Whether opening or maintaining a business, owners and operators often prioritize business needs to minimize costs to their time and bottom line. Owners already know that a life safety system—smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors, etc.—are required by fire code, but balancing the budget sometimes leaves them wondering: is a security system even necessary? Is security a worthwhile investment for my business?
The short answer, of course, is a resounding YES. While questions surrounding business security stem from genuine concern, upon further inspection, the benefits of a business security solution become overwhelmingly convincing.
My business is small and doesn’t need to be monitored.
Whether it’s a physically small location or employing only a few team members, business owners often talk themselves out of the need for security or surveillance systems. The issue with this is threefold:
- You can’t (and, for your sanity, shouldn’t) be at your business 24/7.
- You can’t observe the activities of multiple employees every moment of every shift.
- You can’t predict an intrusion or accident and can’t afford to be wrong.
Burglars specifically seek out businesses that do not have the presence of cameras or a security system. Burglaries in small retail businesses can end up costing owners thousands of dollars. Especially for fledgling businesses or businesses not yet prepared to incur such a sudden expense, this unexpected cost can be an insurmountable obstacle. Gambling that your business will not be the victim of a crime that affects over half (56%) of small retail businesses, can cost a lot more than the monitored security system that may have prevented it—and certainly would have alerted authorities sooner.
Another danger of assuming a small business won’t be the victim of a crime is that the fallacy ignores one of the most common crimes that affects a business—employee theft. It’s estimated that business lose up to 7% of potential revenue every year to employee theft. It’s impossible to monitor every single employee throughout their shift, but the presence of security cameras over points of sale or the location of sensitive inventory is a proven deterrent for would-be offenders.
A security system is too expensive.
This misconception stems from the fact that early security systems were very expensive. This is no longer the case. Technology has improved to the point where even the newest wireless devices and security products are dramatically less expensive than their clunkier predecessors. In recent years, surveillance cameras and video recorders have become less pricey even with improvements to image resolution and recording storage space.
Furthermore, purchasing a professional security system through a licensed provider such as EPS Security can provide further savings. With the sheer volume of products purchased, professional providers can often negotiate cost savings through their relationship with their vendors and pass that savings on to their customers.
We don’t keep cash on hand.
Burglars do love cash, but they also covet other small, easy-to-move items of high street value. Electronics and medicine are often targeted for exactly this reason. Even inventory such as tools, guns, liquor, or clothes can net a tidy sum on the streets.
Even if your business doesn’t deal with cash or inventory, personal information is also a sought-after prize for burglars. Identity theft is more prevalent than ever, and recovering from the crime can be difficult, expensive, and time-consuming. Most businesses have either paper documentation or a database that houses personal information for employees and clients, making a security system essential for protecting business and personal interests.
I’m just not concerned about burglary.
Despite the overwhelming evidence pointing to the danger businesses face from intruders, some business owners still aren’t convinced. Focusing solely on burglary, however, misses other looming threats. A security system doesn’t just protect employees and inventory. Modern security systems can detect whether a window breaks from severe weather or if a pipe bursts in the basement. Water leaks often cost tens of thousands of dollars to repair, an expense which only increases the longer a leak goes without anyone present. Comprehensive security and life safety systems help to catch water and fire hazards before they reach a point of no return.
I don’t have time to sit by my cameras or manage a key card system.
Most businesses see the importance of surveillance and access control systems in their business, as seeing and controlling who comes in and out of the business and where they can go is vital for security, but they require constant attention. Many businesses purchase cameras or card access systems and then handle license updates or card printing or software management themselves. For businesses that can’t afford to hire staff specifically for these tasks, such systems may seem more trouble than they’re worth.
Technology has come a long way toward making cameras and access control viable for even the busiest operator. Most professional video surveillance systems nowadays come with remote viewing options. Instead of driving into work to check footage, a business owner can access the system from home using their computer or smartphone. Additionally, cameras can be programmed to record and send alerts when motion is detected, limiting the amount of time someone spends sitting in front of a monitor.
Programming cards or key fobs or setting up door schedules on access control systems can certainly be time-consuming, especially considering that someone at the business will have to learn the ins and outs of the management software. This isn’t an issue for EPS customers. Businesses using EPS access control solutions have the option of offloading the responsibility for such tasks to the dedicated EPS Managed Card Access team. Experienced technicians work to process door schedules, add or remove employee cards, and send usage reports at the request of our managed customers, taking the burden of the more administrative side of security away from business owners.
I wouldn’t know where to start.
The truth is, most people don’t. Like any trade or skill, no one is born with inherent knowledge of electronic security solutions. Given how important the security of your employees, inventory, and physical location are to the success of your business, it’s worth it to rely on the expertise of industry professionals when exploring options.
EPS Security dedicates a substantial amount of time to talking with prospective partners about what their business needs. With 65 years of experience in engineering, installing, and maintaining security solutions for businesses, we understand that finding a unique solution requires a unique process. Every business owner has his or her own needs and every business requires its own custom security coverage. Our process considers the needs and desires of business owners, the possibilities and limitations of a certain space, and the legal and code requirements associated with security and life safety solutions.
You don’t need to be an expert to work with the experts. Let EPS guide you to the system your business needs and discover a security solution over six decades in the making.