From Saturday jobs to running a respected family business, Scott Walker explains why honesty, continuity and good people have been the foundations of Mike B’s Security Locksmith for more than 30 years.
Mike B’s Security Locksmith has been part of the Hinckley community since 1993. Today, directors Scott Walker and Ian Gardner lead a team of ten across two branches, delivering everything from traditional locksmithing and safes to CCTV, alarms and access control. But despite the growth, the business remains true to the values established by its original founder Mike Bolesworth.
Do Something You Enjoy & You Never Work A Day
I started working with my uncle, Mike Bolesworth, when I was still at school. I’d help out on Saturdays and, when I left school, I came into the business full-time. That was 30 years ago and I’ve never really looked back. I always joke that I’m glad I never had to get a real job.
These days, besides Mike there are two directors, myself and Ian Gardner. We’ve got two shops, one in Hinckley where I’m based and one in Rugby where Ian is based. Between the two branches, we’ve got ten staff and we move people around as needed.
Mike started the business in 1993 after leaving the Army. He was a locksmith with REME and spent time based in Hong Kong during the 1980s. At the end of the Cold War, redundancy packages were being offered, and that gave him the opportunity to start something of his own.
Originally, he planned to focus on alarms from an industrial unit, but after speaking to the local crime prevention officer they told him the area really needed a locksmith. He opened the shop in Hinckley and, more than 30 years later, we’re still in the same location, although we’ve expanded over the years.
The Value of a High Street Presence
One thing that’s always helped us is having a physical shop. I think it legitimises the business. Customers know where you are, they can walk in and talk to you and there’s a level of trust that comes with that.
Word of mouth has always been our biggest asset. That’s how the commercial side has grown over the years. Most people assume locksmithing is mainly domestic work, but for us the majority has been commercial for a long time. We work with public and private sector organisations, businesses and institutions. Domestic work tends to fill the gaps.
The commercial side has built steadily through recommendations. Once you look after one customer properly, they tell someone else and it grows naturally. In the early 2000s, another established locksmith business in Rugby, D.W. Watson, was looking to retire. We bought the business and its Oxford Street premises, inheriting many loyal customers in the process. That acquisition helped us strengthen our position and expand into Rugby.
Honest Advice Pays Dividends
The thing that makes us different is simple. We’re a trusted and honest company and that’s what has built the business over the years. Mike was always fair with his pricing and we’ve carried that on.
We don’t sell people things they don’t need. In fact, we quite often talk customers out of spending money. If somebody asks for something unnecessary, we’ll tell them. That might sound strange in business, but it pays dividends over time.
People appreciate honesty. They’re grateful for a genuine opinion and they come back. If you rip people off, they never return. That ethos came from Mike and we’ve stuck to it. You can’t build a reputation overnight, but you can lose one very quickly.
Experienced People Make Life Easier
I don’t really go out on the tools anymore. I run the shop and deal with the office side of things, and I prefer that now. We’ve got an experienced team and nothing really phases them.
Ian is particularly strong with safes, and the Automotive side. He’s got years of experience and whenever something goes wrong or a difficult safe opening comes in, Ian’s the man we turn to. Experience counts for a lot, and passing on that in-house experience is key.
We train everybody in-house and most of our staff have been with us for years. Interestingly, many joined us later in life, at middle-age, and they’ve stayed. We try to look after everybody. If someone needs flexibility, we work around it. It’s a relaxed environment and people appreciate that. Good staff are hard to find, so when you have them, you look after them.
Keeping Up With Technology
We cover pretty much everything these days. Traditional locksmithing, safes, alarms, CCTV, access control, Automotive Key Cutting & Programming, UPVC repairs and architectural hardware. Like everybody else, we keep an eye on the latest developments and invest in new machines and technologies.
Electronic Access Control is an interesting one. Ten years ago, we all thought that by now everything would have gone digital, but that hasn’t happened. There’s definitely a place for electronic solutions and if the application is right, then they make perfect sense. But mechanical keys are still here because they’re reliable and trustworthy – I don’t think that’s changing anytime soon. Customers want something that works and sometimes the simplest solution is still the best one.
Family & Business Go Hand in Hand
Working with Mike over the years has been brilliant. I’ve been lucky. My wife Laura used to work in corporate finance, but she decided to step away from that and now runs her own gardening business. She also helps me in the office a couple of days each week. Family has always been important to us and I think customers recognise that. People aren’t dealing with a call centre. They’re dealing with people they know, and that personal service still matters.
Looking Ahead
The last year has seen an increase in our customer base, which is encouraging. The focus now is simply to keep satisfying that demand and continuing to do what we’ve always done.
We just want to keep providing a good service, keep investing in the right equipment and continue looking after customers the same way we always have.
After 30 years, the formula hasn’t changed much: Be fair. Be honest. Look after people. The rest takes care of itself.
www.mikebsecurity.com
sales@mikebsecurity.com
01455 891046
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Established in 1993 by former Army locksmith Mike Bolesworth, Mike B’s Security Locksmith operates from branches in Hinckley and Rugby. Directors Scott Walker and Ian Gardner lead a team of ten, providing commercial and domestic locksmith services, safe opening, key cutting, CCTV, alarms, access control, vehicle key cutting and programming and UPVC repairs. Renowned for its honest advice, high street presence and long-standing customer relationships, the business serves public sector organisations, commercial clients and homeowners throughout the Midlands.