Learning a new trade often begins with education, and fortunately, the locksmithing community is full of supportive professionals willing to share their knowledge.
John from Solid as a Lock guided newbie Sam Thorpe, from Samson Locksmiths in Leeds, through the fundamentals of bench locksmithing.
What’s it like being new to the trade?
Well, I’ve been a bit delayed in starting due to having an emergency surgery on my hand due to an injury. I was signed-up to do the Master Locksmith Association (MLA) Master Locksmith Certification Level 1 Foundation in December, but there’s not much you can do with an injured hand. They kindly moved my course booking to the end of January, so not long for me to wait now. I’m ready and raring to go!
What’s been refreshing so far is the amount of good people in the trade who are happy to help you get started. I wanted to do things properly so joined the MLA as a registered member. It was Tony, the Chairman of the Northern MLA, who recommended John at Solid as a Lock as someone who could help me learn how to non-destructively open a mortice lock. John has been great, he was happy to answer all my questions – no question is ever stupid – and he even put me in touch with the Locksmith Journal to get take part in this story; it’s all great publicity to help get my name out there so why not!
Why Locksmithing?
I spent a decade working in higher education in marketing recruiting international students for The University of York and took a severance package because I had the desire to become self-employed and be my own boss. I then needed to find a trade that suited me, I wanted something that had low setup costs and didn’t involve too many hoops to jump through and red tape. I considered many possible trades and, through the process of elimination, found locksmithing which looked interesting because it is non-regulated. Initially, I wanted to become an auto locksmith, but through research I found the setup costs to be quite high, so decided to stick with domestic locksmithing at first anyway. There’s always time to expand my service offering later.
Getting Started: Marketing
With a background in marketing, I had some graphic design experience, which proved useful when building my own website using Wix and creating my branding. I also set up basic SEO to ensure my business appeared on Google, helping me to start collecting reviews and building an online presence. I’ve already started to receive enquiries through my website.
I got myself a van which I haven’t yet branded. With my newly created logo I was able to order branded clothing and start to network with other locksmiths and start doing a few small local jobs.
Keen to Network with Other Locksmiths
I am keen to learn everything there is to know about locksmithing. I don’t want to drill out cylinders, I want to take pride in my work and learn how to pick them non-destructively like a professional. I would like any training organisations or other locksmiths to please get in-touch if they can help with any 1-2-1 training in locksmithing or any other complementary trades such as double-glazing repairs.
07796 015696
More Information
Samson Locksmiths is a family-run business based in Farsley, Leeds, offering a wide range of security solutions and locksmithing services to the domestic market. Their services include installing new locks on doors and windows, repairing damaged or faulty locks, and upgrading locks. Pride is taken in delivering high-quality workmanship and exceptional customer service at a fair price.