What actually works to grow a new Fire & Security business in 2025?

[KyleHides]

Hi all,
I've recently set up a fire & security company in Lincolnshire (SafeSync Solutions), covering a wide selection of services including CCTV, Intruder Alarms, Fire Alarms, AOV Systems, Data and Networking, Smart Home, Emergency Lighting, and TV & Aerial.

I'm now looking to grow the business properly and would really appreciate advice from people who've built service based companies (especially trades or technical services).

What I would like to know is:

• What actually worked for you in the early days?
• What was the most effective way you found new domestic and commercial customers?
• Are methods like cold calling and door-to-door sales still effective today?
• What marketing channels gave you the best return (time or money)?
• Anything you had wished you'd done sooner?

I'm not pitching or promoting anything, just looking to learn from people who've already walked this path and avoid common mistakes.

Any insights or experiences would be massively appreciated.

Thanks in advance,
Kyle.

 

[Mark T Jones]

The answer might lie in what led you to this market in the first place - experience, connections etc?

There is never a single best answer -

 

[StrategyDoctor]

Hi all,
I've recently set up a fire & security company in Lincolnshire (SafeSync Solutions), covering a wide selection of services including CCTV, Intruder Alarms, Fire Alarms, AOV Systems, Data and Networking, Smart Home, Emergency Lighting, and TV & Aerial.

I'm now looking to grow the business properly and would really appreciate advice from people who've built service based companies (especially trades or technical services).

What I would like to know is:

• What actually worked for you in the early days?
• What was the most effective way you found new domestic and commercial customers?
• Are methods like cold calling and door-to-door sales still effective today?
• What marketing channels gave you the best return (time or money)?
• Anything you had wished you'd done sooner?

I'm not pitching or promoting anything, just looking to learn from people who've already walked this path and avoid common mistakes.

Any insights or experiences would be massively appreciated.

Thanks in advance,
Kyle.

Hi Kyle, well done and congratulations getting SafeSync off the ground. In my experience the early growth phase in trade/technical services is all about doing the simple things well and consistently. A few things to think about, if you haven’t already, that tend to work in the real world:

1. Warm introductions beat cold activity
Cold calling and door-knocking can work, but only if you’re playing a numbers game. Most service businesses grow faster by:
• Leveraging your existing contacts/network (family, friends, trades you already know, small builders, electricians, property managers). Not just for work but for visibility.
• Asking every happy customer for one introduction. It compounds quickly.

2. Early partnerships make a huge difference
Your sector plugs neatly into:
• Local builders and maintenance firms
• Letting agents / block managers
• Small commercial sites (retail parks, warehouses, offices)
• IT companies who don’t want to handle physical security
Becoming their fire/security person can create a steady flow of repeat work without constant chasing.

3. Domestics = trust. Commercial = capability.
Domestic customers care most about trust, responsiveness, clear pricing and strong reviews.
Commercial clients care about capability, accreditations, documentation and reliability — not flashy marketing.

4. Channels that usually give the best ROI early on
• Google Business Profile - photos, posts and reviews weekly (critical).
• Local Facebook groups - unglamorous but very effective for CCTV/alarms, etc.
• Your van and workwear - clean branding with clear contact details; still massively underrated.
• Local networking groups - not for selling, but to build your network and let people understand what you do.
Paid ads can work, but usually become costly until you know your ideal customer and margins.

5. Things most trades wish they’d done sooner
• Put simple systems in place early (quoting, invoicing, follow-up, CRM).
• Stick to 1–2 core services initially instead of trying to offer everything.
• Ask for reviews from day one - it helps a lot in the early days.
• Track where every lead comes from — otherwise you waste money guessing with your marketing.

A final thought : build recurring revenue early if you can
Fire & security businesses do well when they build a base of maintenance and monitoring contracts. It stabilises cash flow and reduces the constant hunt for new jobs. A few ways to encourage this early on:
• Offer a free or discounted initial system inspection to get your foot in the door.
• Create simple 12-month service packages (annual check, battery changes, support calls).
• Prioritise fast response times for contract customers to reinforce the value.
Once you have 20–40 maintenance contracts, the business becomes far more predictable month to month.

