I own my own auto repair shop and have done rather well with it over the years. About a year ago, some of the cars parked outside of my garage were broken into and some things were stolen out of them. Since they were parked on my property, my insurance had to cover the cost of replacement which made my rates go up. I had to install a security system to appease the insurance company and provide my customers with the peace of mind that their vehicles would be safe with me. Learn more about securing an auto repair shop and parking lot on my blog.
Whether you are leasing space or own an office for your small business, it is important to consider security. A business is four times as likely to be burglarized than a residential building, due to many aspects including the likelihood of greater profit from the robbery and particular hours when the business will be unoccupied. This makes getting at least an intruder security system that can sense and report break-ins to you and the proper authorities imperative. However, there are some additional aspects of security you may want to consider if you own a small business.
Fire Alarms
While fire alarms are not required in all business buildings, it is still a good idea to have one. Besides protecting people who may be in your building during a fire, a fire alarm that is externally monitored can help save your equipment, retail product, and building if a fire starts when your building is unoccupied by alerting the local fire department. For the best results, consider having dual sensor fire alarms hooked into your system. These include both ionization and photoelectric sensors to detect more types of fires sooner.
Access Control Systems
Access control systems include panels next to doors that allow individuals to enter with a numerical code, a key card, a fingerprint, or a key fob. This allows you to control access to your building without having to repin your locks every time you give a new employee or a vendor a key to your store. For example, you can program a temporary code into a keypad, allowing someone access for just a day. Or you can revoke access for a certain key card if an employee has quit or been fired. Besides exterior doors, these can be useful for certain sensitive areas of your business such as your personal office or a store room where you keep inventory.
Having your access control system integrated into your alarm system can send out an alert to you or your monitoring company any time an access system is accessed, allowing you to check who is at your business if you are not expecting your system to be accessed at that time.
Video Cameras
Video cameras can help deter theft from customers and employees. They can also allow you to monitor your premises. With increased internet accessibility, it is easy for you to check your building on your smart phone or tablet any time you are concerned about an employee or get a notification from your alarm system.
A DVR
Video cameras provide a constant feed of what is happening in your business. However, if you hope to prosecute a thief, then it is important that the cameras are connected to a DVR system. This will allow video information to be stored and accessed at a later point. Usually, systems record 1-2 days worth of video and then begin writing over the oldest data with new data. However, if you are concerned, you can opt for larger storage capacity to store more data.
Integrated Lighting Control
Integrated lighting control works in several ways. First, you can set your lights to automatically turn on when your building is accessed and automatically turn off when someone arms the alarm at the end of the day. The lights turning on will deter burglars from entering your store, as they may feel exposed. The lights turning off when you leave can help save electricity in your business. Finally, you can program the lights to light a path to the doorway if a fire is detected, which can help people avoid areas where the fire is and safely leave your business.
Getting an alarm system for your small business is imperative. However, you should also consider some of these less-common additional features when you are shopping for your system. Contact a company like A Tech / Easy Living Store for more information.
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