How To Assess Your Business’s Security Needs

Believe it or not, robberies occur more often within business premises rather than in residential areas. After all, a business will have a lot more cash in store than most homes. This risk is always present when you are in business. In other words, as a business owner, you are more likely going to suffer from burglary, theft, or robbery—especially if you don’t have a security system in place.

But remember, security guards and cameras are expensive, and you wouldn’t want to exhaust all your budget into this aspect, which begs the question—what security measures does your business need? To answer that, here are a few things you need to do. 

1. Take A Closer Look At Your Business Location 

If your company operates within a rural area, it’s much easier for someone to pull off a robbery. If your building is located near a police station, criminals will be wary around its premises. Either way, a property’s location will influence how often crimes happen, so you first have to determine if your location poses a risk to your business. Is there a bar nearby? Are there any known criminal organizations within the premises?

If your answer to those questions is yes, then you might need to make significant changes in your business’s security systems. This includes installing a Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) system and access control system, hiring security guards, or installing an alarm system in case someone breaks in when your shop is closed.

2. Look Into The Crime Rate Of The Neighborhood 

One of the most reliable figures that can determine your business’s security risks is the neighborhood’s crime rate. The higher the crime rate, the more likely you’ll suffer from robbery or burglary. 

Even with these statistics, it would be difficult to find out the ideal security measure for your business. After all, there’s no one-size-fits-all when it comes to this. Your security system may work against petty theft, but it may not be efficient to deter armed robbery (for example).

3. Find Out The Most Common Crimes Around Your Area 

Usually, hiring security guards from agencies such as Patriots Security London is more than enough to protect your business, but you still need security cameras to ensure that whatever happens inside your premises is recorded and saved. 

It’s best to implement various security measures to guard your business against different types of crimes. Aside from actually preventing crimes to happen, there’s also a huge chance for authorities to catch the perpetrator if they can get a profile through the cameras.

However, if your budget is limited, you need to focus on a particular type of crime, preferably those that are most common in your area. To determine this, you have to look at your area’s crime rates and statistics again. Paying attention to the local news can also help you prepare against criminals around the neighborhood.

4. Evaluate Your Building’s Structure 

Aside from installing high-tech security systems, you also need to make sure that the structure of your building can offer a good level of protection against petty criminals. Fences, gates, spotlights—these are just a few things that can improve a business’s security. 

So, if you want to achieve a high level of security, you need to reevaluate your building’s design and structure. Here are a few things you need to look into: 

• Signage: Do you have a sign? Is it visible? Does it display your business’s name? Having a visible sign can help emergency services locate the property more quickly. 
• Greenery: Obstacles such as trees and shrubs can hinder your premises’ visibility, making it an appealing target for criminals who would take advantage of anonymity. Consider trimming your greeneries regularly to make your premises more visible. 
• Entrances: Can you open the doors and break windows with brute force? If so, then your business might be prone to burglaries. Consider installing a more solid door and reinforce fiberglass to be shatter-resistant.
• Lighting: Can you see your employees from far away outside, even at night? If not, then your lighting may want to amp up your lighting. 
• Cash: Do you keep large amounts of cash within the business premises? If so, try to limit the amount of money handled by you or your employees. 

Once you’re done evaluating the building, it’s time to look into one of the most critical assets of your business—your employees. 

5. Prepare Your Employees

As the employer, it’s your responsibility to make sure your employees are always secure. On that note, you also have to equip your employees with the proper skills and training so they’ll know what to do if individuals are attempting to commit a crime on the premises.

But before that, you have to first evaluate your employees’ responsiveness through drills and simulations. Doing so will allow you to understand what type of training they need and if they need training at all. 

Wrapping Up 

Nowadays, entrepreneurs tend to focus on cybersecurity more than the security of their physical premises. This is not bad, but it’s not good either. If you genuinely want to secure your business, you need to secure it both physically and digitally.

Keeping your business safe from petty thieves and robbers will start by selecting a good location. As much as possible, choose an area that is close to a police station, or an area that is visible by motorists, passers-by, and bystanders. Aside from that, hiring security agents and installing CCTV systems can give a huge boost to the security of your business premises.

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