Free Home Security Systems - A Historical Perspective

Let me just preface this article by pointing out the fact that Professional Grade Security Equipment is not inexpensive. Never has been, probably never will be.

It can cost a lot of money to properly secure a home or business. It is not at all unusual for homeowners to invest thousands of dollars in their Security Systems. So just how do companies afford to give them away? I can tell you how it happened in my little slice of the world.

Many years ago, some associates and I were on the forefront of a new and emerging business model in the Security Industry. We discovered that there were companies willing to pay really good money for alarm system monitoring contracts.

At that point in time, we were in the business of selling Security Alarm Systems to homeowners and small businesses. We were charging about $ 1,000.00 for equipment and installation for the average sized home.

Without giving away my age, we are speaking in 1990 dollars, so you might need to adjust for inflation to get the real picture. I will say it again, Security Systems are not cheap.

In addition to the cost of the installation, our customers were required to sign a 3-year contract for our alarm monitoring service. At that time, we were offering the monitoring service at $ 19.95 a month.

A now defunct company out of Texas approached us with a proposition. If we sent our monitored accounts to their central station and had our customers sign their 36-month monitoring contract, they were willing to pay us 30 times the monthly fee.

The proverbial light went off! We were in a highly competitive market in which about a dozen companies struggled for market share. All of our competitors were charging fees that were pretty close to the same, which made it difficult to gain a competitive advantage.

We reasoned that with our new found Texas connection, we could offer our basic Security System Package at $ 299.00 for installation and $ 24.95 a month for monitoring and still earn the same amount of money on each system. Affordable Security!

Suddenly we were 1/3 the price of our competition and of course being young, assertive and totally oblivious to the future, we immediately embarked on an aggressive new marketing strategy. Radio and television ads, mass marketing campaigns, bulk mailers, boiler rooms and door knockers replaced our phone book advertising.

We go from 6 or 7 installations a week to well over 40. The money was great and the closing ratio was phenomenal. Orders were rolling in as quickly as we could set appointments.

Our competitors catch on quickly and get their own Texas connection. They call us out and drop their price to $ 199.00; we fire back and drop ours to $ 99.00. The war is on.

We rent a display booth at the local Parade of Homes. A giant sign coaxes visitors to sign up for a drawing for a ?free home security system?. Hard candy and cold water to close the deal and we received over a thousand entry forms in a little over a week.

Well let me tell you, that was one heck of a drawing. All the winner had to do to claim their prize was commit to a 3-year monitoring agreement at $ 29.95 per month.

Over the next few weeks, we discovered that we could give away a free ?basic? security system to everyone who entered our drawing and still make money.

The rest as they say, Is History.

Roy Stephenson is a Security Consultant with over 21 Years Experience Designing and Installing High End Integrated Security Systems. He is currently the VP of Marketing at http://www.Security-Kits.Com & http://www.EZWatchstore.com.

Save Money On Your Home Security System

One of the largest and fastest growing consumer markets are home security systems. From city dwellers to farmers, home security systems provide residents with the security and peace of mind that they seek when away from home or at night when they are most vulnerable to break-ins and attacks. This lucrative market can get very pricey for consumers, but it doesn't have to be that way if you follow several important tips as outlined below.

The thought of having one's home ransacked while away or, worse, while sleeping at night is the ultimate feeling of being violated. While most crime is fairly widespread, many crooks will sweep through a neighborhood and break into several homes over the course of a few nights. Particularly during the summer when many homeowners are away, scores of houses can get hit before the police are able to establish a pattern. Fortunately, when homes are equipped with an alarm system, the police are immediately notified and patrol cars are dispatched. The more homes equipped with alarm systems, the greater the chance that crooks will be caught or stopped in their tracks.

Most home security systems come with a wall mounted keypad that controls vulnerable break in sections of your home including doorways, windows, and through the garage and/or by way of the basement. Typically, you will have to sign a one year contract in order to receive the best benefits including receiving the keypad for free and/or one or two months free with your purchase.

Before signing any contract determine if there is an escape clause that allows you to cancel the contract if unsatisfied with it for whatever reason. If there isn't an escape clause you could end up being stuck with a system that is inferior or doesn't offer the level of protection you seek such as an automatic call to the authorities to check out your home.

One big advantage of a home security systems is that most insurance companies will give you a deduction of ten percent or more off of your homeowner?s policy. In addition, you can save more money if you sign up with a plan that offers a coupon through a mass mailing or via a newspaper advertisement. Altogether, you may be able to reduce the cost of a security system by as much as one third if you shop around, aggressively compare plans, and take the insurance discount.

Jeff is the owner of Homeowner Loan Guide one of the Uk?s leading secured loan quote providers. If you are searching for that low rate on a secured loan then visit our site today for a free no obligation quote. We provide great rates that compate to leading lenders like Abey National.

The Perfect Home Security Solution

Are you looking into the different ways of securing your home? Are you having problems with the local youths or other members of the public? Do you feel unsafe in your own home? A few months ago I would have answered yes to all of these three questions, I have however now found the perfect solution, a solution which I write about in this article.

For the past couple of years I have had various problems with certain people who live around where I do. They were mainly the young local kids who even though they may be bored and have not much to do should not be annoying me as much as they did. They would manage to climb into our back garden and on many occasions attempted to break into the shed. When approached by myself or another member of the family, they would be very cheeky, rude and cocky, it was as if they had some sort of right to be in the garden etc. Many a time did we call the police who admitted that they were basically powerless to do anything. One policeman actually stated that he would love to give some of them a good hiding just like they used to in the old days, his words not mine, but that they were no longer allowed to do so. I agreed that at times I wanted to give a few of them a bit of a clip around the ear, he again stated that this was also not allowed!

This policeman in an off the cuff comment advised that I should get some sort of guard dog, that will stop them, he stated. What a good idea I thought to myself and a few weeks later I was the proud owner of a great big dog which I called Cassie.

Cassie when hearing anyone around or anywhere near the house would immediately start barking loudly. It was as if she was very angry that people had even dared to go near her area and home etc. What a perfect animal and pet, not only is she loving, loyal, funny and superb at catching and fetching the ball, she is also a form of security for our house. Those same youths do not bother us anymore.

Stephen Hill helps to promote a number of websites including:

stuttering advice

stutter treatments

stutter cure

 

Protecting Your Home: Outdoor Security Cameras

As a home owner, it is your number one priority to keep your family safe from harm. Proper measures must be taken to ensure that intruders cannot just come and go from your home, especially during nighttime.

Aside from your material possessions, your home is where you and your family share the most memorable moments in your everyday life and you should take steps to prevent thieves and intruders from physically getting into your house.

One of the most effective ways in making sure that the perimeter of your house is adequately protected is by installing a home security system. You can setup the alarms and monitoring system yourself, or you can have it professionally installed.

Take a peek at this checklist when installing a security system in your home:

- Install burglar alarms and motion detectors in strategic areas within your house.

- Mount mechanical locks and motion sensors to alert you of intruders.

- Place fire alarms in the kitchen or in other areas within the house where excessive heat or smoke would most likely gather.

- Windows and doors are alarm 'must-haves'. Your home security system will not be complete without locks and alarms on your doors and numerous windows.

- Your garage and the vehicles stored there should have proper alarm and anti-theft devices.

'Outdoor Security Cameras'

Aside from the entrance, exit and windows within the house itself, the area surrounding your home should be protected as well.

For the best security system possible, you can have outdoor security cameras installed.

Outdoor security cameras are not just good for home use. They are especially helpful when mounted on public places like shops, banks, restaurants, office buildings and other similar establishments.

When looking for an outdoor security camera for home and office use, here are the following factors that you should take into consideration:

1. Is the security camera waterproof?

Since the cameras will be installed outdoors, they are most likely to be exposed to harsh weather conditions. Make sure that the cameras that you will purchase will survive rain, snow or sleet.

Your outdoor security cameras can come with sun shades to protect the equipment from too much sunlight during day time. Also, the material should be tough enough to last through varying weather conditions.

2. Is it suitable for day and night use?

A run-of-the-mill, inexpensive camera may be good enough for day use. However, they are not helpful at all when detecting intruders during night time.

When having outdoor security cameras installed on your home or in an office, get one that is good for night use as well. There are brands available in the market which are inexpensive yet effective. There are models available which give out colored images during day time. Black and white images are captured when there is insufficient light as the day progresses.

