Start an Event Security Guard Company

Event organizers, venues, bars and clubs, promoters, wedding and party hosts, and local community groups.

Hourly rate per guard, usually with a minimum number of hours per event, billed to the organizer. You pay guards a lower hourly wage and keep the difference.

• Managing people and crowds calmly
• Organizing a call list of reliable guards
• Networking with venues and event planners
• Clear communication

• State licensing for security companies and guards, which varies; check with your state's licensing board
• Some cities and venues set their own rules for event security, so check with your city or county and the venue
• Insurance for events is often a requirement for venues; check what coverage clients expect
• Irregular work: evenings and weekends, and busy seasons followed by quiet periods
• Check how your state classifies guards for payroll, workers' compensation and taxes

Estimates put startup costs at typically around $3,000 to $12,000, depending on your state's licensing requirements, the insurance venues expect and how you build your pool of guards. Check what coverage your clients require before you buy a policy.

Estimated monthly revenue is typically around $1,500 to $8,000, depending on how many events you staff. Work is irregular, with evenings and weekends, and busy seasons can be followed by quiet periods, so plan your cash flow.

Check state licensing for security companies and guards, which varies, with your state's licensing board. Some cities and venues set their own event security rules, so check with your city or county and the venue. Also check how your state classifies guards for payroll.