The Definitive 7-Step Guide To Securing New Business Premises

Around 1 in 10 of businesses are burgled annually, with 50% seeing some kind of property crime within their lifetime.

Your base of operations is often your lifeline to success, which means it needs to be well protected against criminal activity if you’re going to conduct a smooth and cost-effective operation. But with so many threats out there, how can you keep your new business premises secure?

Step 1: Risk Assess

Every property is often unique. Your business will have different entry points than other buildings, different built-in security options, and its location can vary wildly.

The type of property you work in also has an impact on its security. An office block is much more challenging to secure than a retail store within a shopping mall, for example. In the early stages, you must assess the risks posed by your distinct set of circumstances.

Perform an analysis of variables that will impact your security. Consider:

• Crime rates and common types of crime
• Access points and current security systems
• Who besides you has property access?
• What valuables are contained within the building?
• Are there any clear weaknesses that need be addressed?
• What is your security budget?

Risk assessment allows for identification of core security issues and, therefore, offers pathways to potential resolutions.

Following standard business security protocols will dramatically reduce threats, but for the highest level of security, a unique approach is required.

Step 2: Alarm Systems

There is a reason alarms remain popular amongst businesses and residences alike. Its activation draws attention, either from passersby or those sent notifications. Attention is not something a thief wants to draw, which means they’ll avoid business properties that are fitted with alarm systems.

Of course, alarm systems can be deactivated or avoided. As a result, proper security requires multiple types of alarm outfits to ensure comprehensive coverage and the inability of a burglar to evade them. Consider using a variety of alarm systems when protecting your business, including:

• Pressure activated alarms on windows and doors
• Internal motion sensor alarms
• External perimeter alarm systems
• Automated dialler alarms (linked to your personal number or emergency response)

Step 3: Security Cameras

Would-be criminals and previous offenders define security cameras as the number one deterrent against burglary. Its presence alone is enough to put off most thieves, many of whom are often opportunistic, rather than calculated offenders.

The potential evidence gained from modern HD recordings simply presents them with too high a risk. This is especially true when criminals are unaware of what valuables are contained within your premises and, therefore, don’t know if the pay-off would even be worth it.

Even for burglars who plan and execute premeditated robberies, CCTV still offers an obstacle most would seek to avoid. The inclusion of video-monitoring technology is relatively simple and straightforward in 2018 and can dramatically boost your levels of security and criminal deterrence.

Step 4: Smart Locks

The 21st century has given birth to numerous methods of property security technology, from access control and advanced biometrics to voice-activated locks and entry tracking systems.

The result of all these advanced security options is that businesses have new and unparalleled ways of locking their building down.

In the past, you had a lock and a key. Keys could be stolen and locks could be picked. Now, you can enjoy security solutions that go far beyond this.

You can use thumbprints to access buildings, limit access to individuals at only certain times of day and even monitor who enters your property and when through digital tracking. However, you can only do this if you invest in the right technology.

Smart locks aren’t the future of business security, they are the present. Any premises can integrate technology that ramps up the difficulty of gaining unauthorised access. Don’t make it easy for criminals by using old and easily outsmarted security — instead, use the latest locking mechanisms and keep them firmly shut outside.

Step 5: On-Site Security Monitoring

Burglars want to avoid confrontation. They’re often seeking quick and easy rewards with minimal effort and risk. The presence of people is one of the greatest deterrents a business can employ. It immediately puts barriers up that any criminal will be keen to avoid. On-site security monitoring by staff is a surefire way to reduce your risk of being targeted.

However, not all businesses are large enough to warrant a full-time member of security, not least a handful, if you require 24/7 surveillance.

In this circumstance, it is possible to hire security firms to perform regular checks on your premises outside of operating business hours. This cuts costs, while ensuring regular attendance to your building by individuals: a guaranteed deterrent, and boost to security.

Step 6: Secure Valuable Assets

External protection and deterrence methods are of critical importance to site security, but what happens if they fail?

If a criminal were to gain access to your property, even for a brief time, there is potential for disaster. Your final step in the process of putting barriers in the way to prevent acts of theft or vandalism is to secure valuable items in locations that an intruder cannot access.

You have several options for this. If valuables are small, you could potentially hide them. You can also take items off-site, although, again, this may not be a viable option. Your best option is the use of secure on-site commercial safes see here for information on how to choose a safe.

Storing valuables within locked units makes them much harder to access. When combined with other methods of security, such as hiding your safe under flooring or behind furniture, you can create an obstacle that many criminals are unable to overcome, even after reaching the final hurdle.

There are also financial benefits to using safes. Insurers often include safes in their assessments for premiums, meaning ownership can drive down long-term expenses.

Step 7: Educate Staff

Your staff can be a major resource for security, just as much as they can be a hindrance.

Employees are capable of looking out for suspicious activity, noticing potential breaches that you have missed and can support the development of better security procedures. But they can also leave doors unlocked, forget to activate alarms and leave the premises unattended when they shouldn’t. Because of this, education is vital.

Staff need to be made aware of how they can help and how they can hinder.

Carry out security training sessions to ensure staff know exactly how they should conduct themselves and what they can do to help secure your new business property, as well as practices they need to avoid.

Incentivisation of employees, such as rewarding them for displays of secure procedures — as well as disciplining those who ignore them — will help support your efforts of creating a secure business property.