It’s estimated that workplace crime costs U.S. businesses more than $50 billion a year.
As a small business owner, it’s important to take steps to protect your investment.
Where should you start though?
Follow this guide to help you pick out basic small business security systems to protect yourself and your business.
1. Secure Your Network
Every business these days has some kind of web presence and network. Even if it’s something as simple as a wifi network for diners at your cafe. It’s extremely important you follow cybersecurity best practices to secure it.
Start by putting a password on your router. If your POS is running on a network, make sure it’s segregated and secured. You don’t want casual browsers to have access to your payment system.
2. Secure Individual Devices
If you issue phones or computers to any of your employees you have to secure them. A good place to start is with full drive encryption. Bitlocker on Windows laptops or the built-in protection on MacBooks will work well.
Next you need to secure their communications. Use a quality VPN to make sure no one is copying sensitive information. If you communicate through email or text, be sure to use some form of encryption.
3. Small Business Security Systems
Physical security is one of your biggest priorities. The best place to start is with effective cameras. Buy the best wireless security system you can afford.
Modern cameras are easy to set up and usually work over wifi. You can save the video automatically on a hard drive or in the cloud.
4. Access Control
Access control can be everything from a deadbolt on your front door to a system of keycards within your facility. It allows you to protect your assets when closed and restrict access to sensitive areas during business hours.
5. Cash Storage
If you deal in cash you have to have an effective way to store it. This applies to both cash reserves and cash registers.
Start with a high-quality cash register that is securely bolted to a solid surface. Add in a secure safe in a locked room to hold cash during non-business hours.
Once you start to have multiple registers it’s a good idea to invest in a drop safe system. You should also set up regular cash pickups with an armored car company.
6. Parking Control
One of the best ways to secure your campus is with a parking control system. It allows you to protect your employee’s vehicles and limit who has easy access to your building.
The best part is these kinds of systems are easy to set up. Basic ones start with just an access bar and a basic keycard reader at your lot entrances.
7. Live Monitoring
It can be a good idea to have live security and monitoring. If you’re in a high-risk industry that deals in large volumes of cash or other valuables this is especially true.
Live monitoring of camera feeds is a great place to start. This allows you to quickly identify threats and contact the authorities.
Always be Proactive
The time to invest in small business security systems isn’t after you’ve had a major data breach or break-in. Spend a little money now to protect your assets and reputation from potential damage.
If you would like to learn more about running a small business, check out our other articles here.
