When I decided to start a blog, I was excited. In the 20 years I’ve been running Magenta Security, I believe I’ve created something truly special: a security company that leads the industry on multiple fronts and – as anyone who knows me can attest – I love to talk about this industry.
But when I actually sat down and started writing, I didn’t know where to begin.
So I asked myself, what’s at the heart of what I do? What motivates me to get up every morning with the will to push this company – and this entire industry – into new territory?
The answer is simple: people. When you really get down to it, the service a security company provides is people. The happier, more supported and better trained those people are, the higher quality our service is. It’s also simply the right thing to do, as evidenced by the strong community of staff that I have the pleasure of working with.
In a profession often seen as a stop gap job, Magenta Security offers careers. By giving to our staff, they give back. I invest care, support and a fair wage into them, they invest their effort, loyalty and years into Magenta. Most of my staff have been with me for over five years and 8% have been here for over 15.
But it goes broader than just business. I don’t only try to improve the lives of the people within Magenta, I also use my company’s success to help those in need locally, nationally and across the globe.
I believe it is the responsibility of a successful business to invest back into the world through CSR. Our charitable efforts include a local youth football team, a school for the blind in India and water well projects across Africa. We also have an ongoing commitment to children we’ve sponsored in war torn countries, who will have their education and welfare costs paid for the next ten years.
I also think about the people of tomorrow. I want to do my bit to leave them a world that doesn’t rely on polluting fuels and unsustainable infrastructure. Magenta Security is a carbon neutral security company, powered by renewable energy and guided by the principles of reuse, reduce or recycle. It’s yet another subject that I can’t wait to share with you.
There’s a lot that makes Magenta Security special but I would rather we weren’t special. I want the way we do things to be the expected standard. Unfortunately, a lack of regulation in this industry creates loopholes that puts security staff, the businesses they protect and the public at great danger.
With the help of other bona fide security companies, I’m pushing for a complete overhaul in how this industry is licensed and regulated, something the government agreed to pre-election but have since been quiet about for far too long.
The short version of the problem is that while security staff are required to have a license, the companies that employ them don’t. This results in security that are paid exploitative low wages, with no support and no insurance – then when everything goes wrong, the company simply closes up shop, renames and finds new prey.
This has to stop. In future posts, I’ll be going into greater detail about the dangerous state the security industry is in, what legitimate security companies can do to change it and how you can spot a rogue operator who would happily put your business at risk while taking your money.
There’s so much for us to talk about, and I’m glad I took the step to start this blog so that I can speak to you directly. And if you want to talk back with any questions, comments or feedback, please don’t hesitate to get in touch at abbey@magentasecurity.co.uk.
Thanks for reading,
Abbey Petkar
