Taking responsibility in ensuring your business is safe should always be done. From when you were just about to start small, safety and security should have been established sturdily because it is where a responsible culture will be honed. On the other hand, credibility builds as your business gains trust and loyalty from your customers.
Nowadays, digital property is as important as your physical property. And both deserves equal effort to be kept secure and safe. Therefore, the following pointers may simultaneously touch these two assets.
Here are some pointers that you may need in securing your business:
Work Location
Before you build your office, select the right location by researching on the background of the place you plan to rent or buy. Since they will be commuting to and from there, getting lunch and spending some time in this area, the least that you can do is to check local crime rate and incidental reports. On a different aspect, how will the neighbourhood perceive your business as well? Are the streets well lit? Is it accessible to security? And are the streets accessible in case of an emergency? Is it suburban? Secluded? How is the vibe? It’s important to know these things. Once you have chosen a place, it would not be bad if you join local business associations within the area. Because it’s always a good idea to collaborate. It’s always better if there is somebody watching out for your businesses even if you’re not around.
Finances
Of course, this is one of the most crucial assets your business lives on. Whether you use a manual cashier or an online account for everything, make sure access to it is limited and monitored 24/7. If you need to put up cameras to secure your perimeter, do so. This way, those who come in and out, or has the key to the cashier can be documented and evaluated. Hire a professional accountant or a bookkeeper to mind the data collection, sales inventory and financial accounting.
Customer Information
You definitely need to develop a strong, secure and structured system when handling client information. Important details such as home addresses, payment information and phone numbers can all be accessed if someone was to hack your website, so make sure the protocol you have is supported by even stronger data protection.
Passwords
Access to your business sometimes is just what a hacker needs to destroy everything. This usually concerns the core team you trust it with. Explain how crucial this is to your employees to preserve anything that may cost all of you your income. Once passwords get to bad people’s hands, that’s it! Consider a failing business or a zero asset the next day.
Firewall
All the computers that you are running your business with may be penetrated by viruses and cyber intruders. Make sure you secure it with a firewall which filters doubtful online activities. It gives you notifications when there are suspicious attempts towards your system.
Security Staff
Anything in an office can come and go. Office supplies cost a lot. You need professional services that would handle thieves. Having somebody check the employee IDs becomes handy around these situations, implementing rules and regulations followed through, keeping the office safe and secure. You may be running a company that specializes in storage. Think of the items you are storing, if they are considered to cost quite a bit, pay for that bit of extra protection. Even something as niche as pool table storage should be taken seriously, I could imagine that the costs of pool table restoration or replacement could be quite expensive. Don’t think you’re being too careful, find a security team to protect your product, no matter the industry.
Background Check of Employees
Make sure of who you’re hiring. Be extra cautious in checking their background based on the CV they passed, the past employment they’ve had and do contact the ones who referred them randomly. Simply make a quick research by googling the name or checking their social media accounts. You can base your decision through what they post there. Then figure out if it’s worthy for the candidate to represent your company or will they be an asset or not in the long run.
Lighting
Light up your business facility but don’t overdo it. Light it up from the inside and outside at night. This may be harder for any trespasser to evade. Don’t overdo it though that it might come across too flashy to robbers and trespassers. They hate noise and light though. So, if you have time, at the end, install CCTV cameras, light up the sides of your office and do get a smart security system that has an alarm that can be triggered if intruders break in without a pass-code or key. There is also the added benefit of having good lighting for your employees to complete their work. If you run a large, industrial-style factory where your employees are working with 3d wire forming to help design and build wire furniture, great lighting is a must! This is just one example of a profession that relies heavily on a bright light.
There are a few things to consider when finding the best way to keep your business safe and secure. Taking these steps will ensure you have done everything possible to do so!