From the Editor
A year of magazines locked in
It ’ s hard to believe that we ’ re halfway through this year ’ s production . But does that mean half the year has gone already or do we still have six months to go ? We all have our own way of measuring time and schedules . Factories have daily , weekly , monthly production targets , then there ’ s Q1 , Q2 , Q3 , Q4 for financials , timelines are also built into projects and contracts – each with their own milestones and deadlines .
» AT CLEARVIEW GROUP HQ – HOME TO THE Locksmith Journal – our year begins in July , so we ’ re on the homestretch . When it comes to the magazines however , we ’ re on a monthly production cycle to keep us on track . One magazine per month , every month – and we have three titles , so that ’ s 36 ‘ books ’ a year . As soon as one goes to print , it ’ s time to start work on another , so there ’ s little downtime in between reflect and review . The cycle is continuous . Just like when our readers have signed off an order , sent off a delivery , finished a fit or even packed up after an event .
We seldom have the time to look back over our work . In fact , many of us fear that downtime ! If we have enough time to ‘ go back ’ instead of moving on , is it because we have nothing to do ? I plan a day in two or three times a year to look through the past period of periodicals . I like to look at what our customers and contributors have put together in a certain time frame , and I like them to do that too . I think it ’ s really important to review work , to see what we ’ ve achieved , where we started and where we are now . It also helps us to plan what ’ s still to come .
This month is also really special for the team because it ’ s the ‘ end ’ of our first year of going monthly with The Locksmith Journal instead of every other month . In the past 12 months we ’ ve spoken to more ‘ real life ’ locksmiths than ever before , attended new events , met new customers and got our hands on some really exciting tools , plus the tips and tricks needed to get the most of them .
So , to answer my question – has half the year gone , yes – and do we still have six months to go ? No ! There ’ s no stopping us now , so there ’ s plenty of time ( and paper and ink ) still to fill .
See you next time , Gemma
HANG UP YOUR SCISSORS AND TRUNCHEON …
» IT ’ S GREAT THAT THE STORIES just keep on rolling-in ; more and more locksmiths are engaging with us at The Locksmith Journal , keen to tell their stories . Sue at Jonas King Locksmiths was spotted reading The Locksmith Journal in store ( and posted a picture doing on on Instagram ) and so we did an interview . It would be rude not to ! Jonas King , whose business was inspired by an escapology obsession as a child , built his company based on doing a fair and honest job in Huntingdon .
We ’ re hearing so much positive feedback from locksmiths and people in the trade who ’ re loving reading the ‘ people stories ’ about , somewhat , bizarre routes into the trade – and this month is no exception . Stelious Papa of All City Locksmiths told us how he went from cutting hair to cutting keys . Also , a new locksmith Jim Eaton of Eaton Locksmiths based in Moulton , Northwich , has become a full-time locksmith after working for the Police for 15 years .
It ’ s great to also hear from Liam Roberts at NR Windows based in Bagillt , North Wales . A family business ran by three generations of the Roberts family – granddad , dad and son . Liam decided to expand his skillset by completing a locksmithing course , and then met Paul from Souber tools and worked alongside Paul in developing quality tools for fenestration . This year , Liam became a proud father himself , and perhaps the business will span four generations in the years to come .
Thank you to everyone who has taken part in this month ’ s issue and to date so far .
Would you like to take part ? Let me interview you and write a story on your business for our next edition of The Locksmith Journal ; it ’ s totally freeof-charge . All you need to do is get in touch and spare 20 minutes of your time to tell us : locksmith life stories , top tips and advice . How you market yourselves effectively ? How did you get into the trade ? Any sector news or funny stories to tell ?
Tell it like it is , stories in locksmithing are amazing . Get in-touch with Wendy wendy @ cvgroup . co . uk
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JUNE 2024
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