If you’re solid, responsive, and easy to deal with, word of mouth will usually start to accelerate within 6–12 months. The key now is consistent activity so people in your area know you exist.

Happy to share more if you want to dig into any specific channel or customer type.

 

[KyleHides]

The answer might lie in what led you to this market in the first place - experience, connections etc?

There is never a single best answer -

Thanks for your reply, I appreciate it.

I came into the Fire & Security market through hands-on experience. I've worked with a mix of fire alarms, intruder alarms, AOV's, CCTV, and Access Control on both domestic and commercial sites. I decided to start my own company because I wanted more control over the quality of work and the customer experience, and because I already had a few subcontract connections to get going.

Right now I'm trying to move from relying on subcontract work to generating more of my own domestic and commercial clients. That's why I'm looking for advice. I want to understand what actually works in 2025 to grow a service-led business like mine, and what approaches others found effective when they were in the early stages.

Anything you can share from your own experience would really helpful.

Thanks.

 

[BubbaWY]

Hi Kyle, I had actually been looking at setting up a similar company earlier this year. I work in construction already (building services, so have experience of and working with F&S companies).

Firstly, a big market you need to be going for is service/maintenance contracts. Thats where the money is. Straight forward, minimal risk and regular work.

Another suggestion is sell the option to main contractors of working direct for them, rather than through the electrical contractor. I spent a couple of years as building services manager for a main contractor and always employed the F&S contractor direct. It meant a larger profit for us even if it required a bit more coordination and management. A £100k package, retaining a further £15k profit made it worthwhile and in fairness, they are simple packages with minimal risk.

I dont know what size you currently are, but try local main contractors or electrical contractors. Get on their tender list and provide good prices, be reliable in returning prices and you will in due course get a crack.

 

[fisicx]

Google!

We were looking to install cctv so did a google search for local providers.

Get your Google Business Profile as perfect as possible. Make sure your website is locally targeted. Make sure the van is wrapped.

But as suggested, it’s the maintenance contracts that will be your main income. The problem here is businesses will already have someone doing the work. You could try knocking on doors, might get you a few leads. Do you have local trade shows you can attend?

And there is always advertising. Billboards still work.

 

[KyleHides]

The answer might lie in what led you to this market in the first place - experience, connections etc?

There is never a single best answer -

Hi Mark,

I’ve been in the trade around 6 years, but only as an employee to another firms. I have been building my connections with other firms and getting work from them, but would like to know what helped other businesses in this sector get their own private work.

Thanks.

 

[KyleHides]

Google!

We were looking to install cctv so did a google search for local providers.

Get your Google Business Profile as perfect as possible. Make sure your website is locally targeted. Make sure the van is wrapped.

But as suggested, it’s the maintenance contracts that will be your main income. The problem here is businesses will already have someone doing the work. You could try knocking on doors, might get you a few leads. Do you have local trade shows you can attend?

And there is always advertising. Billboards still work.

Hi fisicx,

Thank you for your comment. I’ve got my Google Business set up and confirmed that my company does come up when doing searches in my area.

I understand that the main source would be to gain maintenance contracts (I already have a few on student accommodation buildings) but would like to try and get into Residential work aswell as commercial to help grow my business.

Thank you again.

 

[KyleHides]

Hi Kyle, I had actually been looking at setting up a similar company earlier this year. I work in construction already (building services, so have experience of and working with F&S companies).

Firstly, a big market you need to be going for is service/maintenance contracts. Thats where the money is. Straight forward, minimal risk and regular work.

Another suggestion is sell the option to main contractors of working direct for them, rather than through the electrical contractor. I spent a couple of years as building services manager for a main contractor and always employed the F&S contractor direct. It meant a larger profit for us even if it required a bit more coordination and management. A £100k package, retaining a further £15k profit made it worthwhile and in fairness, they are simple packages with minimal risk.

