ROD Edyvean distinctly remembers the moment he fell in love with locksmithing. It was the first time he saw a lock picked, and a young Mr Edyvean was blown away. More than a decade after starting Goodlock Locksmiths, Mr Edyvean has turned it into a thriving business.
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What was your first job?
My first job was as a first year apprentice working with one of Australia’s largest locksmiths, API. My first pay check was the grand sum of $144. More than anything, it taught me the value of customer relations. It’s not just about security, it’s about a person’s peace of mind.
What gave you the idea for the business?
My mum’s maiden name is Goodlock and when I was still an apprentice, she jokingly said I should open a business and call it Goodlock Locksmiths. I said it wasn’t as silly as it sounded. From that moment, I knew I’d start a business with that name. One of our first catchphrases was “security in the name”.
What’s the best piece of professional advice you’ve been given?
There’s the cliched ones like “the customer is always right”. But the best advice I’ve received is to never stop growing as a person and a professional. In this business, you don’t deal with just one demographic, you deal with people from all walks of life. You need to be able to relate to everyone or you lose a huge chunk of your market.
What are the main challenges facing your business?
Educating the public to understand what a locksmith does. The last 15 years has seen a huge upswing in the DIY market. And while that’s a wonderful thing in many ways, people shouldn’t be trusting themselves with home security. It’s too important.
How do you balance work and home life?
I’ve been on call 24 hours a day for the best part of 12 years. I get calls at all times. I could be knocking off work at 5pm on a Friday and suddenly a business rings up and says “we’ve had our keys stolen” and you have to go out there and it adds another five hours to your day. It can turn into an 18 hour day in the blink of an eye. You also need to have hobbies. I like camping and four-wheel-driving and have been on the board of 2AAA for seven years. If you don’t have those small moments to do what you love, you’d go insane.
Where do you hope your business will be in 20 years?
We want to have multiple branches in the Riverina. For a man who sold his first motorbike to start the business, I’ve done ok. We now turn over $350,000 a year and are looking to put on two more employees in the next 12 months.