Tracking business - UK/EU
Discussion
Hello gents, first time posting in this section I think.
I've got the opportunity to start up a business here in the UK/EU with a friend. He works in private security in Afghanistan and has a suite of very sophisticated tracking devices that he uses out there for a variety of things. He's in the process of vastly expanding the service and needs someone over here to handle launching/expanding the business this end. That's me, potentially.
In a nutshell; we have a range of tracking devices ranging from the boggo cig packet sized wired devices through to ultra modern items that can be woven into fabrics etc. Some are passive trackers (pinging out info such as long/lat position, altitude, speed if moving etc every 6/12/24 hrs) and others are active, the kind of thing you'd see on a movie where you can watch in real time as someone wanders down a street.
We also have a 24/7 ops room based in Dubai monitoring all active tracking devices and manned exclusively with Brits, all ex service personnel. The service is global.
What I'm considering is the possible avenues where we can sell to the UK/EU market. It works on a yearly subscription basis (no/little charge for the hardware, £xxx per month subscription depending on which service/tracker is used).
In my mind I'm thinking of targeting two separate areas;
1) The quasi militarised market: arms manufacturers, private security outfits operating here, possibly the private sector market of transport of irradiated kit from hospitals etc. (note specifically not MOD related stuff as they don't accept a 3rd party having access to tracking data).
2) The high asset value market: those people involved in the sales, transport and storage of mega bucks items such as art, jewels, vintage Ferraris etc.
As I'm an inquisitive soul I'm just interested in what people's thoughts are in general about whether such a market exists. I think it does but then I'm very happy to be proved wrong before too much time, effort and dosh is thrown into it.
I'm quite excited about the prospects but have got a fair bit of learning to do on what competition is out there, methods of selling the idea etc.
Any thoughts or general feedback would be very welcome.
Cheers all.
I've got the opportunity to start up a business here in the UK/EU with a friend. He works in private security in Afghanistan and has a suite of very sophisticated tracking devices that he uses out there for a variety of things. He's in the process of vastly expanding the service and needs someone over here to handle launching/expanding the business this end. That's me, potentially.
In a nutshell; we have a range of tracking devices ranging from the boggo cig packet sized wired devices through to ultra modern items that can be woven into fabrics etc. Some are passive trackers (pinging out info such as long/lat position, altitude, speed if moving etc every 6/12/24 hrs) and others are active, the kind of thing you'd see on a movie where you can watch in real time as someone wanders down a street.
We also have a 24/7 ops room based in Dubai monitoring all active tracking devices and manned exclusively with Brits, all ex service personnel. The service is global.
What I'm considering is the possible avenues where we can sell to the UK/EU market. It works on a yearly subscription basis (no/little charge for the hardware, £xxx per month subscription depending on which service/tracker is used).
In my mind I'm thinking of targeting two separate areas;
1) The quasi militarised market: arms manufacturers, private security outfits operating here, possibly the private sector market of transport of irradiated kit from hospitals etc. (note specifically not MOD related stuff as they don't accept a 3rd party having access to tracking data).
2) The high asset value market: those people involved in the sales, transport and storage of mega bucks items such as art, jewels, vintage Ferraris etc.
As I'm an inquisitive soul I'm just interested in what people's thoughts are in general about whether such a market exists. I think it does but then I'm very happy to be proved wrong before too much time, effort and dosh is thrown into it.
I'm quite excited about the prospects but have got a fair bit of learning to do on what competition is out there, methods of selling the idea etc.
Any thoughts or general feedback would be very welcome.
Cheers all.
The problem I think you will have is that I, now, can open up a web page and find the location of any ship or aircraft worldwide in real time, without having to know how it works. Or find the time of the next bus at a particular point in London. Most of the time tracking can be pretty low level (Sat Nav for instance) and the users can get most of the info for free. If my mid value car get's stolen and the device has already been fitted I can have the Police find it with a passive, subscription based tracking system, that already exists.
So I think you will need to target the high net worth individuals that need a 24/7 tracking solution. Do such people exist? Could you for instance get a car manufacturer to build one of your devices into the fabric of their cars? I don't know.
As for point 2. Here's a starting point for you. http://www.antiquestradegazette.com/essential-info... but again how do you fit a tracking device to a four hundred year old vase, or will the insurers accept a solution that just means you can track the packing case but not the item.
Sorry not much help.
ETA. A couple of other thoughts.
Presumably your equipment is at it's best tracking that most elusive of quarry, good old Homo sapiens? So there might be a market in the tracking of criminals tags for instance. Or not Europe, but I watched an interview with this guy the other day. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Leakey he is passionate about preserving the African wildlife, specifically protecting the Elephants and Rhinos from poachers. You might also find some joy in the protecting children of high net worth individuals from kidnappers?
So I think you will need to target the high net worth individuals that need a 24/7 tracking solution. Do such people exist? Could you for instance get a car manufacturer to build one of your devices into the fabric of their cars? I don't know.
As for point 2. Here's a starting point for you. http://www.antiquestradegazette.com/essential-info... but again how do you fit a tracking device to a four hundred year old vase, or will the insurers accept a solution that just means you can track the packing case but not the item.
Sorry not much help.
ETA. A couple of other thoughts.
Presumably your equipment is at it's best tracking that most elusive of quarry, good old Homo sapiens? So there might be a market in the tracking of criminals tags for instance. Or not Europe, but I watched an interview with this guy the other day. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Leakey he is passionate about preserving the African wildlife, specifically protecting the Elephants and Rhinos from poachers. You might also find some joy in the protecting children of high net worth individuals from kidnappers?
Edited by 951TSE on Wednesday 30th December 18:39
Gassing Station | Business | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff