A Guide to Premise Security for Small Business
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In Australia, there were around 20,902 victims of break-ins that took place at a retail location. This is an alarming situation if it continued to grow, and this is a message for all businesses that they should take the security of their business premises seriously.
Indeed, appropriate security measures are a necessity for all businesses, whether small or large. This is to secure the valuable information that you have and to provide a safe working environment for your employees. However, there are still things to consider in identifying the security measures that you will need in your business premises.
The industry and the size of a business is one of the factors to consider in measuring the level of security a business needs. For instance, businesses in the financial and insurance industry require a high-level of security to protect the information from their clients.
Another factor to consider is the budget you are willing to allocate for your security concerns. Big businesses have a tendency to spend more for security purposes as they also think of the safety of each employee.
Therefore, security measures for small business premises are less complicated since the number of employees is lesser than bigger businesses. Here are the things that will help you protect and secure your small business premises.
Look for the most vulnerable area of your business premises and secure it
Before adding security features, start with identifying which spots of your premises is the most vulnerable to crime or disaster. You can also do a research on which area is the most vulnerable place for a business premise, in general.
It is also advisable to give more attention to checking particular spots such as side or back of your premises, roof, cellar, and any entry points.
Take a risk assessment with your local Melbourne locksmith. After the risk assessment, think for the best solution quickly. Be aware that most of the break-ins happen at night so you must pay attention to how your business premise looks like when it is dark. You can consider using motion-sensitive lighting to enhance surveillance and to make sure that any dark corners are illuminated.
You can also consider installing additional security features such as CCTV cameras or a modern alarm system. These technologies can be expensive but they can be beneficial to you especially if you want a secured premise. After having any of them, you can put up a ‘warning’ signs to alert intruders about your security features. Often times the knowledge that you have an alarm system and/or CCTV camera is enough to scare criminals off.
Aside from that, you should also plan where you should store your valuable equipment and cash. It is a good idea to place it out of sight from anyone outside your company to avoid attracting criminals and decreases the possibility of a break-in. If possible, leave as little money in your office overnight.
Train your staff in all possible emergency situations
All of your people should have enough training for any serious threat and disaster. For instance, your staff should know how to recognise suspicious people that are coming to your business premises. They should also know how to report a crime to you or directly to police.
In your business premise, make sure that you have already put up signs that there are certain places there that are staff members only. Make sure that your staff follows this rule and also very strict about it.
Whenever a serious break-in happened, educate your people that it is better to give up goods or cash than getting hurt to defend it. This is the reason why you have to empty your tills on a regular basis and keep as little cash as possible.
Your staff should also be aware of safety drills whenever a fire or earthquake happened. The drills should be done regularly and always make sure that fire extinguishers and fire exit doors are in good condition.
Make sure that on your premises you have displayed a list of emergency numbers for the police, ambulance services, and fire brigade. It is also a good idea to give them a safety manual that lists what to do in an emergency.
Ask for advice and make a regular check
Regularly check your business premises and make sure that your security measures are still efficient. Just checking the strength of your locks, as wells as the security alarms and CCTV cameras that you have installed is a good habit. It is also a good practice to be open to suggestions from your staff about your security measures.
Aside from the suggestions from your employees, you can also ask for advice to a prevention officer at your local police station. You will find their advice helpful and you will be more ready in protecting your business premises.
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