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Close Protection Know 30 Secrets Before You Invest In Bodyguarding Training

As an International security consultant who specialises in close protection, I am frequently asked for information from an aspiring bodyguard, or teams of aspiring bodyguards about how to avoid being ripped off by unscrupulous close protection security training companies.

During close to 20 years of active service in providing close protection services and close protection training in 42 countries across 4 continents I have lost count of the number of times I have been asked this question.

I have trained tens of thousands of bodyguards and close protection officers for governments, military special forces, intelligence agencies, law enforcement agencies, security companies and corporate businesses.

As a security consultant I am often tasked with providing seminars and presentations on close protection, and once again this question is always one of the first asked in the question and answer sessions.

I decided to write a series of questions which aspiring bodyguards or close protection teams could ask of any close protection training company offering bodyguard training to fee paying customers. My list is probably not an exhaustive list, but it covers all the main questions you should know the answers to before parting with your financial investment.

Make no bones about it, if you are an aspiring bodyguard looking to enter the close protection industry then you will need the finest close protection security training available.

This bodyguard training is even more relevant if you are considering looking for a bodyguard job in politically high risk destinations, or as a close protection security consultant in one of the world's war zones like Afghanistan.

Professional close protection training delivered by world class close protection companies and bodyguard Instructors is not cheap. That's why I refer to it as an Investment.

To train a 'aspiring bodyguard' in all the aspects required to prepare you for the rigours of extremely high-risk VIP protection operations will cost you anything from £8,000-$12,000 to £12,000-£18,000. Anyone who tells you different doesn't know the VIP protection industry as good as they might think.

Many cowboy companies try to sucker you in on the premise of paying a low cost fee for an initial training programme. Trust me planning your training like this will cost you heavily in finance, time, effort and energy. In my personal experience it's also pre-programmed for failure.

I have worked for numerous close protection companies and bodyguard agencies as an adjunct close protection Instructor and have extensive knowledge of the global close protection industry and all the major professional players providing professional bodyguard training.

My list of 30 Things To Know Before You Invest In Close Protection Training is based on my own personal experience gleaned from the thousands of close protection officers I have trained and worked with.

It is worth noting that there are very few actual reputable close protection training companies around the world. I can in fact count the truly professional companies on two hands.

A tip worth remembering is; never be fobbed off by a close protection training company representative who when asked any of the following questions refuses to answer citing 'security confidentiality' applies.

The technical term for this type of response is, 'bulls**t.' Everyone of the top professional companies I personally know will be more than happy to answer these questions in the full knowledge that no confidentialities will be breached.

Don't allow yourself to be dazzled with close protection jargon or wild promises of a guaranteed bodyguard job, or war stories about how the close protection training companies only utilise for SAS or other special forces instructors for their bodyguard training.

Take it from me, I have personally trained several SAS personnel and lots and lots of other global special forces in close protection skills. The one thing most of them had in common was that they had never received any prior close protection training.

Historically most of the companies who dangle the bodyguard job or bodyguard job Iraq carrot never last. Their bodyguard job offer usually consists of a one night shift as a night club bouncer, or even worse as a 1 day shift following a 'paid surveillance mark around a town centre.'

This is your money you are investing and the very best way to minimise the risk of a bad investment is to conduct a thorough due diligence campaign on prospective close protection security companies.

For some of the less scrupulous bodyguard training companies, you might have to concoct a story which plays to their greed in order to even solicit a response. The best stories are usually legitimate stories, for example I once received the following enquiry from a parent.

"My son is due to leave University and wishes to take up a career in the close protection industry. As a graduation gift my wife and I have agreed to provide him with a £10,000 contribution towards his professional training and the purchase of his basic equipment. How do I know which bodyguard training company is legitimate?"

As a security consultant I suggested he write to each of the close protection companies he had short listed and utilise my close protection know 30 secrets before you invest in bodyguarding training. As follows...

I would like answers to the following questions before I make a decision to invest this figure into your company.