I dont know what size you currently are, but try local main contractors or electrical contractors. Get on their tender list and provide good prices, be reliable in returning prices and you will in due course get a crack.

Hi BubbaWY,

Thank you for your comment. I recently incorporated in August, and it’s just myself (with the use of subcontractors when needed). At the moment the main source of my work is through other F&S firms - I have gained some maintenance contracts from this way. But would like to learn ways to gain my own clientele including domestic work too.

Thank you again.

 

[KyleHides]

Hi Kyle, well done and congratulations getting SafeSync off the ground. In my experience the early growth phase in trade/technical services is all about doing the simple things well and consistently. A few things to think about, if you haven’t already, that tend to work in the real world:

1. Warm introductions beat cold activity
Cold calling and door-knocking can work, but only if you’re playing a numbers game. Most service businesses grow faster by:
• Leveraging your existing contacts/network (family, friends, trades you already know, small builders, electricians, property managers). Not just for work but for visibility.
• Asking every happy customer for one introduction. It compounds quickly.

2. Early partnerships make a huge difference
Your sector plugs neatly into:
• Local builders and maintenance firms
• Letting agents / block managers
• Small commercial sites (retail parks, warehouses, offices)
• IT companies who don’t want to handle physical security
Becoming their fire/security person can create a steady flow of repeat work without constant chasing.

3. Domestics = trust. Commercial = capability.
Domestic customers care most about trust, responsiveness, clear pricing and strong reviews.
Commercial clients care about capability, accreditations, documentation and reliability — not flashy marketing.

4. Channels that usually give the best ROI early on
• Google Business Profile - photos, posts and reviews weekly (critical).
• Local Facebook groups - unglamorous but very effective for CCTV/alarms, etc.
• Your van and workwear - clean branding with clear contact details; still massively underrated.
• Local networking groups - not for selling, but to build your network and let people understand what you do.
Paid ads can work, but usually become costly until you know your ideal customer and margins.

5. Things most trades wish they’d done sooner
• Put simple systems in place early (quoting, invoicing, follow-up, CRM).
• Stick to 1–2 core services initially instead of trying to offer everything.
• Ask for reviews from day one - it helps a lot in the early days.
• Track where every lead comes from — otherwise you waste money guessing with your marketing.

A final thought : build recurring revenue early if you can
Fire & security businesses do well when they build a base of maintenance and monitoring contracts. It stabilises cash flow and reduces the constant hunt for new jobs. A few ways to encourage this early on:
• Offer a free or discounted initial system inspection to get your foot in the door.
• Create simple 12-month service packages (annual check, battery changes, support calls).
• Prioritise fast response times for contract customers to reinforce the value.
Once you have 20–40 maintenance contracts, the business becomes far more predictable month to month.

If you’re solid, responsive, and easy to deal with, word of mouth will usually start to accelerate within 6–12 months. The key now is consistent activity so people in your area know you exist.

Happy to share more if you want to dig into any specific channel or customer type.

Hi StrategyDoctor,

Thank you very much for your comment. The things you’ve mentioned above (branded clothing and wrapped van) are currently in the works, but since cash flow is quite tight at the moment, these have been placed on hold. Uniform is my next step, then van signage.

I have created a Facebook page, with a custom website (which I developed myself), whenever I post a “case study” on my website it gets shared straight to my Facebook page.

Being honest, posting in local Facebook groups didn’t actually cross my mind. How would you advise on creating a post that gets people’s eyes?

I’ve also said to existing customers of mine that if they refer someone, and the person they refer becomes a customer of SafeSync, they will get 10% off their annual maintenance contract for the year.

I have methods setup for quoting, invoicing and as my goals are to gain accreditations, job reports and maintenance tracking is all done through the job management system I utilise (SimPro) which is a monthly cost but in my eyes it’s worth it for the goals I have for SafeSync.

Thank you again for your response, and I have taken what you have already said on board.

