Establishing a safe and secure business environment keeps your staff happy and can also strengthen trust from your customer base. However, ensuring your business is safe can be challenging. So what measures can you take to secure your business? Here are some immediate steps you can take to enhance the protection of your physical, financial or other intangible assets.
1. Implement a social media and email security policy
Email and social media have spawned their own set of security issues. These sophisticated modern technologies make sending and receiving information easy. And after that information is out, it is challenging, if not impossible, to retrieve it. The acceptable content for company emails and social media pages should be addressed in your email policy. Assume that nothing on the internet will remain private.
2. Use a modern security system
A modern security system is meant to sense, decide, and act with its many electronic components. The security system detects events (such as movement in a room), determines whether the occurrence is dangerous, and takes appropriate action. Although you would want a professional installing your security system, it is advisable to know the security vocabulary to convey your needs and make the most of your security system once it’s up and running.
3. Use security cameras
Investigation and deterrence are the two main goals of security cameras. Most of the time, the photos captured by your security cameras will be utilized to review a crime or accident so that you can figure out what happened. However, because people aware that they are being observed are generally on their best behavior, the cameras themselves have a deterrent effect.
4. Visitor management system
Unauthorized or unaccompanied visitors can pose a physical hazard and steal critical data. This is why you need a visitor management system. Decide if visitors should be escorted at all times or only in specific locations when developing your policy. Visitors should also be required to wear a badge and sign in and out. Employees can more easily function as your eyes and ears if your visitor management strategy is well articulated, as they will feel more comfortable approaching or reporting a questionable individual.
5. Audit your physical and financial assets
Conduct frequent property and equipment audits, assigning accountability for certain items to specific staff. Computers should be labelled, and serial numbers should be recorded. Consider anchoring pricey equipment to the floor or the wall. Also, make sure that any bikes or automobiles are locked up.
Likewise, with your business financial assets, it helps to know exactly where your business stands financially in order to reduce the risk of losing money unexpectedly. The best way to go is to obtain advice from qualified financial and legal professionals. This also runs true with your personal finances and is a crucial reason why you should get a power of attorney assigned to a trusted individual or family member.
6. Adequate staff training
In the event of an emergency, employees should be adequately trained in safety practices. Regular safety exercises should be conducted, and a fire extinguisher should be readily available and tested to ensure that it is in good working order. Fire exit doors must be visible and unobstructed at all times. In the case of an evacuation, you must additionally examine the provisions for any employee who has a disability or poses an increased danger (such as an expectant mother).
