Notice Board
The Locksmith Sidekick
It ’ s a strange thing to say that we like it when people are too busy to talk to us , but it ’ s a phrase we use a lot here at The Locksmith Journal . At October ’ s MLA Expo , we spent three days trying to get close to the front of the Locksley stand and see the app in the action , but we just couldn ’ t make it through the crowd . So , when the show was over and we got back to HQ , we had to catch up with Matt Little , co-founder of the Locksley app so we could find out all about him and the system that ’ s being touted as ‘ your personal locksmith sidekick ’.
Here ’ s what we know …
“ I was working as a web developer and wanted a career change , so considered opening a McDonalds franchise ,” started Matt , when I first spoke to him . “ But after doing more research into the process and looking at other options , I found some locksmith franchise opportunities instead .
“ Obviously moving from web developer to locksmith required training and it was something I really got stuck into . Like many others before me , this involved the use and reference of locksmith manuals and we found that they were not only outdated , heavy and difficult to use , but also really expensive at £ 75 to £ 100 per book .
“ Meanwhile , I had also met Mike , who was also obsessed with locks and had started to amass a collection of them . He ’ s an avid collector , and I don ’ t think he ’ s ever thrown a single lock away . In our Locksley workshop , there are tubs of locks ; sorted and categorised . Combining the lock collection with Mike ’ s amazing memory of all things locks , really got the ball rolling .
“ We first set out trying to digitise one for ourselves that we could use on a phone but as we were doing this , we quickly realised that there was an app to be designed and developed that could really make locksmiths lives easier . And that ’ s what we did .
“ We launched around a year ago and the feedback has been so positive . The figures speak for themselves too . We work on a monthly subscription fee of just £ 10 and there ’ s no contract . If you don ’ t like it anymore , you can cancel it . But we have a 98 % retention rate , which we ’ re really proud of .
“ Locksley will never be finished , that ’ s the beauty of an app over a manual . We are always looking at new locks – it is always growing and evolving . This means that users can always have the most up-to-date version in their hand or their back pocket . We can also confidently say that we own every lock in the Locksley app , so if there ’ s ever a query , we can physically go back to the lock and check it out . Because of this we really appreciate feedback , as it ’ s important we continue to help other locksmiths .
“ I think Locksley came out at a good time because – while the locksmith industry is often seen as being behind the times , the sector is starting to really embrace technology . I don ’ t think it ’ s always the case that locksmiths aren ’ t ready for technology but more that some technology has been launched before it ’ s truly ready for the market .
“ By that I mean smart locks that don ’ t have a mechanical back up will always be met with hesitation . We are a handson industry and we need to know that doors are locked ! My background as a web developer-turned-locksmith meant that I had a ‘ foot in both worlds ’ when
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DECEMBER 2023
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