Mobile Security Patrol Service

Small businesses, industrial yards, construction sites, storage lots, condo boards and property managers.

Monthly fee per site or a price per patrol visit, plus call-out fees for alarm responses. Sites close together on one route earn more per hour.

• Calm and observant
• Reliable at night and in winter weather
• Clear report writing
• Dealing with clients and police professionally

• Most provinces require a personal licence for each guard and a separate business or agency licence, so check your provincial regulator before you advertise
• Commercial general liability insurance, and ask whether you also need coverage for vehicles used for business
• Rules on uniforms, vehicle markings and what you may call yourself, which vary by province
• WCB or WSIB coverage once you hire staff
• Night work, winter driving and personal safety, so plan how you will handle a confrontation and when to call police
• Clients may expect fast response, so be clear in contracts about what you will and will not do

Startup costs are estimated at typically around $4,000 to $20,000, depending on your vehicle, insurance, equipment and licensing fees. Budget for the first few months before client contracts are signed and revenue builds.

Monthly revenue is estimated at typically around $1,500 to $8,000, depending on how many client sites and routes you cover and the hours you work. The estimate assumes at least about 15 hours a week.

Check before you advertise. Most provinces require a personal licence for each guard and a separate business or agency licence, so contact your provincial regulator. Also check insurance, uniform and vehicle marking rules, and WCB or WSIB coverage once you hire staff.