I respect anyone who has worked hard to climb the ranks of any business. I am particularly impresses if the business is their own. Although my business has grown beyond Buffalo, I still am involved in the day to day operations. As SHIELD grew from a local operation in Buffalo to a national player in the home security marketplace, I vowed not to let the success of this business leave me out of touch and uninformed. As an avid reader of business development books, newsletters and (recently) blogs, my favorite business tip comes from Mastering The Rockefeller Habits by Verne Harnish. Referencing Chapter 5: "How to Master Organizational Alignment and Focus," my participation in our morning huddles not only provides the foundation for a productive day for my staff, but it continues to reinforce the vision that my leadership team has established for our entire organization.
If I could offer one piece of advice for a growing security firm, it would be to align with your staff daily. Don't let the allure of "big business" take you away from that. Never forget where you came from.
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Does this sound familiar...? You've worked hard - 10, 20, maybe even 30 years to build a business for someone else. You've put in years of sweat equity, time and even money to build someone else's dream. Yes, you've gotten paid for it. You probably have even liked working for someone else at some point. But, let's face it. You're not getting any younger and you've always wanted "your own thing."
The security industry is overflowing with talented technicians who dream of starting their own business. Intrigued by illusions of "business ownership," they choose a name (Joe's Alarms) and embark out on on their own. They typically become small dealers who are great at what they do, installations, but become overwhelmed by customer service issues, mounting paperwork, sales pressures and finding / managing staff. Suddenly, the allure of business ownership isn't all that it's cracked up to be. This poor guy means well, but the typical "security guy" is overwhelmed by the day to day demands of the business - and, in the end, it's the customer that suffers.
At the other end of the spectrum, the national chains spend millions on advertising. They offer "great deals" on security systems. The proverbial "free" system isn't free. (Is anything in this world "free?") I've got news for you. "Free" security systems cost 3 times more than they should because, generally, the company offering a "free" system makes unsuspecting customers commit to a long term contract with monitoring rates that are far from honest.
There is a profit to be made in the security industry.... Fair profit, in fact. The perceived need for security is growing every year due to mainstream economic issues. Last year, 26% of security companies reported revenue increases of between 2 and 5 percent. Furthermore, over 20% recorded that profits were up significantly (greater than 5%). This is good news for those who are thinking about building a security business of their own.
For more information about owning a security franchise, contact us today.
I'm just a regular guy. My name is Ken Jezioro. I'm the founder of SHIELD Security Systems. I founded this company back in 1976 when I was a full time cop. I suppose I should use the politically correct "police officer," but honestly, I'm not a "politically correct" kind of guy. I'm just a normal guy who loved working on the force. When I was a kid, my grandfather served as the chief homicide detective in downtown Buffalo. This inspired me to pursue a career in law enforcement.
Ironically, shortly after I got on the force, my house was burglarized. The kid down the street punched in the milk box on the side of my house and climbed through. I wasn't upset about the fact that he punched in my milk box. What really got me upset was the fact that he broke into my apartment and stole the awards I had won while in the Police Academy... I earned the "Top Gun" Award - The "Trifecta," which represented the top three awards in the Academy: Best Shot, High Academics and Physical Fitness. I won 3 handguns that were in beautiful display cases. This kid took all three. Security systems were not a common household item 35 years ago. I looked into buying a system, but the company that I called wanted $12,000 to install a system in my home. Since I was only earning about $12,000 a year back then, the only option was to install a system myself - which I ultimately did. Word spread though my department, and I ended up installing security systems for some of my fellow police officers. There you have it... the beginning of my company SHIELD Security Systems.
The original name of my company was "Burglar Busters Of Buffalo." This is what my hand drawn logo looked like: I changed the name of my company to SHIELD because I wanted a more professional image and I was proud of the law enforcement history in my family. Our current logo is representative of my badge.
I love learning the history of companies with whom I do business. That is the reason for this blog. This is the first of many entries where I hope to share some of my success with you. The security industry has provided me a great lifestyle.
I am grateful that I have the opportunity to share what I've learned through the years to help you grow a successful business too. Your comments are welcome. Let's start the conversation rolling!
For more information about owning a SHIELD Security Systems Franchise, contact us today.
