The mainstay of the business is surveillance work. In other words, secretly following, observing and filming individuals suspected of wrong- doing. A typical example is husbands or wives suspected of being unfaithful! Another key market is to investigate unauthorised staff absence and the misuse of company time and property for employers. Insurers and employers concerned about the legitimacy of a particular claimant will often employ a Private Investigator to find out exactly how incapacitated that person really is. Just recently Steve was monitoring a ' Target' ( trade lingo for the bloke you're following) who was unable to work due to an alleged back injury; only to find him playfully swinging his little girl above his head! Video footage of something like this is hard to argue with - and as you can imagine the repercussions can be very serious for the individual found cheating either his employer or insurance company. So what's it like being an Investigator? What time do you wake up? Steve is quick to point out the real question is likely to be in which city do you wake up? And - he tells me - his days are enormously varied and complex. And he should know. He's been in the business for 20 years. But what if things go wrong - I asked - does that ever happen? That's when Steve told me about " the essential items that every Investigator should carry". The mainstay of the business is surveillance work. In other words, secretly following, observing and filming individuals suspected of wrong- doing. Steve Rees talks to The Handshake about why he spent last Saturday afternoon dressed in just his underpants, hiding in a transit van in Cardiff.. Mention the word Private Investigator and most people will think of fast car chases, exotic locations and dangerous assignments. But Steve Rees - a real life Private Investigator and Business Network member - says the reality is often far more down to earth. Steve runs Herald Services, a Private Investigation Agency in Llanelli. His work is in demand across the country - but his goal is to increase his number of local clients, so he can travel less and spend more time with his family. Most businesses are familiar with KPIs ( Key Performance Indicators) - which are usually based around sales or profit. But Steve's KPI was invented by his wife, and involves the number of nights per annum he actually spends at home! A few years ago he was spending around 135 nights away - working in London and all over the country. That number is closer to 70 now but his wife's target for him is 50! So come on - let's do what we can to help. 3 day in the life of a PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR

Firstly - cash in the form of pound coins. Why? You're following someone from their home address on foot. You manage to stay with them. Then - unexpectedly - they get on a bus. You have no change - the bus driver won't let you on - and you lose " the target". Game over! The same is true of Oyster Cards. Working in London, its pretty much standard issue stuff for a Private Investigator to have one of these as they give you access to the Tube network. Get caught without one and when your ' target' dashes into a tube station and zips through the barrier with his card, you could be left queuing for tickets while the target vanishes into the underground. Again - game over But the essential item I liked best was the change of clothes. Despite having a massive arsenal of technological devices at his disposal - from specialist cameras to covert air vented vehicles - the basic things like clothing are still important. Steve tells me about last Saturday. It was hot in the back of the van from where he had been clandestinely filming a married woman and her boyfriend meeting in a suburb of Cardiff. To be fair it hadn't been hot when Steve had gone to the location, hours before. But as time passed, while he had waited for the couple to appear, the sun had just got hotter and hotter. Before long, Steve had no choice but to strip off. He ended up carrying out the filming from inside the sweltering van dressed in only his underpants! You'd think it couldn't get any worse - but then the couple headed for a nearby restaurant, and our Private Investigator was faced with the necessity of a quick change of clothes. After all - even the cheapest of establishments rarely take kindly to a sweaty man in his underpants asking for table for one by the posh couple in the corner! You'd think it couldn't get any worse - but then the couple headed for a nearby restaurant, and our Private Investigator was faced with the necessity of a quick change of clothes. After all - even the cheapest of establishments rarely take kindly to a sweaty man in his underpants asking for table for one by the posh couple in the corner! So now you know. If you want to be Private Investigator you need three things 1) loose change 2) a travel card and 3) spare clothes. And, from what I could tell you'll also need a lot of courage, patience, expertise, equipment and experience too! Steve works for private individuals, companies in general, insurance companies and solicitors. You can contact him on 0845 555 5044 and find out more at www. heraldservices. co. uk ... even the cheapest of establishments rarely take kindly to a sweaty man in his underpants... 4 day in the life of a PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR