Need business owners - Advice on security and loss prevention consultancy

[MCM Risk Consultants]

Hello everyone! I wanted your help with a few questions that have been lingering around in my head. Recently, I started as a consultant/independent business owner providing loss prevention and security solutions for organizations.

I would provide security assessments, help create an awareness program, respond to security related incidents (theft, access breach, etc), write security policies and help with organizations identify unknown losses that is becoming a pain point for them. I am qualified for this role for many reasons (you can see my site @ mcmrisk.com) but I really need help from actual business owners. I have been doing this for around 15 years in the corporate arena sometimes mistakenly forget to think in the business owners’ shoes….

Quick 4 questions:

1. Do you see a need for this?
2. What types of problems do you see in your business that would match with what I offer?
3. Can you think of any organizations that may need this? Not trying to sell, but I am willing to do work for extremely cheap to build my business.
4. Do you have any advice in general? My marketing plan is mostly word of mouth and then move towards paying for a stronger approach.

<removed>

[Harold Mansfield]

Hello everyone! I wanted your help with a few questions that have been lingering around in my head. Recently, I started as a consultant/independent business owner providing loss prevention and security solutions for organizations.

I would provide security assessments, help create an awareness program, respond to security related incidents (theft, access breach, etc), write security policies and help with organizations identify unknown losses that is becoming a pain point for them. I am qualified for this role for many reasons (you can see my site @ mcmrisk.com) but I really need help from actual business owners. I have been doing this for around 15 years in the corporate arena sometimes mistakenly forget to think in the business owners’ shoes….

Quick 4 questions:

1. Do you see a need for this?
2. What types of problems do you see in your business that would match with what I offer?
3. Can you think of any organizations that may need this? Not trying to sell, but I am willing to do work for extremely cheap to build my business.
4. Do you have any advice in general? My marketing plan is mostly word of mouth and then move towards paying for a stronger approach.

<removed>

1. Do you see a need for this?
Absolutely there is a need for this.

2. What types of problems do you see in your business that would match with what I offer?
In my experience Small businesses won't pay for it. Generally small businesses don't think they need to worry much, that they aren't targets because they don't have anything that anyone would want to waste time on. Even though 60% of "hacks" are small business....because they're easy targets. The problem as I see it is that most small businesses haven't a clue of how to assess their vulnerability, read the news and think all hacks are big, have no idea what kind of information is important to criminals or how damaging a small amount of information can be and cascade into breaching thousands of people through the connections each as, and...don't seem like they want to know.

They want a one button, on click solution. They want to set it and forget it and don't have the stomach to learn yet another thing that they don't think pertains to them. Most small businesses also don't have a full time "tech" person nor the budget for one.

If you want to eat, you have to target larger organizations.

I have thought about trying to be "that guy" because small businesses DO need help, but I like to eat too much.

3. Can you think of any organizations that may need this? Not trying to sell, but I am willing to do work for extremely cheap to build my business.
Every organization needs this. Whether they realize it or will pay for it is another story.

4. Do you have any advice in general? My marketing plan is mostly word of mouth and then move towards paying for a stronger approach.
Get serious, define your target audience, and execute a real marketing plan. Competition is steep. Everyone and their mother are offering security services now.
I got 2 emails today offering small business IT security plans from ATT, and Microsoft. They're are going after that market aggressively.

[tallen]

Having visited your website I see that you are focused more on physical security, while I know Harold is largely focused on information security.

I would agree with Harold that a lot of small businesses are probably thinking that they are not likely to be targeted by internet hackers looking for credit card numbers or other valuable data, I know I don't spend much time thinking about it in my businesses!

That said, I think the risk assessment service that you offer is something that many small businesses can relate to, at least those with a physical facility as opposed to an online business or a consulting service.

Most of these businesses will have some sort of security program in place, the question is whether they perceive it worth the cost to have you come in an review their program or not.

Perhaps one avenue to getting your foot in the door might be to work with insurance companies -- small businesses will do what they have to do to maintain their insurance coverage, so if (for example) the insurance company offers a discount for getting an independent security assessment, that could be a strong incentive.

Another approach to marketing your services might be to demonstrate (at least on a statistical basis) how the services that you offer (or action on the recommendations you make) could lead the business to saving $X over Y years in avoided losses and/or reduced insurance premiums -- in other words, will an investment in your services ultimately pay for itself (over what pay-back period, or at what ROI))?

Hope this helps.

[Harold Mansfield]

Ah, I didn't look at your website I went solely on the text of the post and my mind thinks in terms of IT these days. Sorry about that.

I agree with everything said above. Physical security is a specific market and one that I've worked in for years. Bars, restaurants and clubs. Especially high volume, specifically the market where I worked in Las Vegas. Even small local places have/need robust security in place because they all have gaming, which means they're handling and keeping large sums of cash 24/7. Gambling is legal almost everywhere now, so maybe that's a market that you want to cater some services to as well.

With what you offer, whether or not businesses need it isn't an issue. For the kinds of businesses that do, there is no question.

My answer on marketing stands. Identify your market and go after it. I can name a dozen or so industries that NEED this type of service...it's actually a prerequisite to running the business.

[MCM Risk Consultants]

Thanks guys for the great advice. I just realized the insurance part of it also. Real estate investors also....