Stick to the business plan at hand, but don’t be afraid to speak your mind.”
Roger Spearman is the longtime owner of a successful private investigation and security firm – and that’s just in his retirement!
Spearman founded A-1 Private Investigations, LLC to transition out of a 30-year career in law enforcement. He began his career as a University City police officer in 1972 and worked up to lieutenant, attending the FBI National Academy along the way – an opportunity offered to just 10% of law enforcement professionals around the world.
In 2001, Spearman knew he wanted to transition away from his position as lieutenant, but he wasn’t ready for the sharp change of retiring completely. So, he started his own business, opening on Martin Luther King Day to celebrate the latter’s legacy.
“I wanted to emphasize being a minority company...I wanted to show that minorities could do the same thing,” he says. “22 years later, people don’t talk about it as much because we laid the groundwork back in 2001 to make it a natural opportunity to start your own business in the Security Field. At that time, there were only a few in Missouri."
For the company’s first three years, he handled all operations while still working at the police department, getting 3-4 hours of sleep nightly. “I wouldn't recommend that,” he chuckles.
His hard work paid off. A-1 Private Investigations, LLC handled more than 300 cases in its first decade of operation. Today, the firm provides private investigation services such as background checks, fraud investigation, witness interviewing, uniformed security services as well as vetted expert witness testimony for security.
Spearman says that in the early days of his business, there weren’t many minority-owned businesses in his industry in St. Louis. He found that potential clients would often compare him to other minority-owned companies. “If you’re not a minority, it seems like you can walk in and they don't compare you to the last company, they compare based on your skills and what you have to offer,” he says. “I’ve even been told ‘I hope your company is not like the last minority company we had.’...It’s very insulting to go into a new relationship that way.”
His advice to business owners facing similar challenges: “Don’t let the emotions kick you out of an opportunity. Stick to the business plan at hand, but don’t be afraid to speak your mind.”
New ventures can be exciting, but Spearman advises leaders of burgeoning small businesses not to get ahead of themselves. “Do all your research before you open your doors,” he says. Spearman says new businesses should consult a lawyer before starting any other prep work.
He also recommends doing thorough research on industry competitors, completing licensing preemptively and setting up a line of financing before publicly debuting your business.
He emphasizes that you must create your own brand – and part of that is building a reputation of trust by aligning yourself with other trustworthy organizations like the BBB. “Other companies will decide whether they want to do business with you based on your relationship with the BBB,” he says.
Spearman feels that BBB Accreditation and participation on BBB’s Board of Directors, along with other certifications with trusted organizations such as the Department of Homeland Security, have helped build his own brand. These certifications, including the BBB Seal, are displayed on A1 Private Investigations, LLC’s website.
“It gets your name out there...When people see the BBB, Homeland Security and FBI all together, that confirms your capabilities," Spearman says.
