I worked for an intruder alarm company for a short period of time in 1976, and my background was electronics which put me in good stead for this type of work.
In August 1985, I installed an alarm system in my own home as burglary was increasing in our area. I then installed one at my mother's home, then my mother-in-law's — and started getting enquiries from friends and family.
This seemed like an opportunity to start a business, so the first thing I did was get permission from B.T. — without it, I'd have been breaking my contract.
I worked part time until I took voluntary redundancy in 1992 and went full-time self-employed. In 2003, my oldest son Lee left his job in the Isle of Man and joined me in the company. Forty years on, the family is still in it.
