Alarm and CCTV installer for small businesses

Shop owners, restaurants, offices, warehouses, property managers and monitoring companies.

Quoted project fees for each install, plus service calls, upgrades and maintenance contracts. Subcontract work for alarm companies adds steady jobs at agreed rates.

• Running cable and fitting wired systems neatly
• Quoting jobs and managing customers
• Basic networking and recorder setup

• Security installer licensing varies by province, so check your provincial regulator before taking jobs
• Wiring and low-voltage rules may require electrical certification in some provinces, so verify this locally
• Commercial general liability and possibly errors and omissions insurance
• WCB or WSIB coverage once you hire help (rules differ by province)
• Vehicle, tools and stock costs are higher, and customers may pay on invoice terms, so plan your cash flow
• Your installs hold sensitive information about customers' premises, so handle codes and footage carefully

Estimates suggest startup costs typically around $8,000 to $30,000, depending on your vehicle, tools and stock. Vehicle, tools and stock costs are higher for this business than for a home-focused installer, so price them carefully.

Things to check: security installer licensing with your provincial regulator, electrical certification for wiring and low-voltage work in your province, commercial general liability and possibly errors and omissions insurance, and WCB or WSIB coverage once you hire help.

Estimates suggest monthly revenue typically around $4,000 to $18,000, depending on your jobs and any subcontract work. It is estimated at a minimum of about 25 hours a week. Customers may pay on invoice terms, so plan your cash flow.