Knowing how to start your own security company will help save your finances in the volatile economy. You can start your own security business out of your own home with very little start up cash or equipment.
Register Your Business
Properly register your business by starting at the local county recorders office. You must first file a fictitious business name and pay the fee. You will be required to post your fictitious business name in the newspaper. You can then use your fictitious business name filing to open up a bank account in the name of your new security business. To start your own security company you will need a bank account.
When you are at the county recorders office, you should inquire about what other licenses or registrations you will need for your type of business in your state. You may be required to obtain a business license, insurance or other qualifications.
Phones, Cards and Address
If you have the money to obtain a business address and business phone number. You can use your home information temporarily, but it is best to open up business accounts as soon as possible. At a minimum, you will need business cards and a phone to start your own security company.
Have business cards printed immediately. You can obtain free business cards to start.
Insurance
Obtain proper insurance and bonding requirements for your type of business. Check with your local county and state governments to make sure that you have met the requirements.
Services Offered
Plan out the services that you will offer. Will you cover business security, security at private events such as weddings and personal security such as body guards? If you want to start your own security company, you will need to work on the weekends.
Pricing
Research the pricing of other similar security companies before deciding on your price structure. Each job will probably be quoted individually but you will need to base it on the number of hours needed, equipment needed and number of employees needed for the job.
Advertise
Advertise in newspapers, magazines and online. One of your best sources of advertising will be word of mouth. Tell everyone that you know about your new security company and the highlights of the services that you offer.
Knowing how to start your own security company will give you an advantage over other entrepreneurs that start business with high start up costs.
Website
Open up a website as soon as possible. Do not make it live until it looks professional and displays all of the services that your security company offers. Security companies range from uniformed security guards to body guards and every other security need. Make sure that you have pictures of equipment such as armored cars and body armor as well as descriptive content.
Hire Employees
Keep your costs low by not hiring employees until you absolutely need to. This may mean that you have to do all of the work yourself at first. Do not hire any employees until you know that you can properly train them and afford their salary. If you start your own security company, you will eventually need to hire employees, but do not do so until it is absolutely necessary.
You may want to use temporary agencies at first to protect you from hiring and firing difficulties and to avoid payroll hassles.
Uniforms
As soon as possible, you will need to purchase matching uniforms for your employees that are working in a security guard capacity. Some jobs you will find do not want uniforms because they do not want the security personnel to stick out.
Make sure that your employees sign a contract and understand that they are responsible for the damage to their uniform unless it is during the scope of their job duties and not caused by their neglect.
When you first start your own security company, you may not have any business. Keep with it and eventually it will come.
