With the holidays long gone

With the holidays long gone, the industry is gearing up for its busy period again. Dark nights increase attacks on all premises – not only domestic – so installers always find demand hots up as the weather cools down. That's the theory anyway, but some installers are not finding the necessary amount of work to keep profitable and, according to a survey , are spiralling heavily into debt. According to the industry analysts, a fifth of the top companies surveyed are now facing bigger debts than at any time in the last four years.

This is hardly surprising when individual debt is becoming such a way of life in the UK that a record number of people are taking what they think is the easy way out and becoming bankrupts. But when companies fail to spot the early warning signs and start to swap short term debt for long term debt it could eventually mean a loss of livelihood for all the employees. With their competitors driving down prices to such an extent that it’s hard to make a profit, it’s no surprise that installers are looking to gain business by offering peripherals and “one-stop total services” they may sometimes not be qualified to undertake.

Our marketing writer centres on this subject in his feature and advises that if you’re trying to break into other sectors then partnerships are a better way forward than buying another business or acquiring experienced staff . A quick flick through our news pages any month will find examples of these partnerships which are an increasing trend – installers with guarding companies, keyholding services, IP integrators, fire experts ... you name it. Our other opinion writer, Johnny Allia of Honeywell, sets out ideas for installers to create partnerships in related areas and opening the customer’s mind to the benefits of alarm monitoring and a monthly service fee without the need to buy the system

Apart from closely reading the pages of Security Installer, the other best way to open your mind to opportunities and new product ideas is to visit the security and related events that are starting up again after the summer lull. So what’s on offer? There’s our own Manchester Roadshow , Firex North , Norbain’s Live06 events and also TWM (Total Workplace Management) an event that could be of interest to installers who are looking at widening their services or at possible partnerships. The event, organised by CMPi, publishers of Security Installer, has outgrown its venue at Earls Court and this year will be at Olympia on October 10-11. It is now part of a much wider concept that addresses the complete life cycle of a building – from conception and planning to maintenance, from restoration and refurbishment to decommissioning. For more information or registration go to www.twmexpo.com