Re: avoiding being "locked out"

["R.H.Campbell" <rh.campbell@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hey...good stuff ! Damn few companies of our size (mine anyway) actually get
into business with a formal business plan, even a simple one. And even fewer
have thought of an exit strategy. You can't get where you're going unless
you know where that is, and with government tax thieves only a heartbeat
away, you definately need to plan for the other end............gawd, I sound
like a funeral director !!!

My partner is looking to sell his company right now, and has three bidders
each doing their "due diligence". He offered them to me but frankly, I
didn't want to get that big that quickly, because it would end up being an
unplanned expansion that I would have little control over. And I would need
another employee for sure.

Glad to see the Borg won't be inheriting your customers; that would REALLY
be letting your clients down.

RHC

"Crash Gordon" <webmaster@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:js9Oe.96$U05.1702@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>I have an exit strategy in place should I ever decide to completely get out
>of business, my attorney holds a packet of information which among other
>things contains all the codes I use t access and/or lock alarm and access
>controls. If something happens to me the company and the packet passes to
>the family if they don't want to continue with the business a  long time
>associate who owns another family owned alarmco will buy the accounts - his
>co. is much bigger than mine and has been around for over 50 years. My
>clients will be well taken care of, they may have to pay a little more, but
>they'll be ok.
>
>
> "R.H.Campbell" <rh.campbell@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
> news:sdadne2aKLj0bpXeRVn-pQ@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
>> The big difference is you use the lockout feature for it's intended
>> purpose, and willingly return the panel to factory when the client
>> chooses to leave. Unfortunately, there are a minority of companies that
>> don't operate as ethically as you do.
>>
>> There is another danger as well with wholesale locking of all boards,
>> especially with very small companies that lock their boards and then just
>> disappear. These are the guys that get about 10 accounts, then decide
>> this "free system" stuff is not all it's cracked up to be, and simply
>> disappear. Their customers are then left with a locked board to contend
>> with.
>>
>> R.H.Campbell
>> Home Security Metal Products
>> Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
>> www.homemetal.com
>>
>> Crash Gordon" <webmaster@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
>> news:6S%Ne.2$FY6.1560@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>>> The main reason for locking the panel is to protect proprietary
>>> monitoring information and protect the owner from having programming
>>> changed (possibily by a moonlighter that doesn't know enough abt the
>>> system), all my panels are locked. If a client wants to change
>>> monitoring co's all they have to do is call for it to be unlocked and I
>>> remove our proprietary info.
>>>
>>> Unfortunately, some less than ethical companies may use this feature to
>>> hold their clients hostage.
>>>
>>> hmmm.... I have to admit that it may be useful if the client hasn't paid
>>> for monitoring in 9 months.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> <powercat@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
>>> news:1124629286.071477.270930@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>>>> Greetings I know a commercial alarm system installer who moonlights on
>>>> residential set-ups.  Basically I do the unpleasant part (running the
>>>> wiring) and he does the programming and is paid appropriately for that
>>>> task.  What he does not do is sell alarm monitoring to avoid a conflict
>>>> with his "real" employer.
>>>>
>>>> This all sounds very fair to me.  He does say "pick an alarm monitoring
>>>> company that won't "lock out" your panel and prevent you from switching
>>>> later".
>>>>
>>>> In short how do you know if a company is engaged in that practice
>>>> (obviously I can ask).  This sounds very shady to me especially if I
>>>> own the equipment.
>>>>
>>>> Thanks for any comments.
>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>>
>
>