Taking Personal and Professional Inventory

Finding oneself is one of life’s great mysteries and quests. It is an ambition that burns deep within our psyches. This drive has fueled great works of art and literature, and shaped our history since the dawn of time. Typically, we strive to accomplish this mission in early adulthood, leaving plenty of years to pursue and accomplish the goals necessary to achieve self-fulfillment. Many of you have found your sense of purpose by helping safeguard people and property via the electronic security industry.

There are many other reasons a person might find themselves working as a systems integrator, alarm dealer, central station manager, security director, manufacturers rep, product manager or any other position within the industry. It could be they enjoy working with people, they are a technology geek, they like the business side of it, etc. Or they could simply be passing through as they continue to seek their professional and personal identity. Of course, humans are quite complex and may also sate their inner being through theological, humanitarian, artistic or other pursuits. In fact, it is our nature to seek fulfillment and enlightenment throughout our lives.

As the owner and/or manager of a systems integration or alarm operation, you may have “found” yourself but what about your business? The fact is that companies, security-related or otherwise, must also determine their place in the world. Although they can and frequently do reflect many of their founders/owners/managers’ qualities (which can be a good or a bad thing), every business needs to possess a unique personality, culture and purpose.

Through the years, this magazine has illuminated and promoted just about every imaginable security market, technology, product line, service, marketing strategy, sales technique and more. We will continue to do so as we believe it is our responsibility to alert readers about any potential opportunity. However, as we often point out, not all of them will make sense for your particular business, nor should they.

I recently had dinner with a 30-year veteran of the security installation business. I asked him about various technology/business trends and market opportunities. He explained how he spent years diversifying into everything from residential central vac and home theater to commercial video surveillance and access control, and beyond. His company happened to be in an area where competition was sparse and the community looked to the business to accommodate just about every call for expertise on anything powered by alternating current.

In the process, the business had lost its focus — or identity if you will — moving too far a field from its core strengths, in some cases at the expense of economic viability. For example, he explained to me how a high number of follow-up service calls made the CCTV side of his business too much of a headache to maintain, and the extra attention was eating into his ever-narrowing margins.

Recently, after deciding he had had enough, the security company owner took a new, hard look at his business. The result was a renewed concentration on intrusion and fire alarm system installation and monitoring. When it makes sense, such as when customers want access control or video surveillance systems, he has cultivated a trustworthy roster of subcontractors. For others, he reconciled that he sometimes simply has to pass. Consequently, he now exudes the assuredness and satisfaction of a man who has reconnected with the purpose of his profession.

If you are the owner or operator of a similar business, use the New Year as an excuse to take stock of all facets of your firm. Reevaluate your people, core competencies, sales and marketing strategies (Survey your customer base!), overall business model, and the vision of what you perceive your company to be. In short, fully flesh out what is and isn’t working. Only then can you find your business’ true niche in the marketplace.

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