Business-related crimes cost US companies 50 billion dollars every year. Of course, “business-related crimes” is a pretty big umbrella.
That term could account for everything from shoplifting to lawsuits resulting from managerial misconduct in the workplace.
The sector of business-related crimes that we want to dive into in this article is theft. Theft via shoplifting, warehouse looting, and similar occurrences are more common than you may think.
As a matter of fact, most business owners don’t take the potential of robberies seriously until they become the victim of one.
Don’t be that business owner.
Take threats seriously before they happen and chances are they never will.
Below, our team outlines security service options. We’ll touch on different kinds of security that are available today so that you can decide on which type is best for your operation.
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1. Residential Security
Most business owners wouldn’t hire a residential security service to look after their business because this sect of security specializes in protecting homes. Still, we thought we would mention this option for the simple reason that many people run their companies out of their homes.
Today 5.2% of people work out of home offices. If you’re one of those people and are housing valuable company assets on your residential property, a residential security guard could be a good fit for your needs.
2. Commercial
Our next type of security service that may be worth you investing in is called “commercial security”.
Commercial security is called on to protect business properties. These properties are typically non-retail and in many cases, are not consumer facing.
For example, if you’ve ever worked out of a large building, you’ve probably interfaced with a commercial security guard who would check your badge before allowing you to ride up the building’s elevator.
If you need security services to guard your warehouse, commercial security might also be who you’d call on.
3. Armed Security
When hiring commercial or residential security guards, depending on your situation, you may want your security team to be armed.
In commercial settings, armed security is valuable if your building or warehouse has items that possess a high street value and can’t be found in general retail.
Depending on your state, getting armed security can vary in difficulty. Having armed security also presents higher liability risks to your security contractor and your business.
It’s important to discuss these implications with your company’s attorney before going down this route.
4. Retail Security
Security services that monitor retail settings are commonplace. More so than anything else, these professionals are focused on preventing shoplifting.
They do this by roaming your sales floor to deter illicit activities and they also monitor your store from cameras that you may have set up around your building.
Globally, theft in retail settings costs business owners 100 billion dollars every year. That massive number is all of the inspiration that you probably need to invest in retail security if you’re generating an income off of a consumer-facing sales floor.
5. Cyber Security
Not all crimes take place on a sales floor or in a warehouse. Many crimes take place online.
IBM estimates that businesses will lose 3.9 million dollars on average if they fall victim to a data breach.
To avoid that fate, if you’re housing customer data and records on your internal servers, ensure that cyber security teams have overlooked your infrastructure to advise on potential issues. You should also have recurring checkups with security teams to make sure that you’re keeping up with new cyber threats.
6. Off-Site Security
If hiring security services to monitor your business in real time isn’t something that you can afford, you could go the route of off-site services.
Off-site business security works the same way that most home security systems work. You’d set up cameras around your business that are monitored by a team of people from a remote location.
If something takes place that’s out of the norm, your off-site team can notify you and contact authorities.
The issue with off-site security is that these teams are managing multiple businesses at once. That means that you won’t be getting the kind of individual focus that you may need.
7. Personal Protective Services
In today’s social influencer age, people’s whole businesses are often based around their posting to platforms like YouTube, Instagram, and Snapchat.
If you’re worried that your fame might lead to somebody recognizing you and trying to rob you when you’re out and about, hiring a personal security guard is an affordable investment that can protect you from losing your valuables or worst.
8. Fire Watch Services
Rounding out our security services list are fire watch services. Fire watch services do one thing… They ensure that your building is not presenting an active fire hazard.
This specialized form of security is usually for niche industries that work with flammable chemicals. If you’re among those that run high fire risk businesses, consider investing in this kind of protection.
Closing out Our List of Security Services
By now, we hope that you have a good idea of the kinds of security services that are out there and which type you might like to invest in.
Remember, you never know when adversity is going to strike. Don’t wait until it’s too late to invest in solid security.
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