Start & Run a Security Business by Katherine Matak

Author:Katherine Matak [Katherine Matak]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Entrepreneurship, New Business Enterprises, BUSINESS & ECONOMICS / New Business Enterprises, BUSINESS & ECONOMICS / Entrepreneurship, Business & Economics
ISBN: 9781770404526
Google: _5zVCwAAQBAJ
Publisher: Self-Counsel Press
Published: 2016-02-15T23:32:25.993991+00:00

Chapter 4

Operations: Running Your Security Business

1. Keys to Success in the Security Industry

The first job I ever had in the security industry was as the general manager for a firm that had been started by two men whose lives had been spent working as security officers. They brought to the industry an incredible amount of knowledge in terms of the actual work in the field, but no managerial experience.

In fact my first day on the job involved hiring a clerical person to sort through six large packing boxes full of paper. This was the filing system; each box was labeled with a year and the documents were just thrown in there once the two fellows were finished with them. They were working hard and making no money.

So while we were trying to take control of the paper end in order to establish realistic monthly expenditures and revenues, we were also scheduling people daily. Each day the guards were told to call in to obtain their shift schedules. It was complete chaos, relentless tension and stress, and on a regular basis the phones were cut off because the cash flow was problematic so bills weren’t always paid on time.

I had left a job in a related industry where structure, discipline, and record keeping were not only expected but mandatory. These two men had sold me on a great opportunity and although I had no management training at that time I was not afraid of the challenge. I think fear set in the first week — the company operations were barely set up. We put out fire after fire, made little to no progress, and certainly could not plan for change. There was no time with all the crisis management.

I started plotting how our time was spent in the office; five people resolving conflicts and dealing with scheduling problems all day long; training new guards; trying to get uniforms back from people who quit; and dealing with client complaints. It was more than exhausting. However, the industry was fascinating and the potential for growth was obvious.

The starting point for improvements was to deal with client concerns. They always involved guards not showing up on time or knowing what they had to do. Why was this happening? I watched people being hired, given a uniform and a set of keys, and sent to the job site, more often than not that very day. What kind of security was this? Certainly the clients expected and deserved better.

The entire industry was operating in this manner. Untrained guards were working at sites with no clear understanding of what their duties were; clients under the impression they were protected; company managers were flying around at night to get to sites to do on-the-site training; people were quitting after one day or with no notice. It was chaos.

Analysis indicated that there were areas that had to be dealt with immediately to enhance productivity and financial stability. The issues were as follows:

• Employee problems; wrong people hired or sent to wrong locations.

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