibly being part of my business name. Like Kevin says you need something that says what you do and I am trying to convey a message of ownership, long term growth, asset building, etc.

At any rate here is a link to an article from a pure marketing perspective on that.

http://www.netmba.com/marketing/brand/equity/

How that article relates to the individual Eagleprenuer and "free agent" as Kevin likes to call it.

First in building a brand you are really talking about what makes you unique. It is your unique selling proposition. It is that something extra that tells people they should choose you.

After you have a USP you have to build your story. Why are you doing this? How did you get here? What does the future hold for you and for those who work with you?

Then you need to tell that story over and over again. There are many ways to do that. I love the new book "Crush It". He talks a lot about this. This where web sites, blogs, social media, sites like this, etc. come into play.

By building your "brand equity" you are giving people reasons to choose you over somebody else. You are building a following and nurturing that following until those who are ready raise their hand and are ready to do business with you.

When you build equity this way you are building an asset. It has value in and of itself. It is something that can be sold and monetized in many different ways.

So choose a name like Kevin says that tells what you do. Then build "brand equity" by clearly identifying your USP, and shout it from the roof tops until everyone knows!!!

Thinking with this in mind we can have a better way for making decisions about what we do everyday. We need to ask the question, "Does this build my brand equity or will this take away from it?" Our focus as Free Agents (IMO) should be on those activities that are building equity. Anything that does not build equity we should eliminate. It is not different than taking money and putting it into a savings account. You put money in and it will earn interest. You take money out then the value goes down and so does the interest earning capability.

I will stop there. These were just some thoughts I had. Would love to hear others comments.

Peter

CCTV-Security-Camera-Systems.com latest updates

Just wanted to post a short note to our readers.

There has been a lot of things going on in the background over the last couple of months that has taken a lot of time and attention away from the blog and even the website. We have been working on developing some new key technology to make the site more interactive and building new content as well.

The goal is to continue to expand the site and offer more training and advice not only to contractors but to those who are putting in security systems themselves. There are a lot of products out there that people buy in the retail market but then do have the support or information that they need to actually use the products to the fullest potential. We hope to be able to provide help for that.

We have been getting great feedback on the site as well on things that people are looking for and the information that they need. If you have come and did not find what your looking for please visit our main site and fill out the quick three question survey so that we can better priorize the necessary changes.

Here are few of the new key things that have been added to the site.

1. Three column design. We went to this design to make the navigation and use of the site more functional and to increase the amount of information available to vistiors without changing pages. There are many pages that have to be transitioned so it will be done gradually over the next few months. If you find a page that looks like the information is not up to date please let us know.

2. CCTV news update. We added a news update page that will have headlines from latest news and information in the world of CCTV. It will also include a list of our latest page updates as well.

3. RSS feed. We added the RSS feed so you can subscribe to the site and any time we add or update information on the site we will push it to our feed if we feel it is something note worthy. We hope you will subscribe to the feed.

4. Ask the Security Camera Expert. This is one of the new advanced interactive features we have added to the site. We get many questions so we wanted to start sharing that information with other vistors. It will help us to build a FAQ and a forum type question and answer option that should be helpful and informative to everyone. Be sure to check it out!!

Other major changes coming.

Webinar series updates
Email ezine and optin lists updates
More relavent and helpful content!!!

And much much more,

Thank you all that follow the site and the blog and we are working hard to continue to bring you the information and help you need as it relates to CCTV and security camera systems.

Thanks,

Peter Brissette
Site Owner