Security Articles

All Posts

7 Steps to Getting Started with Video Monitoring

 

We hope you enjoyed our last article, Should Your Security Guard Company Provide Video Monitoring Services?” Now that you’ve hopefully made the decision to offer video monitoring services to your clients, here’s a concrete roadmap to help get you started:


1. Define your Objectives and Expectations:

  • Provide Video Monitoring (VM) as an additional service to avoid losing clients to the competition.
  • Offer VM as an integrated (hybrid) service to reduce clients’ annual budgets while increasing service efficiencies and profit margins, and/or:
  • Add VM as a new line of recurring (subscription) service revenues (SaaS).


2. Market Research:

  • Analyze your competition. Who are your local and regional competitors? What do their service plans consist of? What are their pricing models?
  • Survey select clients to get their input on their wants and needs and to ascertain current user experiences).
  • Speak with other VM providers in your network.
3. Choose Your Technology:

  • This includes everything from video software to cameras and related applications (SOC management). Determine the equipment and installation requirements on the client side.

4. Develop your Business Strategy and Plan, Including Start-up and Recurring Costs:
  • Investment: office location, hardware, and software (including in-house or third-party monitoring services)
  • Staffing and training requirements
  • Insurance and certifications
  • Pricing (install + monthly service)
  • Geographic service area(s)
  • Target markets (i.e.: construction, retail malls, auto dealerships, etc.)
  • Sales & Marketing: prospecting and lead generation, in-house or outsourced
  • Projections: revenues, margins and cash flow requirements
  • Contracts: Installation plus monthly recurring costs with a 1-year commitment (or longer).

5. Apply for Licensing, Certifications, and Insurance

6. Hire and Train your Staff and/or Consider Outsourced Providers

7. Test and Roll-out Slowly: Beta Test on your Own Property and Select Clients, Testing One Client at a Time, Etc.
Monitoring_CTA-1Video monitoring is an excellent way to add recurring revenue to your security guard business and increase profitability, and we hope these steps help you get started. Please bear in mind that, as with any new business venture, it’s important to seek expert advice from professionals such as accountants and business advisors. 

 

Thinkcurity Articles
Thinkcurity Articles
Thinkcurity is revolutionizing education in the physical security industry through engaging content and thought leadership in every aspect of running a successful security operation.

Related Posts

Digital Marketing Tips for the Modern Security Company

Digital marketing is an essential piece of any modern business, but a massive amount of information on the internet can make getting started overwhelming. And while a lot of tactics work for other industries, they’re not always transferable to private security companies.  

Top 10 Physical Security Technology and Automation Trends

How Opportunities in New Technology Can Benefit Your Physical Security Organization Over the last decade, several big new trends in security technology have emerged to overhaul what it means to work in the industry. New physical security technology has upended the daily routine of each security role, from the manager to the patrol guard. 

What Are the Next Big Physical Security Threats?

The threat landscape evolves and shifts as workplaces and physical security operations continue to recover and adapt from the influences of the pandemic. In 2020, remote work made businesses more vulnerable to cyber security threats as more information was shared over email and video chat.