Birmingham entrepreneur unlocks business success with ‘home security shopping experience’

A prolific Birmingham-based entrepreneur has opened a new home security shop to help service and supplement his expanding locksmith empire.

Tony Harris (43) from Birmingham started his original franchise with Burton-based locksmith firm, LockFit, at the beginning of 2019. And having increased his area of operations to encompass four additional franchise territories in the west Midlands, he has now opened a new shop in Cotteridge to help service the needs of his customers.

While the shop is currently open to the trade, it is ready to welcome everyone from 12^th April.

He said: “I expanded my original LockFit franchise in Birmingham South with Redditch & Bromsgrove, Kidderminster, Stourbridge & Dudley, Birmingham North and Solihull. I also supplemented my service by becoming CERTASS-approved, which enables me to fit windows and doors, as well as locks and alarms. To support this expansion we now have Ashley and Ron covering these areas in purpose built Vans 24/7.

“So it makes sense to tie together the threads of my expanding LockFit business by opening a full-service home security shop. Having signed the lease in December 2020 and launched the website at the start of March this year, the new shop is now open for business.”

The shop, based in Pershore Road in the Cotteridge district of Birmingham, is designed to deliver a much more hands-on shopping experience than anything else out there – and having spent 20 years in various telecoms roles, including brand marketing and retail store management, Tony is well placed to make a success of it.

He said: “Home Secure Store is not your average lock shop. It has a full trade counter for all locks and parts, plus a showroom for the various windows, doors and Roller shutters garage doors .

“It also has a range of smart devices, as well as WiFi enabled lights and Wireless security cameras, all set up and operational so you can see for yourself how the various security systems work. In fact, it’s not so much a shop as a fully fledged experience.”

Tony has already diversified his LockFit offering with new customer-driven initiatives like free security health-checks. And having expanded fast, he insists that his firm’s development will no longer be about new territories, but about continuing to upgrade the depth and calibre of his home security service.

He added: “The new shop means that, when we go out to fix a lock, we can now offer the customer everything they need to upgrade or secure their home. And my Lockfit franchises means that when someone walks into the shop, we’re in the perfect position to fit whatever they buy.”

“A lot of our work comes from referrals – and the strength of the LockFit brand plays a huge part in that.

“We’re friendly. We’re professional. There are no hidden costs and we work hard at doing the right things in the right way. My new shop will be a very proud exponent of that same forward-thinking approach.”

Kevin Russell (40), founder of Burton-based LockFit, which now encompasses 45 franchises throughout the UK, is clearly delighted with the entrepreneurial spirit being shown by Tony.

He said: “As we expanded the LockFit network, it was always critical to me that, we sourced franchisees who could deliver a top-quality service and act as true ambassadors for a better way of doing business in the locksmith sector.

“Since buying his first LockFit franchise a couple of years ago, Tony has applied himself with impeccable respect for the brand and unstinting care for his customers. I’m delighted that he is such an active part of our UK network and I have no doubt that his new shop will meet with outstanding success.”

For more on LockFit’s range of services, visit www.lockfit.co.uk. For more on Tony’s new Lockfit shop, visit www.homesecurestore.co.uk.