Security Cameras: Four Simple Tips For Small Business Owners

2007-10-05 Word Count: 446 Category: Management

If you're a small business owner, you may not know that one of the most important and costly issues you face is loss prevention. Many small business owners imagine that they are immune to the everyday problems caused by theft, vandalism, and embezzlement. Unfortunately, this is not the case, and a recent study has suggested that small businesses lose billions of dollars a year for just these reasons. Below, we have outlined our top four tips for small business owners who are looking into purchasing a security system.
1. Select a known and respected company for your security needs : many security companies promote themselves strictly on the basis of cost savings. While cost is of course an important considerations, making sure that you're getting what you're paying for is far more vital. If you consult with your small business insurance agency for a recommendation on a respected security firm, you'll be much more pleased with the result.
2. Say no to "DIY": some business owners think it is a good idea to set up their own "security system" in order to make money. Using inexpensive web cameras and off the shelf products is not a good way to get quality results, because it turns out that this is very time intensive for business owners, who aren't always clear about what they are looking for in their security tapes. So don't do it yourself -- instead, it will be worth a little extra to pay a company to provide security for you.
3. Location, location, location: the key to successful loss prevention is to make sure that all locations in your business are monitored by security cameras. Many small business owners err by trying to save money by setting up only one or two security cameras. However, it is important to keep in mind the fact that criminals will stop at nothing to steal from your business -- if you have a small number of cameras, they will find a way to do their nasty business in camera free locations.
4. Always monitor both your employees and your customers : as a small business owner, you may not be aware that loss prevention can be an inside job and an outside job. If you only focus your cameras on the merchandise , you'll miss the internal theft. Similarly, only watching for employee theft can leave you open to a single robbery which can leave you broke.
We hope you've found these simple tips useful. As a small business owner, we know that your most important goal is protecting your bottom line. Remember, the key to strong loss prevention is using strong prevention.

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