A career change born out of uncertainty became a thriving locksmith business built on reputation, professionalism and community trust.
When Covid brought London to a standstill, many tradespeople found themselves reassessing their futures. For Essex locksmith Adam Cowell of Instalock Essex, the pandemic became the catalyst for a complete career transformation.
A former London black cab driver, Adam turned back to skills he first learned during school work experience with his uncle. What started as a way to provide for his growing family quickly evolved into a respected locksmith business recognised by the Master Locksmiths Association and trusted across Essex.
Learning the trade young, but taking the long route back
I actually first got into locksmithing while I was still at secondary school. My uncle was in the trade and I did my work experience with him. He had a council contract fitting doors and I used to help fit the locks into them.
At the time though, I never really saw locksmithing as a career. I went off in a completely different direction and became a London black taxi driver. I did that right up until Covid hit.
My first son was due to be born and suddenly the taxi work disappeared overnight. London was empty. Like everyone else at the time, I was worried about how I was going to provide for my family. That was when I started thinking about locksmithing again. I thought if I could get enough small jobs coming in, it might help us get through until things settled down and I could go back to driving, but it went mad almost straight away.
Building a Business Through Facebook and Community Trust
A lot of the early growth came through Facebook and social media. I started posting locally and people shared my work. The enquiries just kept coming in.
At first, I genuinely thought it would only be temporary and I’d end up back in the taxi eventually. But the more I got into locksmithing properly, the more I realised how much more I enjoyed it. I don’t miss driving into London at all.
Locksmithing keeps me fitter and healthier too. Sitting in a cab for ten hours a day wrecked my knees and my ankle. Now I’m constantly active, moving around and working locally in Essex instead of spending hours in traffic. It’s also given me something much bigger than just work. I’m building something for my family and for my boys.
Recognition Through the MLA
I’ve always believed in doing things properly and learning the trade to the highest standard possible. In 2023 I completed my MLA exam, and then in 2025 I won the Nigel Rose Award at the MLA Expo, which is awarded to the locksmith with the highest exam results that year. That was a massive achievement for me and something I’m really proud of.
I did my MLA exam in 2023 and then in 2025 I won the Nigel Rose Award at the MLA Expo. That was massive for me because it’s awarded to the person with the highest exam results. It meant a lot because I’ve worked hard to learn the trade properly and keep improving.
One of the best things about locksmithing is the people in the trade as well. I regularly work alongside other respected locksmiths including Steve at Fairfax Locksmiths, Mark at Abbey Locks, and Matt Stokes from Dennis Security Centre, which is a great family business passed down through generations. Having good people around you in this trade makes a huge difference.
A Family Business in Every Sense
Family is very important to me and runs through every part of my story. My son Finley, now five-and-a-half, already talks about becoming a locksmith himself.
Finley always asks to come out on jobs with me. About a year ago an important customer called me and I asked if she minded me bringing him along because I couldn’t arrange childcare in time. She was absolutely fine with it. I had a job in a communal area of a block of flats and he came along in his own little Instalock uniform with the MLA logo on it. He talks about locksmithing at school all the time now. He already says he wants to follow in my footsteps and become a locksmith.
That pride in family has become one of the biggest motivations behind the business. Locksmithing gives me much more freedom with my family than I ever had before. I can actually be present. My wife Lucy helps massively as well. She handles our social media posting every day which is a huge part of why we’ve grown the way we have. We’ve got another little apprentice on the way! We’ve got another boy due in August.
Helping Customers at Their Time of Need
While I enjoy the technical side of locksmithing, it’s the interaction with customers that I value the most. I really enjoy the direct-to-customer jobs because you’re helping people at stressful moments. If someone’s locked out in the rain, or their back door has failed and they can’t let the dog out, they’re genuinely relieved when you sort it quickly. People appreciate it massively when you solve the problem properly. That customer-first mindset also extends to helping victims of rogue traders. I really wish the locksmith trade was regulated properly.
I hear so many nightmare stories from customers who’ve been massively overcharged or had unnecessary work done. Sometimes people ring me and say they think they’ve been ripped off. If that happens, I’ll often go out free of charge and give them a written report to help them recover money through their insurance company. I’m losing faith a bit that proper regulation will ever happen, but I still hope it does eventually.
Educating Customers About Modern Locksmithing
I believe one of the trade’s biggest challenges is public understanding of what locksmiths actually do beyond lockouts and key changes. Most people think they only need a locksmith if they’re locked out or changing locks. They don’t realise we can repair doors, window mechanisms, handles, letterboxes and all sorts of hardware without replacing the whole unit.
A lot of customers call door companies and get told they need a brand-new door or window when actually almost every part on a PVC door is replaceable apart from the frame itself. That knowledge and honest advice is a huge part of what builds long-term trust with my customers.
Looking Ahead Despite Recent Challenges
Like many locksmith businesses, Instalock has had to adapt to changing workloads and customer patterns. I’ve had a bit of a knock recently because one of my biggest clients lost one of their major contracts, so a lot of the social housing work dropped off very suddenly. But that just means getting back out there and building more customers again. We’re pushing Instagram and Facebook hard and I might even look at TikTok in the future.
A lot of locksmiths come from carpentry backgrounds and tend to be older, so social media still isn’t something everyone fully embraces in the trade. But it’s massive now.
I will continue to develop my technical skills. I’ve got my eye on the MLA fire door inspection course because another locksmith I know is doing really well with it. I also do vehicle entry using Lishi picks, although I don’t do car keys.
For hardware, I like to keep things simple and use trusted brands. For higher security euro cylinders I mainly use APECS AP. On more basic setups I only fit British Standard locks like one-star Doras, and for rim cylinders and night latches, I use genuine Yale products.
07710 609983
More information
Instalock Essex is a Billericay-based locksmith business providing 24/7 emergency locksmith services, lock repairs, replacements and security upgrades across Essex.
Instalock is an approved company of the Master Locksmiths Association, fully insured and DBS checked. Adam was awarded the Nigel Rose Award in 2025 for achieving the highest MLA exam results.