In today’s global economy, it should come as no major surprise that businesses are keeping security utmost in their minds. Property crime always goes up if there is a recession, which there seems to still be, and the United States experiences $40 billion in fraud yearly. This translates into a significant impact for both business owners and taxpayers alike, so why not work towards making your business more secure. The question is, though, how to effectively do that when there are so many options. Whether it’s security of your office network or of the physical goods in your business, security is a concern that will only continue to grow with the passage of time. How, then, can you keep your business safe in today’s climate?
- 1. CCTV:
Closed Circuit Television is certainly one of the most common ways to provide business security without necessarily hiring extra personnel. It used to be that security cameras would provide the sorts of grainy footage of prospective criminals that you’d only see in old 1980s mysteries. That’s no longer the case. Provided you understand the rules involved in placing CCTV cameras – there are rules of evidence to be followed, after all – you can virtually eliminate any issues you may have with your goods going missing with sharp camera footage that can be used in court.
The CCTV camera installer will do a site installation and inspect your business for any possible vulnerabilities on the premises. That will allow him or her to accurately assess where to place the cameras to ensure optimum coverage. They will ensure the field of the camera’s vision is complete and clean and that anything the camera picks up is clear. That will also give you some peace of mind, knowing that there is an extra set of virtual eyes throughout the store, hopefully preventing any issues.
- 2. Access Control:
While not necessarily as helpful as a video security system like CCTV, access control security works wonders for businesses looking to control access to their building. Employees or other personnel looking to get into the building or into a particular section of the building are required to either enter a passcode or swipe their card into a card reader, which then allows them in. If someone breaks in, an alarm goes off. In fact, there are many of these systems which alert the authorities within 30 seconds of the alarm being set off. While these access control systems don’t always have video, their ability to contact authorities almost immediately – as well as effectively restrict access to specific areas of the business – is first rate.
- 3. Wireless:
A wireless security system is ideal for a business looking to move within a short time frame. It’s also ideal should the business’ phone lines be cut. People will be able to effectively dial out and alarms immediately go off if the wireless system detects wrongdoing on the premises.
- 4. Procedures:
No matter how many technological safeties you have in place for your business, there’s no replacement for proper procedures and training for your personnel. Train your people in the procedures to follow when doing a cash drop at night (or during the day, for that matter); if you have women on staff working late, ensure they have an escort to get them to their vehicles in a secure, safe manner so that they aren’t prone to attack. If your business has a lot of cash drawers, as would be the case for a grocery store or other retail outlet, you might want to consider installing pneumatic safes so your people can do a cash drop right at their till. That would, in turn, eliminate the possibility for problems to occur during a cash drop outside the business.
- 5. On-site security:
If you have a larger business, you might want to consider hiring some people that are dedicated to your business’ security. On-site security personnel can do the foot patrols that your people may not have the time for, and can certainly keep an eye out for any sort of security breaches. Having security people directly on site also gives you an extra sense of peace, knowing that your business is secure when your standard staff may not be present due to the business being closed or, if you have a 24 hour business, due to business being a little slower late at night.
Security is definitely a growing concern in today’s global climate. Crime rates always climb during a recession, and with the increasing amount of fraud taking place in businesses on a yearly basis, it’s important for you – and your staff – to take every precaution necessary in order to maintain the security of your business. Your financial future may depend on it.
