A 27-year-old NYC locksmith built a 24-hour business after a $7,000 tool bet

Sahar Yona’s small business runs on missed sleep, fast calls and a trunk full of tools. The 27-year-old New York City locksmith says a $7,000 investment helped turn a trade she entered with no hands-on experience into a round-the-clock company.

Yona, founder of Locksmith Girl of NYC, told CNBC she keeps two phones and a laptop next to her bed at night with the volume up so she can respond whenever a customer calls. She works on residential and commercial locks and says she stays available 24 hours a day because, as an independent operator, each job can help her build revenue and repeat demand.

She launched the business under its current name in July 2025, according to CNBC. In January, when work was slower, she posted a TikTok telling women in New York to contact her if they felt unsafe having men come to pick their locks at night. Yona told CNBC the video drew more than 600,000 views.

Since then, she says demand has climbed to as many as 60 jobs a week, from both men and women. On her busiest day this summer, Yona told CNBC she worked from 4 a.m. until 1 a.m. the following morning.

A trade business with low overhead, but costly tools

Yona declined to disclose her income to CNBC, saying her rates vary by how difficult each job is. She said she now makes more as a business owner than she did while working as a subcontractor for larger locksmith companies. Job site Indeed lists the average annual locksmith salary in New York at $82,161.

The startup math is part of the appeal. Jennifer Richards, a fourth-generation locksmith in Hickory, North Carolina, told CNBC that many locksmiths work alone and can start without a storefront or staff. The main upfront costs are equipment such as locks, drills and key-cutting machines, Richards said.

Yona told CNBC she spent $7,000 on her initial tools. A business like this can still be demanding: without employees to cover calls, more customer interest can translate directly into longer hours for the owner.

How Yona got into locksmithing

Yona entered the field after working at her father’s Muay Thai studio in 2021, according to CNBC. She interviewed for a receptionist role at a locksmith office, and the person interviewing her, who later became her mentor, suggested she had the personality for field work and should pursue a locksmith license, Yona said.

She told CNBC she had never used a screwdriver before starting. She spent two years training, applying for her license and buying tools, then worked around New York City as a subcontractor to build experience.

As a subcontractor, Yona said her hours and income were more predictable. She also said she dealt with misogyny from customers, colleagues and bosses in a field where her co-workers were men. She decided to work for herself in November 2024, according to CNBC.

More women are entering the field

The locksmith trade remains heavily male. Women account for less than 1% of more than 5 million U.S. installation, maintenance and repair workers, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. A spokesperson for ALOA Security Professionals Association told CNBC that more women than ever are becoming locksmiths.

Richards, an ALOA member and instructor, told CNBC that more women have taken her classes over the past three years. She said the work can suit mechanically inclined women who want to own a business, and that a lighter touch can help when feeling the movement inside a lock.

Yona told CNBC she still follows strict client-screening habits she learned as a subcontractor. Before accepting a job, she says she asks for a photo or video of the lock and speaks with the customer by phone.

The schedule leaves little separation between work and personal time. Yona told CNBC she feels guilty during breaks, avoids being too far from her car and sometimes brings friends along to calls if she gets contacted during dinner. She has also started looking at possible storefront space for Locksmith Girl of NYC, according to CNBC.

This story draws on original reporting from CNBC.