Burglars or vandals will make it their priority to gain entry to your small business commercial premises, and while you may have spent a lot of time and energy setting up your business, you will still need to adopt good practices to deter criminals and maintain an effective security solution.
Protecting your small business has to begin with examining the exterior of your property. Initially you should make sure the outside of the business is free from any rubbish and any existing graffiti is removed. If graffiti is present on any nearby properties, or on other council-controlled areas, you need to contact the relevant parties to remove the graffiti.
It is important to fully review the layout of your property, to identify any areas that may be deemed vulnerable to forced entry. These areas should be made more secure. If there are any overgrown bushes or trees, which could provide cover for criminals, then these should be pruned back.
It is easy to forget about unlocked service doors, that may be regularly used, but these should be locked and secure when not in use. These doors may be situated at loading areas, which should be well lit. Sufficient exterior lighting should be installed in all areas outside the building. In addition, windows, as they are particularly vulnerable, should be made as burglar-proof as possible using security-rated products.
As part of your security solution, the premises should have a fully operational and monitored alarm. Security can further be enhanced by adding a CCTV and a mobile keyholding service. This will give the small business owner greater peace of mind, knowing that the premises are monitored 24 hours, 7 days a week.
Ideally your CCTV security solution should have facial recognition, and have good quality resolution, in order to clearly identify intruders. The CCTV should also be installed in the vulnerable areas already identified.
An often-overlooked exterior deterrent is simply removing any objects that could allow intruders to gain access to higher reaches of the building, these may include wheelie bins or other storage containers.
You should also remove any products from display windows, to deter any criminals passing by looking for opportunities to steal items.
Stock should be locked away, and out of sight. Ideally you should not keep valuables on the premises, but if you do, you should keep them in a time-locked safe with anti-tamper sensors that trigger an alarm.
Other external security measures, that may require planning permission, include external shutters and anti-ram raider bollards to protect frontages.
As a final point, make sure all your digital data is backed up, in case of an emergency situation that may damage digital media.
For a complete review of your security systems in place, and to discuss available options, please contact the expert team at Capricorn Security.