Security Business Idea.

[EXECUTIVE]

Long time lurker, first time poster here.

My work (skateboard shop) has been broken into 2 times in the last 3 weeks. The owners are considering getting getting a security camera inside and outside of the store.

Their issue is related to space. They do not have enough space or money to purchase bulky security equipment.

I was thinking of a solution to this problem. I thought maybe if we can set up cameras, but have the video recorded and stored to a 3rd party server (In my home).

I would have the video recorded and saved to my server which would be accessible to the client at their call.

I was thinking that I could supply the cameras to businesses in similar positions and offer my hosting services so they don't need to have equipment in store.



Just a quick idea with no real thought put in yet. Currently thinking how I would get the video stream to my server...

Any comments and or suggestions on this idea?

Thanks,
Will.

[akula]

It's an interesting opportunity
good problem definition
on the solution side, I can't imagine it being to difficult to install webcams in shops that store their stream on third party servers.
many IT guys on this forum would be able to advise on the issue.
I think the opportunity is a goer.

Make up some questionnaires and start passing them around town to retailers.
I'm sure most of the retailers who have security footage don't want the hassle of looking after it, but at the same time, they need the security footage for theft prevention and/or insurance purposes

I think you're onto something...get those questionnaires filled, then use the stack of completed surveys to get trade credit from an IT supplier who can get the solution rolled out

in terms of the target market...I'd assume that you want to go niche and identify your best customers...those customers which are most at risk of large scale theft or unauthorised access...warehouses, banks etc..maybe even casinos...or city councils monitoring violence hotspots in CBD's

hmmmm would have to think more about who the best customers for this opportunity would be...probably local city councils

other than that, at the distribution level, I suppose there would be security firms out there who could include your service as part of their offering

[generationy]

Sounds like an excellent idea. Crude but effective. You are essentially providing monitoring services like Brinks or ADT etc. That can be very profitable for you especially as you expand and grow the business into a bigger company. I'd say make sure you have a setup that has 99% or better uptime to keep your customers satisfied. Besides that, bootstrap as much as possible. Check out the blog section on youngentrepreneur.com for an excellent article on bootstrapping. Good luck!

[qvalpro]

Actually, we have some chips in the market that offers this solution and this sounds like a good idea

[softwaretailor]

thanks for share

[mattnelson]

I looked into this a while ago. Your idea is good as there is the potential for an ongoing service fee, however its a lot of work and risk. Also DVR's these days are really small, like the size of a dvd player and smaller still so there should be room