3. Does it have sufficient vision range?

The main purpose of the outdoor security camera is to visually alert you if there is an intruder within the secured area. There are cameras with sufficient vision range, from about 24 feet or more during nighttime.

4. Is it easy to setup and install?

The outdoor security cameras should be easy to setup and install. Also, they must easily connect to either a television set, a monitor or a VCR for viewing and recording purposes.

You can make use of outdoor security cameras to ensure that your home or office is safe from thieves and intruders. Peace of mind and feeling secure in any environment is priceless. Home security is something that should not be taken for granted to make sure that you and your loved ones are safe from harm.

Dave Poon is an accomplished writer who specializes in the latest in Alarm Security Systems. For more information regarding Outdoor Security Cameras please drop by at http://www.alarmsystemworld.com/

Door Chains Hold Weak Link to Home Security

Ever since the first mechanical wood locks were born some 4000 years ago in Egypt, we have been on a steady mission to improve lock technology. In today's world we would no sooner consider installing a 4000 year old lock on our home than writing a letter to aunt Martha in Hieroglyphics.

So why is it we still install inferior locking devices on our homes? Locking devices I'm sure wouldn't meet the Egyptian's standards of 4000 years ago. I'm talking about cheap door chains, the single worst security device you could install on your home.

There's something about this 1950's mindset we can't seem to eradicate from our minds. Gone are the Edsels, hi fi's and saddle shoes, but door chains have stood the test of time. After thousands of warnings from security professionals and police officers, consumers still toss these useless blister packs in their shopping carts.

Part of the problem is availability with just about every hardware store carrying this inexpensive item on the same shelf as their home security wares. In fact, cheap chains are not even recognized as home security products by most security professionals.

Don't assume a couple of 1/2 inch screws and a light gauge metal chain are going to come between you and the bad guys. If you open your door on these inferior links, you will not only be jeopardizing your safety, but will be placing your family's safety in harms way as well.

I've been in homes where the owners had every door and window secured properly, installed all the proper lighting and had all the exterior shrubbery trimmed to expose the sight lines, but failed the test because they installed a weak, useless chain on the front door. All it would take is one good shove from a burglar to either pull the hardware away from the wall or snap the chain in two.

Cheap chains are nothing more than an excuse to open your door to a potentially dangerous situation. Why not remove these inadequate devices and eliminate the risk of a home invasion. If you inherited a chain from a previous owner, remove it right away, before any bad habits are picked up from your family members.

Replace door chains with door viewers with a radius of 180 to 200 degrees to give maximum optics. Try and purchase a door viewer or peep hole with a cover that falls in front of the inside lenses to restrict intruders from using a reverse lenses to view inside your home from the outside. When you want to view who's at your door, simply move the cover to the side and look through the door viewer.

If you have a thicker pocket book, consider a Video entry system for your home's front door area. Video entry systems are audio/visual security systems that use sophisticated infrared technology to give you a clear, wide-angle view of the area around your front door, even in near-total darkness. These video systems enable you to see who is at your front door through a four-inch color monitor that turns on automatically when the door bell rings.

Frank Fourchalk is widely recognized for his sustained commitment to education in Home and Business security throughout North America as a result of his syndicated newspaper columns. Mr. Fourchalk has written for The Toronto Star, The Vancouver Province, and several other daily newspapsers including the New York Post.

For more information on your home security check out =>http://www.yourhomesecurity.ca

 

Direct Mail Marketing to Sell Home Security Systems

Many businesses do extremely well when using direct mail marketing techniques to sell their wares and goods or drive traffic to their retail establishments. But the best direct mail marketing companies sell products and services for the home. In fact the industry surveys show that those companies, which sell home products have a 35% greater return on investment for their direct mail marketing coupon package expenses.

Why do you suppose this is? Well consider that you are advertising into the home with direct mail marketing and if you are selling services or products for the home you have their attention. Of all the businesses who say that they get the most out of direct mail; most are services like pool cleaning, landscaping, deck washing and best of all home alarm systems, as it rated better than all the rest.

Also on the list are patio enclosed decks, shutters and driveway resurfacing. So if you are selling any kind of product or service for the home it makes sense to get your advertising into the home where it will do the most good. Remember this and if you are selling home security systems, this is the best place to advertise, so consider this in 2006.

Lance Winslow, a retired entrepreneur, adventurer, modern day philosopher and perpetual tourist.