Many small business owners wrongly assume that thieves only target larger operations. This is mistaken. With smaller properties, fewer people on staff, and a tighter operating budget, criminals often eye small businesses as soft targets that provide an easy opportunity to score cash and merchandise in a quick and easy manner.
This is why burglary prevention for small businesses is essential, no matter if yours is a tiny mom-and-pop store or restaurant that’s been in the neighborhood for years or a hopeful startup that’s just getting rolling. Security should be part of every business plan. Here’s how you can get started protecting your assets, as well as your staff and customers.
Common Sense Burglary Prevention for Small Businesses
Some of the best ways to deter criminals are common sense, but they might not be apparent when your attention is being pulled in several different directions as you work to run your business. Burglary prevention for small businesses doesn’t have to be hard; here are a few ways you can make things more secure right away.
Properly maintain the exterior of your property.
Overgrown landscaping and objects placed next to doors and windows can provide a convenient hiding place for thieves hoping to break into your business after hours. Keep grass cut low and trim all trees/bushes back. In addition to this, make sure you don’t have any dumpsters or other items placed in a location that obstructs the view of your entrances from the street. If you’re leasing, talk to your landlord about all of this.
Install excellent lighting.
Thieves are like cockroaches; they’re most comfortable operating in the dark. One truly effective way to prevent break-ins is to install lots of lighting around your place of business. This includes exterior lighting to reveal anyone loitering around the outside in the middle of the night, but it also includes interior security lighting that will make any intruder plainly visible through doors and windows as they move around inside at night.
Lock up valuable merchandise.
Putting valuable merchandise behind lock and key creates an additional barrier to criminals who want to make off with it. They might still try, but at least you’ll slow them down as your monitored security system alerts police of a break-in. Speaking of security systems, that brings us to our next section — the most effective manners of burglary prevention for small businesses.
Invest in a small business security system.
One of the best burglary prevention strategies for small businesses is to install a commercial security system and have it monitored by a team of professionals. When people hear “commercial security system,” they often think of the systems used to protect corporate buildings or businesses with huge properties, but these kinds of systems can be customized to suit any size or type of business.
What Can Your Small Business Security System Do?
It can operate your locks and provide access control.
Commercial security systems do more than simply lock and unlock doors. They can allow only authorized individuals into specific areas or prevent everyone except the business owners from accessing the business entirely after-hours. Access control is infinitely customizable and can even track who comes and goes (and at what time) in case an incident occurs that requires further investigation.
Monitor your business via remote video feeds.
Grainy surveillance footage and old-school tapes are a thing of the past. Today, burglary prevention for small businesses includes top-of-the-line security cameras that provide high-quality video footage that can be accessed from anywhere, at any time. They’re an excellent deterrent for customer and employee theft. Camera surveillance is also helpful if an accident or any other unexpected incident occurs in which you need video footage to determine what actually happened.
Control the alarm, lights, thermostats, and more.
Today’s small business security systems have more features than you can possibly imagine. Their high-tech functionality means no more running around flipping switches and hitting buttons to open and close each day. With one press of a button, your lights, climate control, and security alarm can all be appropriately set to either open the business or shut it down after a hard day’s work.
Burglary prevention for small businesses may go a long way to deterring and catching thieves, but it also provides a huge amount of convenience. For a business owner that’s always on the go, this makes a huge difference. After all, as the old adage goes, time is money! While a small business security system does require an initial investment, it’s one that will reap huge returns in protection and peace of mind.
At ProTech Security, we have a strong history of experience, innovation, and customer service. The ProTech Security Advantage is more than 30 years of service in Northeast Ohio and a strong commitment to providing quality, cost-effective protection for homes, businesses, educational institutions and government facilities. To see what ProTech Security can do for you, contact us today.
