It’s a question every business owner should ask themselves: ‘Is my business secure?’
What with all the time and money you’ve invested in your company, your precious stock and bricks and mortar, it’s important it’s protected. Here’s a checklist of things to consider when it comes to the security of your business:
Start with a risk assessment
Risk assessments are an important aspect of any business, whether you are a start up or a long running family company, and should be carried out regularly when you intend to update security measures. They identify where as a business you are most vulnerable and a thorough assessment should be carried out to understand where you could potentially fall victim to criminal activity. Everything, from how you store data to your business premises themselves, needs to be included – here are some examples of risk assessments to give you an idea of how to begin.
Secure your premises
Whether you work from a home office or manage an 80ft warehouse your premises must be secure. Check that windows and doors lock correctly and cannot be forced open from the outside and that you have an alarm fitted that alerts the right people in the case of a break in as a basic measure. It’s important you take some time, perhaps working with other companies to improve security, to ensure everything is covered – for example, have you considered having shutters or grilles installed to enhance the security of your access points when the building is left empty for the night?
Fire safety
Fire safety should come as standard in every business, it’s important that you clearly label where the exits are, where people should go in the event of a fire and have a set day of the week to test your fire alarms. Appointing someone as a fire marshal is also a good idea as well as enrolling them on an intensive training course to ensure they know what to do in an emergency.
Protect yourself and your staff
As well as the security of the business out of hours, during work time you need to ensure your business is secure. Are staff protected in the case of a fire or an intruder if you work with sensitive products or money? Do they have the correct training should an emergency occur or an accident take place? Not only will installing safety measures protect them as they go about their working day, it will protect your business on a legal level.
Be sure you trust your staff
Employee theft is a real issue in some industries, so it’s important you protect your business by only hiring those employees who check out when it comes to positive references and experience. Of course, there’s no way of determining someone is completely trustworthy but by simply doing your research and being careful you can protect yourself. Exercise caution and only entrust keys and passwords to those you truly believe will take care with them.
Protect your data
For many businesses, confidential and sensitive information is stored on computers – thank goodness filing cabinets are old news! – but correct IT policies aren’t in place to ensure this data is secure. Here are few basic ways to enhance the security of your important files:
- Change passwords every time someone leaves
- Only give access to those who need it
- Update software regularly
- Install security software
For those who need more security a data storage business might be worth contacting – these businesses work like a storage company and keep your important files secure, allow you to access them 24 hours a day and can even create physical copies if needed.
Now it’s time to implement these changes, to ensure your business is secure. Don’t wait until tomorrow or next week, act now and feel confident that everything you’ve worked hard to create is safe and protected.
