Event and venue security team

Event organisers, pubs and venues, village halls, market operators, wedding venues and private hosts.

You charge an hourly rate per guard, usually with a minimum shift length. Your margin is the difference between what you charge and what you pay each guard.

• Calm and confident with the public
• Reliable and well organised
• Good at handling conflict without escalating it
• Basic admin and invoicing

• Anyone doing licensable security work generally needs a valid SIA licence, so check this for every guard you use
• Check whether using self-employed guards is treated as supplying them, and whether further SIA business requirements apply to you
• Public liability insurance, and employer's liability insurance if you take on employees
• Venues and organisers may have their own licensing conditions, so check what they expect from security
• Late-night work and conflict carry personal risk, so plan for safety and clear incident records

Startup costs are typically around £600 to £3,000, depending on licensing fees, insurance and equipment. Treat this as an estimate, and check current costs for each guard's licence and your cover before you start.

Monthly revenue is typically around £800 to £5,000, depending on how many events and venue shifts you book and how many guards you add. This is an estimate of turnover, before paying guards and covering insurance.

Anyone doing licensable security work generally needs a valid SIA licence, so check this for every guard you use. Also check whether using self-employed guards is treated as supplying them, and whether further SIA business requirements apply to you.