Notice Board
Ditching the Corporate Life for Locksmithing
We caught up with Gary Wraight whom made a significant career change by transitioning from sales into running a LockFit franchise in Romford , Essex . After working in sales for much of his career , he craved the flexibility and autonomy that self-employment offers , especially after spending so much time in structured corporate roles .
Switching Careers
After spending what felt like a lifetime in a corporate sales role , I felt increasingly frustrated because I needed more flexibility to spend time with my children , to attend school events such as sports day and parents evening . The breaking point was when I missed out on an ice hockey holiday to Ireland with some friends because I couldn ’ t get the time off as annual leave – they needed me there for some sales reporting exercise which , in the end , was delayed anyway ! I was fed-up of missing out on things with my kids and life ’ s enjoyment in general ; I found that working full time , five days a week there wasn ’ t much time for anything else .
Considering a Franchise I explored several different industries before choosing to run a LockFit franchise . I chose locksmithing because it offered me flexible hours and suited by desired lifestyle needs . After researching franchise opportunities , LockFit really stood out due to its support structure . I felt it would enable me to earn money and enjoy life , looking after the needs of my daughter who is nine years old , and my son who is 18 .
Taking on a Franchise When I signed-up to a franchise with LockFit , I shadowed Kevin Russel ( Lockfit ’ s founder ) on real-life locksmith jobs to get a taste of the work I would be doing and gain practical experience . I also did training at The UK Locksmith Association in Woodford , East London , with Gary Prince . I have been locksmithing now for approximately 16 months .
Growing Services
I currently offer both commercial and domestic locksmith services and , more recently , I ’ m starting to consider adding auto-locksmithing to my offering , going beyond just steering wheel locks . I ’ m looking into what the investment and training entails .
My ultimate goal for my business is to make a good living and be able to afford regular holidays .
What I Didn ’ t Expect Being a locksmith is great because I get to help people who are locked out of their homes , or in vulnerable situations such as after a break-in . What I didn ’ t expect was that dealing with the general public there ’ re often a lot of memorable moments and awkward situations . For
10
OCTOBER 2024
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