Whether you run a business out of an office space that you rent or own or direct your business from home, you know (at least you should) how important security is.
While cyber-attacks have gotten many of the headlines in recent years, physical break-ins are still as prevalent as ever. If this happens to you, it could turn your business upside down, leaving you in quite a precarious position moving forward.
With that being the case, what are you doing to make sure your business is as physically secure as possible?
From having it properly alarmed to making sure employees (and you for that matter) don’t leave an open invitation for criminals to break-in, you do have a lot of the say in whether or not you become a crime victim.
So, when you take time at the end of the day to think about it, have you truly secured your business?
Stay a Step Ahead of Criminals
In order to best protect your business (in an office or from home), remember these pointers:
- Security packages – Perhaps your best line of defense is looking into protection security packages. With such packages protecting a home office or a building where you work out of, you have a much lesser chance of being broken into. Before buying such a package, be sure to do some searching online, along with asking others you know as to which company they put their trust in. One of the first things you want to know about a security company is how long they’ve been in business. A company with a track record of securing both home and business sites is one that should certainly get your attention. Also look into their customer service dealings, making sure they have the best interests of their customers in mind at all times. Finally, while nothing is essentially free in this day and age (other than advice), be sure that you understand all the costs, avoiding any hidden fees etc.
- Not asking for trouble – Criminals have minds all their own, some better than others that is. In protecting your business, don’t leave the door open (literally) for them to come in and steal from you. For instance, if you have an office place in a building or even at home for that matter, you may have customers come to visit to purchase products or services, meet with you for appointments, pay you money for work you did for them etc. As a result, make sure you (or a secretary or other employee) doesn’t let people in to wander around until you get to them. It just takes a minute’s time for someone to steal property (including money) from you and your business;
- Don’t announce you’re out of town – Another gaffe that business owners need to avoid is announcing to the world that they are out of town for a period of time. This is especially a problem in today’s world given the millions and millions of people using social media. For instance, if you are operating a company out of your home, one where you would typically have a fair amount of money sitting around for when clients come-and-go to do business with you, don’t then go on social media and tell the world that you are closed and out of town for a week’s vacation. If you work out of an office building and close down for a week or so, be sure all is secure before the lights are turned off and the doors locked until you return for business. Lastly, since there is the possibility you will have a cleaning person and/or crews coming in on occasion to clean your office, make sure their credentials are thoroughly reviewed before hiring them.
No matter what part of the country you are in, your business can prove quite vulnerable, be it in an office building or running it from your home.
Do your best to truly secure your business, keeping criminals on the outside looking in at all times.
In return, you will feel more secure at the end of each and every work day.
Photo credit: BigStockPhoto.com
About the Author: Dave Thomas covers business topics on the web.