 

[StrategyDoctor]

Hi Kyle, well done and congratulations getting SafeSync off the ground. In my experience the early growth phase in trade/technical services is all about doing the simple things well and consistently. A few things to think about, if you haven’t already, that tend to work in the real world:

1. Warm introductions beat cold activity
Cold calling and door-knocking can work, but only if you’re playing a numbers game. Most service businesses grow faster by:
• Leveraging your existing contacts/network (family, friends, trades you already know, small builders, electricians, property managers). Not just for work but for visibility.
• Asking every happy customer for one introduction. It compounds quickly.

2. Early partnerships make a huge difference
Your sector plugs neatly into:
• Local builders and maintenance firms
• Letting agents / block managers
• Small commercial sites (retail parks, warehouses, offices)
• IT companies who don’t want to handle physical security
Becoming their fire/security person can create a steady flow of repeat work without constant chasing.

3. Domestics = trust. Commercial = capability.
Domestic customers care most about trust, responsiveness, clear pricing and strong reviews.
Commercial clients care about capability, accreditations, documentation and reliability — not flashy marketing.

4. Channels that usually give the best ROI early on
• Google Business Profile - photos, posts and reviews weekly (critical).
• Local Facebook groups - unglamorous but very effective for CCTV/alarms, etc.
• Your van and workwear - clean branding with clear contact details; still massively underrated.
• Local networking groups - not for selling, but to build your network and let people understand what you do.
Paid ads can work, but usually become costly until you know your ideal customer and margins.

5. Things most trades wish they’d done sooner
• Put simple systems in place early (quoting, invoicing, follow-up, CRM).
• Stick to 1–2 core services initially instead of trying to offer everything.
• Ask for reviews from day one - it helps a lot in the early days.
• Track where every lead comes from — otherwise you waste money guessing with your marketing.

A final thought : build recurring revenue early if you can
Fire & security businesses do well when they build a base of maintenance and monitoring contracts. It stabilises cash flow and reduces the constant hunt for new jobs. A few ways to encourage this early on:
• Offer a free or discounted initial system inspection to get your foot in the door.
• Create simple 12-month service packages (annual check, battery changes, support calls).
• Prioritise fast response times for contract customers to reinforce the value.
Once you have 20–40 maintenance contracts, the business becomes far more predictable month to month.

If you’re solid, responsive, and easy to deal with, word of mouth will usually start to accelerate within 6–12 months. The key now is consistent activity so people in your area know you exist.

Happy to share more if you want to dig into any specific channel or customer type.

Hi Kyle,

From your replies across the thread it’s clear you’re already doing a lot of the right things — and it’s worth remembering that the early stages of a new service business are rarely easy. The key now is not to try and do everything (very tempting), but to focus on a few things and do them well and consistently. If you can measure the results.

On the Facebook side, a couple of practical pointers:

• Post into local Facebook groups (community pages, buy/sell groups, local trades groups). These are unglamorous but genuinely effective for CCTV, alarms, access control, etc.
• Ask family, friends and existing customers to support your posts — a few likes, comments and shares massively improve reach in local groups.
• Instead of posting “Here’s who we are”, try leading with value: quick tips, common mistakes people make with CCTV/alarms, seasonal reminders (e.g., battery checks before winter), short case studies with before/after photos, or a simple checklist. Posts that help tend to get shared far more than posts that announce.
• Keep doing your case studies — just make sure at least some of them talk about the problem and the solution, not just the job. These could also make good posts.
• Be consistent, post regularly - to try and get engagement, but you will be working against the algorithm.

You are clearly building the right foundations — now it’s about steady visibility and repeating the basics. Good luck and happy to be a sounding board if you have any other questions.

 

[fisicx]

@KyleHides you are in the marketing business not the cctv and security business. If you get the marketing right you will get leads. Doesn’t actually matter how good or bad you are at installing cameras.

The days when you just built a website and they came to you are long gone. You need to actively go out and seek potential new customers.

Which means doing all the things @StrategyDoctor suggests. Also get someone to look over your website, Google profile and other marketing media to check all the right boxes have been ticked.