Editor’s Note: Kelly Bond’s series “What Keeps Security Business Owner’s Up At Night” features an alarm or integrating business owner. The interview-style article will focus on the most challenging aspects of their business while offering insight on the measures taken to address and effectively overcome these obstacles.
Featuring: John Loud, LOUD Security
By: Kelly Bond, Davis Mergers & Acquisitions
Running a business is often a rewarding endeavor, but it also comes with its own set of challenges and stressors that can lead to sleepless nights. Especially for security business owners who work 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Business owners juggle multiple responsibilities, from managing finances to ensuring customer satisfaction, and the weight of these duties can create significant anxiety. Over the next few months, I will highlight different owners who will share what is causing them to lose sleep and how they are dealing with it.
This month I am talking with my long-time friend and fellow ESA volunteer, John Loud, founder and President of LOUD Security Systems based in Kennesaw, GA. LOUD Security Systems has been in business since 1995 and serves the Atlanta area where they offer installation and monitoring services to both the commercial and residential industry segments.
What’s one thing that you find keeps you up at night?
While we have worked hard over the recent years to overcome our software and process challenges, today I would say I am completely focused on expanded growth opportunities. There are so many services we offer which are top notch including service, installation and monitoring but we have not achieved more crossed based selling. The challenge is letting our existing customers be aware of the full suite of products and services we can help them with.
How have you worked to overcome it?
We have always communicated with our subscribers via email, social media and some traditional advertising partnerships. To overcome this challenge, we have been focused on developing an inside sales team with outbound calls and communication to check in on them and share some other services which would make best sense given that we know what they currently have and could benefit from.
How has this been received?
Lots of voicemails….But also overwhelming positive response and appreciation for us checking in. It has certainly fostered a lot of good will and some new sales opportunities.
What advice do you offer other business owners?
Make a concentrated effort to get out and replace/update ALL of your yard signs and stickers at your commercial and residential sites of service. You will appear as if you just picked up new clients all over the place. Fresh new stickers and signs greatly represent you and your brand.
How did you budget to add new signs and decals – both from the cost of the product but also from a travel and people expense?
The initial cost was certainly in ordering thousands of signs and stickers. We worked with our monitoring center to identify a heat map location of our subscribers. We then organized those into a ZIP Code including the last four digits to deploy a high amount of concentrated manpower to replace and refresh yard signs and stickers.
The overall investment is just like any company that would allocate money towards a marketing initiative.
Remember, this is our brand, our logo and we wanted to look as fresh and crisp as we possibly could. The process made it appear that we had massive amounts of new subscribers in certain areas, as many of the existing signs had either faded or been damaged or eliminated throughout the years.
So when you think about the overall material and labor cost to deploy this initiative, you just have to come up with what your budget would be to establish a marketing campaign that you might think could be impactful.
Another tip would be to become a member of your state low voltage/alarm/fire association. They are investing in your and your industry.
You should attend and learn from others in our industry. For example, join ESA (Electronic Security Association) and come to Atlanta for ESX 2025, June 16-19. I assure you, the classes will give you a fantastic return on your investment. Leaders from security companies around the country will share their insights and expertise throughout the sessions which will be available to all attendees, and this will help you grow and develop a stronger business. Participating in events like ESX is one of ways I have learned and used all the benefits of attending to grow my company over the past 29 years.
Much like John, small business owners grapple with a variety of challenges that can disrupt their sleep—ranging from financial pressures and competition to customer satisfaction and employee management. Acknowledging these stressors is the crucial first step toward finding solutions. By seeking support through mentorship, networking, or professional guidance, owners can lighten their load and foster a healthier work-life balance. Tackling these issues directly can pave the way for a more sustainable and successful business journey.
Thank you, John, for sharing your insights. Stay tuned for next month’s article.
About Kelly:
Kelly Bond brings over twenty-five years of industry experience to her clients. Newly inducted into the Security Sales and Integration Hall of Fame in 2024 at ISC West, she currently serves as Partner with Davis Mergers and Acquisitions Group, representing buyers and sellers of Alarm and Integration companies.
About John:
Since 1995, John’s primary focus has been the establishment and growth of LOUD Security Systems. Coming from humble beginnings, John established LOUD Security systems in 1995 in the basement of his home. Currently, LOUD Security now staffs over 60 employees while servicing approximately 11,000 customers. Originally from Boston, John’s positive influence goes beyond the company doors, lending his time to dozens of professional and community organizations. His many roles within the industry have included President of the Georgia Electronic Life Safety and Security Association and Chairman of the Electronic Security Association (ESA). He has worn many hats throughout his career: hockey player, comedy club manager, Delta flight attendant, community volunteer and entrepreneur.