Notice Board
Mobile When Needed, Visible When It Matters:
Inlocks Locksmiths
As locksmithing becomes more digital and more competitive, Scott O’ Brien has chosen a different route. Rather than relying solely on mobile work and online listings, the Essex-based locksmith has doubled down on a hybrid model; pairing fast mobile response with the credibility of a physical shop.
A Trade I Didn’ t Expect to Love
I didn’ t come into locksmithing through the usual route. Before this, I’ d been a golf professional, then a graphic designer working within the print environment. When I was made redundant, I tried a few different trades, but nothing really clicked.
Locksmithing stood out because it felt like a clean trade. There’ s skill involved, patience, and a proper mental challenge. I was especially drawn to the picking side of it, the idea of getting something open without keys, without damage, just by understanding how it works.
I went on a weekend course initially, just to see if I liked it. That was nearly 18 years ago now, time flies when you’ re having fun! There’ s something satisfying about the precision of locksmithing, and the fact that every job is slightly different.
Eighteen Years in a Changing Industry
I’ ve been running Inlocks for over 18 years, and the trade has changed massively in that time. When I first started, I was far busier than I am now. The biggest shift has been Google advertising. Payper-click has squeezed a lot of genuine locksmiths out, and it’ s made it harder for sole traders to compete fairly.
You can do everything right and still get buried under rogue traders with big advertising budgets. That’ s frustrating, but it’ s also forced me to think differently about how I run the business. One of the best decisions I’ ve made recently was opening a physical shop.
Why I Opened a High Street Shop When Others Are Closing
I opened my shop in November 2025. A lot of locksmiths told me I was mad. High street shops are closing everywhere because of high rent fees, and they’ re right. If I’ d taken a unit on a main high street, I’ d be looking at £ 3,000 a month easily.
Instead, my shop is inside a shopping centre. It’ s far cheaper to run, but it still gives me a proper presence. People can walk in, see me, talk to me, and instantly know I’ m real- that visibility has changed everything.
I get walk-in customers now, which I hadn’ t had for years. My Google Maps position improved almost immediately because I had a physical location. People trust a shop. They see it and it makes the business instantly more credible.
The mobile side of the business and the shop now work together. It did take a long time to get Google to recognise them as the same business with the same name and website, but it was worth the effort.
I’ ve even put a QR code on the door so if I’ m out on a job, people can still contact me straight away.
Adapting Instead of Complaining
The internet doesn’ t work like it used to, and instead of fighting that, I’ ve tried to adapt advertising locally with Google Maps and this ties in nicely with the shop presence.
I also advertise on Social media, through Instagram and Facebook. The BBC have recently broadcast a report highlighting the pitfalls of contacting £ 39 / £ 49 rogue traders which has helped raise awareness of rogue locksmiths- I posted about this yesterday.
10
FEBRUARY 2026
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