Fighting Crime & Crushing Evil - Cost of Crime

Micro

Hi,

I'm thinking about using my 30yrs of expertise and starting a pvt company that is aimed at saving people from the cost of crime. Policing today seem to be too busy with paperwork etc and less about solving our problems. I wish to provid crime prevention advice ( at domestic and corp level ), surveillance ( and other covert work), training, investigation ( Fraud and others ), drug testing, advice in respect to investigations that you may be part of etc.

I wonder if any one has any views as to whether this is something that people would be willing to pay for ?

Regards

Ian_W

Micro wrote: »

I wonder if any one has any views as to whether this is something that people would be willing to pay for ?

I would have thought so - seeing as how there are already several hundreds/thousand of co's and individuals already offering the types of services you describe.
:rolleyes:

Micro

Thanks Ian,

I have obviously searched around the net but cannot see anything more than private investigators. Perhaps you could indicate one or two of the thousand ?

Ian_W

Yup, many of them use the generic title Private Investigator, however when you look at the list of services they provide they pretty much overlap your list eg, surveillance, investigations, fraud, training etc.
Try:
HERE
Here
Ere
This
Another

Those are just from Googling a couple of your descriptions. For workplace drugs testing there again quite a few on google like THIS one, though I accept most PI's don't offer it - it tends to be specialised firms like MEDSCREEN or SCREENSAFEUK.

So I don't think there is any doubt there is a market but it looks pretty competitive to me - only you can judge if there is a gap in the market where you live.

Micro

Thanks agin Ian. Couple Ive not seen here but dont think that they are appealing directly to the market I am. Interesting tho so thanks very much

Micro

Any other views around on this ?

MissEyre

Who is your target market? What kind of research have you done in terms of identifying a need for your particular skills, and why would you be more attractive to them than other companies offering a similar service?

Have you got a network of contacts who would be keen to employ you to do this, or would you be starting from scratch? It sounds like a very loose idea at the moment, rather than a concrete and carefully researched business proposal, and as such, it's quite difficult to give more detailed feedback.

Micro

Thanks for you reply MissEyre,
I've done a fair bit of research locally which has proved very positive. One of my aims was to expand this research and this site looked a good place to start. Have got a large network of potential clients and contact who would take on the technical side of my service and these are all in place. I have spent a lot of time looking at other similar companies but they are very much limited to certain types of service - muh of it surveilance or security.

Suzy_M

I think the "advice" side of your business is a non-starter as this can be obtained free elsewhere.

Local police have Crime Prevention Officers - the one department they don't economise on. Any measures they recommend are based on an objective assessment of local crime rates (as opposed to fear of crime).

Advice on cases etc would be either Victim Support or the client's own solictor and there are already some organisations already in existence for witness support.

So it looks as though the only things that could make you money are routine security company or private investigation stuff.

Micro

Thanks Suzy.
What I was thinking of for example was things like the case where you have someone who is constantly a victim of crime like places that have their fuel nicked, or communities that constanlty get their cars damaged, or companies that suffer from internal fraud ( small scale ). Yes the police do all of this I know but often due to thieir committment elsewhere they often cannot give as much attention to it as they could. I believe that I could give a garenteed service which would mean that these people would not suffer again from the crime that they have to cope with. The other thing is that the police are bounded by masses of red tape such as the RIPA legislation. I would not be and therefore would provide an improved service. At a cost I know but again I would claim that this would be cheaper than the insurance rises that they may well face.
From what you are saying though, perhaps this is not what people want ? At least it has answered my question and I appreciate your time

Suzy_M

I'm sorry but I can't see your business idea in this form getting off the ground .

"like places that have their fuel nicked" - covered by surveillance cameras, security patrols etc.

"communities that constantly get their cars damaged" - unfortunately a true community would have got themselves organised to deal with this. And if they haven't got themselves organised already it is unlikely they will get themselves organised to employ someone. - But you might find "The Estate We're In" weekdays 9.15am BBC1 next week interesting /useful.

"companies that suffer from internal fraud ( small scale )" - there are several companies run by ex-(high ranking) coppers that already deal with this.

Just to prove I'm not a total killjoy is there a gap in the market for a small-scale security patrol service?

I'm thinking discrete and private, i.e. plain clothes and car, where the client will be dealing direct with a person and not some anonymous conglomerate and a faceless uniform. I'm thinking clients would be individual people and small businesses who do not want to or can not commit to a contract with the big boys but who may occasionally want some extra security.
For example, small shopkeepers, house-checking service whilst owners away. Even house-sitting during funeral services - (sounds daft but the number of funerals I've been to lately where someone hasn't been able to attend because the family didn't feel safe leaving the property unattended whilst at the service!)

Maybe some real market research on the ground could help assess this possibility - questionnaire small shops (but mind they don't think you're running a protection racket :rotfl: ), contact concierge service providers, existing house-sitting services, funeral directors etc.

Good luck.