1. How many hours and days of training would it take to qualify as a close protection officer?

2. Do you run 2, 5, 10, 20 or 30 day close protection training programmes?

3. How much is the training per 100 hours?

4. How much is your 2 day training programme?

5. How much is your 5 day training programme?

6. Do these fees include residential accommodation, meals and travel expenses?

7. Do you run a 2 or 5 day introductory training programme?

8. How much is this introductory training programme?

9. Does your close protection training include insurance for your students?

10. How many students attend each individual close protection training programme?

11. Is your executive protection training accredited by any security association?

12. Is your close protection training accredited by the SIA?

13. Do successful graduates of your close protection training programme receive a diploma?

14. How long is your close protection certification valid for?

15. Do you run your close protection training programmes in the UK?

16. Do you run your close protection training programmes overseas?

17. Do you run specialist training programmes for advanced close protection officers?

18. Do you run firearms training programmes for close protection officers?

19. Do you have your own close protection operational jobs division?

20. Do you offer bodyguard jobs to successful graduates of your close protection training programmes?

21. Do you offer a bodyguard association membership?

22. Do you offer a close protection home study training programme/s?

23. Do you offer close protection merchandise like books and DVD's for sale?

24. Do you have a minimum/maximum training age?

25. Do you have fitness entry requirements?

26. Do you have any medical condition restrictions for students?

27. What qualifications do your Instructors have?

28. Do your students have to pass a graduation examination?

29. Do you offer students a career development loan?

30. How long have you been in business?

The British American Security Expert advises: Contact as many executive protection and security companies who offer bodyguard training as possible. Do your research, collate as many responses as possible as you will then be best placed to make an informed decision on which close protection training company to invest your money with.

You are paying for a professional security service, provided hopefully by a professional security consultant or a company of professional security consultants. This security service is just like paying for any other professional service.

For example you wouldn't invest £10,000 in someone who offered you shares in a Nigerian Gold Mine without conducting extensive research into the business and the players running the business.

The British American Security Expert Tip: Given the advance in technology relating to Internet e-commerce sales, most people look to the major on-line price comparison web site players when buying car insurance or holidays or mortgages etc. Think moneysupermarket.com or comparethemarket.com.

These companies have invested in software technology to bring you price and services price comparisons from the one web site. closeprotectiongz.com is likely to be the first executive protection company to offer a detailed comparison of all the reputable executive protection training and security bodyguard companies. Look out soon for this state of the art feature.

Security remains high on the list of global growth industries & executive protection business security is one of the fastest related growth sectors. Many people are looking to enter the security industry as executive protection bodyguards to service the business demand.

Close protection know 30 secrets before you invest in bodyguarding training highlights the secrets you need to know before you invest in security bodyguard executive protection training.

About the Author

Dr. Mark D. Yates The British American Security Expert provides high risk close protection operations, counter terrorism & SWAT training & consultancy in 42 countries. One of the top 5 International protection specialists. Government, military special forces, law enforcement& businesses hire his security expertise. To claim his FREE 52 security tips then visit him at => http://www.closeprotectiongz.com or e-mail him at drmarkdyates@aol.com

I've been filing a business write-off on my personal taxes. How do I close out the business on my tax return?

I am a writer who has filed business write-offs on my personal tax return for 5 years as per the law. I have not made profits in those years. I have been advised by my accountant that tax regulations do not favor my continuing to file business write-off because I have not made a profit so should close out the writing business. How do I go about filing my taxes now? Do I just ignore the past years write offs as thought they were never deductions?

As the other poster mentioned, if you have any income from writing, it will need to be reported, regardless of your write offs. Even if you just report the writing income this year without deducting any related expenses, there's a fairly good chance that you're going to be audited for one of the prior years. You're going to need to prove that you had profit motive for operating this business. Truthfully, I think you're going to have a really hard time proving that your writing was a real business and not a hobby, but that discussion is best left to you and your accountant.

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