At EPS Security, we’re in the business of helping our communities protect their businesses. Countless owners, operators, and managers have experienced the benefits of having a professionally-installed, comprehensive commercial security system, but there are those still with qualms: Is a security system affordable to me? Can it address my specific security needs? Is the expense even worth it?
With 65 years of experience securing local businesses, we understand how valuable time and money are for those working hard to keep their businesses sailing smoothly. As West Michigan’s foremost security provider, we’ve taken the time to dispel several of the most common misconceptions about business security systems.
My business doesn’t handle cash, so I don’t have anything to protect.
Burglars aren’t likely to ignore easy cash, but hard currency isn’t their only target. Thieves have been known to pilfer everything from store stock to computers to medicine. Anything valuable and easy to move—both physically from your business and logistically out on the streets—could fall prey to a savvy burglar. What’s more, the savvier the burglar, the less likely they are to be caught without the means of warning and identification a comprehensive security system can provide—meaning your property may never be recovered.
If the risk of losing thousands of dollars in inventory or the cost of property damage isn’t heavy enough, consider the other valuable form of capital contained within the walls of your business—your employees. A break-in at an unprotected business could result in the theft of personal documents and information used to commit identity theft. Even during the day, preventing malfeasants from interfering with or endangering your employees should be a top priority.
A professionally installed burglary system can help to alert emergency personnel to break-ins after hours and work wonders in conjunction with video surveillance systems. By both alerting and identifying perpetrators, burglary and surveillance systems are investments that pay for themselves in the long term. For controlling who has access to your business and when, card access control systems–often integrated with an intercom—have proven more than sufficient for employee and asset protection.
A professional security system is too expensive, especially for a new business.
We get it—opening a new business or even operating an existing one takes money. Many budding entrepreneurs have preconceived notions about the cost of a comprehensive commercial security system—notions that often scare them away from even inquiring about pricing. However, unless you’re a Fort Knox-style operation trying to stop Ocean’s Eleven, we have good news: a professional security system is probably more affordable than you think.
Security technologies have improved by many factors in the last decade or so. High-quality video surveillance systems were once prohibitively expensive for the average Mom-and Pop; now, IP video surveillance solutions are commonplace in corner stores, laundromats, and even “work-from-my-pole-barn” setups. Burglary systems report to their central monitoring center over cellular signal and internet connections, eliminating the need to pay for a landline you aren’t otherwise using. Alarm and surveillance devices have gotten smaller, more advanced, and more secure in the same way that your newer smart home television has a better picture than your older (and more expensive) analog setup.
Affordability should also be evaluated in the broader sense. Can you afford the liability of leaving your employees unprotected? Can you afford to fork over thousands of dollars to cover the cost of property damage and theft? What’s more, can you afford to pay that amount more than once, considering being burgled once increases the risk for repeat incidences? At the end of the day, you have to consider the big question—can you afford not to have a security system?
A burglary system isn’t going to help me monitor my staff.
If your employees are handling high-value goods or high cash amounts on the regular—think banks, jewelry stores, and the like—perhaps you’re just as, if not more, concerned about employee theft. It’s a valid concern, with employee theft costing businesses along the lines of $50 billion dollars every year. Even though your employees may not be “breaking in” to your business to wreak havoc, there are features of burglary alarm systems that do help keep an eye on your team. Each employee responsible for opening and/or closing the business can be given a unique code to help identify who activated/deactivated the alarm system. Professional security monitoring companies can even be enlisted to call you if the system has not been set by a certain time to limit both loitering employees and the chances that someone forgets to set your system.
Managing and monitoring employees, however, is a task best left to the unsung heroes of business security: video surveillance and card access systems. Placing cameras at points-of-sale, stock rooms, entry ways, and more can help monitor cash and inventory transactions. As a bonus, visible video surveillance systems act as deterrents to both would-be intruders or ill-advised employees.
On the flip side of the coin, card access control systems can physically limit who has access to certain areas of your business. By giving permissions to certain doors and rooms to only those who need to access them, you can prevent a random customer from wandering into your stock room, the delivery guy from entering the server room, and everyone save Jill from HR from accessing sensitive employee documents in the Human Resources office. With some combination of cameras and card access doors, you can easily monitor your business while controlling the flow of traffic of both your employees and customers.
Card access sounds great, but I’m too busy to manage all of my employees.
Card access control systems are great, but they do require time for administration purposes. Employees need keys and permissions assigned, former employees need their keys removed, door schedules need to be set and adjusted for special holiday hours and events, and occasion sometimes requires the generation of an employee’s usage report. Some companies prefer to have this done in-house by an existing employee, but especially for large businesses, card access administration can consume a vast chunk of someone’s day.
Luckily for busy business owners and administrators, EPS Security has a dedicated Card Access Management team to make these changes for them. Made up of a group of experienced and trained technicians, the EPS Card Access team can:
Add, change, or remove cards for employees
Create temporary visitor/guest badges
Set door schedules for holidaysSet limitations for certain areas
Track employee usage data and receive scheduled activity report
Speak to you directly for assistance
Instead of spending your valuable time navigating the intricacies of your access control system, the EPS Card Access Management team allows you to put your focus where it matters—on running a successful, profitable business.
My business has unique security needs that can’t be covered by a “one-size-fits-all” security solution.
In this case, we absolutely agree. Your manufacturing plant has a different layout with different vulnerabilities than a retail store or an office building. You may handle sensitive documents or volatile chemicals or stacks of cash, or you may see hundreds of customers enter and exit your facility throughout the day. A “standard” system that works for other businesses isn’t going to work for you, which is why EPS Security’s consultants, engineers, and technicians will work directly with you to craft a solution to fit your needs. After 65 years of helping Michigan businesses protect their people, places, and things, we’ve gotten pretty good at it—and we’d love to show you your custom, comprehensive security solution.