Be under no illusion, the authors wrote these top tips purposfully to be short, sharp and thought provoking. They by no means set out to give the reader a blueprint for setting up a business. There are many more comprehensive guides out there but some of those miss the simple tips contained in this book. Simply the authors said, 'What pointers would I have liked to have had when I started in this area of work...' If you are considering setting up as a PI or you are already established, there are tips within these pages that will point you in the right direction, perhaps provide a timely reminder of the things you may already know but have let slide or simply ideas to maximise the many opportunities that exist. But be clear, they are short tips designed to make you think, they are certainly not going to give you all the answers but they will certainly guide you to consider some of the questions you should be asking. Being a PI is a great career to follow but importantly and above all else it is a business not a lifestyle and you must treat it as such. You need a business plan, you need to improve your networking skills and you need to make a profit from providing excellent client care... that's just for starters. Follow the tips in this book and you could be on your way to success in a great business.
About the Author: Ray Castlehow served 13 years in the Royal Air Force in Mechanical Transport. After leaving the RAF he specialised in Road Traffic Accident Investigation. Over several years Ray established his reputation throughout the insurance and legal industries. In 2005 he started North by North West Investigations Ltd. The company has continuously expanded its UK operations to offer a broad range of Private Investigation services alongside its work within the insurance industry on liability and accident fraud cases. In recent years it has grown its commercial investigations portfolio. Ray presents regularly on the topic of Insurance Fraud Investigation. He has written and directed a training DVD to clearly show how staged accidents occur and he is working with the insurance industry and leading developers to launch mobile applications to further assist with vehicle accident fraud prevention. Rick Armstrong has a background in management consultancy, advertising, training and marketing. For two decades he worked in the Middle East. For a time Rick was CEO of a law firm specialising in the laws surrounding the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act, the European Convention on Human Rights, Covert Policing and Anti-Terrorism. Rick has several business interests, he is the founder of Mentor Group, Director of IQ Property Investments and Area Director of BNI. He is an inspirational speaker regularly presenting on topics such as business creation, motivation and leadership skills. He is co-author of The Little Book of Positive Thoughts, The Little Book of Visualisation and the Little Book of Philosophy.