Running a small business can be cumbersome. There are so many things that you have to juggle in one workday. From managing your employees to gaining clients, when you’re starting, the business owner is responsible for many things.
One part of managing a business that you should also care about would be security and safety. Many small businesses can get targeted by burglars and criminals because they think they don’t have the right protection. You don’t want to be vulnerable should that happen to you.
That’s why here are nine essential steps you need to take to improve the security of your small business.
Regulating Access to Your Building
If your place of business is within a building, you should be more stringent with the people you let into your office.
Contact the reception or whoever is the authority when it comes to allowing people into your office. Let them know beforehand if there are people headed to your office so that it’s convenient for your guests.
Regulating access to your building or office doesn’t mean that you should be pickier with who you let in and out of your office. It means that you should have some system with who comes in and out of the office.
By knowing who’s been in and out of your office, you’ll identify who is in the office during critical moments, especially during security issues.
Install an Alarm System
If you don’t have an alarm system installed in your small business’s place of operation, you’re leaving a massive gap in your business’s security. When you have an alarm system installed, it will give you a priceless sense of comfort and safety.
You won’t have to worry when you’re away from your place of business for a while.
Your security system should have alarm contacts for windows and doors around your place of business. Should anyone try and break into your business space, an alarm will set off, which can deter them from moving in further.
Depending on your alarm system, it can also send a notification on your phone and notify the authorities.
Install CCTV Cameras
You should have CCTV cameras or a CCTV system around your business.
You want to be able to see different parts of your office to observe any goings-on that you might otherwise not see. At the same time, it will help you see things that happened before, primarily if an incident occurred that you want to verify.
Aside from monitoring daily occurrences, CCTVs can also help you deter criminals from breaking in. If you make some cameras obvious, burglars will see it and may hesitate or stop altogether from breaking into your business.
Perform Regular Property Inspections
Once you have your security measures in place, you shouldn’t stop there and be too lenient. It would be best to look into potential security concerns before becoming a legitimate concern that you need to address.
That’s why you should schedule a time or day when you perform property inspections regularly.
It’s better if you have a security professional who will be better able to let you know what’s going on in your business property. They’ll be able to give you a more accurate diagnosis. Plus, they can tell you what you need to do and point you in the right direction.
Since they know more about the security issues that are most common in your area, they’ll have tangible tips on your security and safety.
Install High-Security Deadbolts
Your security must strengthen and reinforce your entry points because these are the places that burglars target the most. Even if you lock your doors or windows, burglars can find a way to get in.
Some of them use brute force while some pick locks. Either way, there’s still a possibility of them breaking in.
One way you can protect your exterior doors if by installing high-security deadbolts to guard against any attack. Deadbolts add the extra security level will make it harder for intruders to break into your business through brute force alone.
Educate Your Employees About Common Scams
To have an overall security plan for your business, you have to notify your employees as well.
Ensure that you train them regarding specific scams that malicious people use and how to identify them and what to do. That’s because employees can be scammed through various means. Worse, it can compromise sensitive information about your business.
One way to do that is to hire a security professional to let you know what these scams are and how to deal with them.
Close Blinds After Hours
When you’re closing down your place of business, make sure that you close the blinds.
Criminals can look into your business and identify the layout. Aside from that, they can also find your business’s critical areas. They’ll discover where the valuables are, such as your office equipment and all of that.
You don’t want to make it easier on them, especially while you’re away. Therefore, you should close the lights and the blinds after everyone has left the office.
Address Cyber-Security
Physical security attacks aren’t the only things you have to worry about when trying to protect your business place. You should also protect your digital assets and private information from cyber attacks.
You need the right professionals to help you advise on the proper protection to have. You’d be surprised how common-sense practices can prevent common cyber-security attacks in the office.
Set Out an Emergency Plan
You can’t improve the security and safety around your place of business if you don’t make a plan. You should be deliberate and have an actual plan, especially when there are emergencies.
After creating a plan, you should notify other people, your employees in particular, about these plans. Conducting regular training sessions will help them be ready in case there are emergencies.
Following the nine steps listed above will allow you to conduct your business in peace. You’ll be safe and won’t have to fall victim to nefarious people who are trying to ruin all your hard work. Once you have the budget and time, don’t forget to improve your security so that you can grow your business without risking your business’s safety.