Security and video surveillance systems prevent crime. By some estimates, burglaries are reduced by about 67% when there is a video surveillance systems are present. About 83% of burglars say they try to find out if a business has an alarm system before they attempt to break in. Half of all intruders admit that they would stop a burglary that was going on if they discovered an alarm. The take home message should be clear, if you do not have an alarm services and security system company protecting your small business, you should.
6 Tips for Picking the Small Business Security and Alarm System:
- How big is your business? This makes a difference in the type of alarm services and security system you end up going with. If you do not own the space, you need to make sure when you look at commercial security systems, you pick one that will not do any damage to the walls or the building’s structure. If you have a company that has a series of different rooms, your commercial digital video surveillance system will need more cameras than if you have only one or two rooms. You need to find a security system that will fit the space you are in.
- Go for a scalable security contract. What are your business goals? You need to take your business goals into consideration when you are looking at different alarm services and security systems companies. If you think you are going to move your business within a short amount of time, you will need to find a way to structure your contract with the security alarm company to let you do that and bring the security services with you. If you know you will be expanding soon, that is another thing that needs to be factored into your contract. As your security needs change, you need your contract with your alarm services and security systems company to reflect those changes.
- How many video cameras will you get? Video surveillance is good to prevent employee theft and keep out burglars but how many cameras does your business need to keep it safe? When you have an alarm services and security systems expert go through your business, they can evaluate it and tell you how many cameras they think will be sufficient to keep your business safe and secure. Most commercial security services companies will work with small businesses to make sure they have just the system they need, not more.
- What kind of camera will you get? You have multiple options when it comes to video surveillance cameras. Some cameras are fixed while others move to cover more space. A lot of this depends on your space. If you have a small space, a fixed camera may be all that you need. You may want the camera to be very visible and act as a deterrent or you may want it to be hidden. Your needs will dictate the kind of camera you end up having installed in your small business.
- Add security features. When you are designing your security package, consider some extras that you can add into your alarm services and security systems contract. Fire prevention and detection can be a part of it. Fires are a big problem for businesses around the United States. You can add smoke detectors to your package. They can also add sensors to detect carbon monoxide or a flood. At the very least, you should ask about these options.
- Make sure you are notified when you want to be. When do you want to hear from the alarm services and security systems company? If you have motion detectors in your plan, do you want to be called when they detect some motion when your business is closed? When alarms are activated, these are false alarms in between 94 and 98% of the cases. If your building is quiet at night, you may want more notifications. If there is a night cleaning service, you may only want to be called when the alarm goes off.
Do some research, you will find the right system.