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Home > Interviews > Interview with a Locksmith: Martin Slane of IKS Locksmiths
Our first interview of 2016 and continuing our Interview with the Locksmith series, is with MLA approved company – IKS Locksmiths who are members based in North London.
Read on below from what Martin – the owner from IKS had to say.
Company Name: IKS Locksmiths Location: High Barnet, North London Website: www.ikslocksmiths.co.uk Years Trading: 6 years MLA Approved Company Profile: IKS Locksmith MLA Locksmith
My name is Martin and I’m 37. I am married with 2 children, an 8-year-old girl and a 4-year-old boy. I am a mobile North London Locksmith based in High Barnet.
I have been a locksmith for just over 10 years now. My background is in office based sales jobs. I have always enjoyed meeting and interacting with people but there was something missing.
In retrospect, I realise that I wasn’t suited to an office job or a job selling a product I didn’t really believe in. I need to be doing a job that presents a challenge and has positive results on completion of a job. Being a locksmith certainly does both.
I saw an advert in the newspaper. I just liked the sound of it initially. I liked the idea of learning a trade and the idea that I could earn whilst helping others out. I also liked the possibility of becoming my own boss. My wife and family members were secretly sceptical about such a change in direction but were encouraging none the less.
I’m pretty determined when I come up with an idea anyway.
Try and get either employment or an apprenticeship with an established Locksmith. Don’t get disheartened if you are given tedious jobs as there will be days all you will be doing is cutting endless amounts of keys.
The other advice I would give is to broaden your view on what locksmithing is. Gone are the days of it just covering doors and windows. These days Locksmithing covers doors, windows, safes, grilles, and roller shutters. It is also a good avenue into electronics such as access control, CCTV and alarms.
There are many ways in which being an MLA member helps me.
There are quite a few! There was the time I had to release a bloke tied to the bed with handcuffs whilst his mates watched with great amusement.
Or when a guy was locked out by his wife and he offered her up as part of the payment if I were to agreed to open the door for him.
A pretty well-known model, popular in the 90s, locked out and a bit the worse for wear being VERY appreciative of my work was another amusing moment.
At present we are North London Locksmiths. In the long term, the aim is to cover London as a whole and expand from there. This said the most important aspect of IKS Locksmiths is to maintain high standards of workmanship and service. With this in mind expanding the areas we cover will not be something that we rush into.
To keep up to date with IKS Locksmiths follow them on Twitter and Facebook.
You can read more locksmith interviews below, or find out more about becoming an MLA member.
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