Best Small Office Security Tips

Though small businesses are managed by only a small number of employees in each, they form a very important cog in the machine that runs the US economy. Any business, no matter how small it is, needs to be protected. Therefore, all small businesses need a solid small business security system. Some small businesses are run at home, so they too need a sound home business security system.

Being small in size and scale, many small business owners feel that they do not need any elaborate security. They couldn't be more wrong. Every business is prone to some kind of threats - internal or external, visible or invisible - and every business should install the right small business security systems available. A small business can face threats in the form of stock pilferage, theft of business plans, contracts or sensitive documents, hack attacks on their computer network, usage of spy equipment by competitors, employee misbehavior, infiltration, etc. No matter what the threat could be, any small business has to be ready not just to face it, but also to detect it and nip the threat in the bud before it assumes alarming proportions.

Features in physical office security

When you think of your physical office security you think of gadgets and gizmos and all things high-tech. You also think of the huge costs involved in setting up an office security system.

Well, you will be surprised to know that physical office security may not be an expensive proposition, and that all those things required for such security might not all be high-tech.

Examples of low-cost and low-tech - but very important and indispensable - office security gadgets are locks, keys, and official signage. A low-cost notice that says, for example, “This area is protected by ABC laser alarm system” can be very effective in keeping intruders at bay. And speaking about locks: Don't forget to change them often.

Examples of high-tech security systems are business security alarm systems (such as silent burglar alarms and fire alarms), motion detectors, trip wires, electric eyes, and more. The important thing is to install what you really need, but the question is: “Can you afford what you really need?” So, as far as high-tech security goes, it boils down to how much you can spend. Consulting an office security firm on choices and prices is the best option. A comparison of the various small office security systems can be carried out on the Internet too.

Insurance acts as a good risk armor for small businesses. You can insure against fire, theft, office-related accidents (such as a customer or an employee accidentally breaking your Ming dynasty vase), etc., and get a good night's sleep not thinking about what would have happened if...

Why is office security important?

The importance of small business security can be best demonstrated by examples:

• A small business might be dealing in, say, manufacture/assembly of designer diamond jewelry. Now, diamonds are small objects and can be pilfered easily. So they need a secured storage place, an efficient inventory mechanism, and constant supervision when they are being worked upon. To avoid pilferage at work and then at exit points, a business needs closed circuit television, sophisticated alarm systems, insurance, and more to monitor what exactly is going on at the workplace.
• Take another example: Suppose a small business is in the business of producing graphic design software that has almost no competition. Such businesses need - apart from physical office security - strong software security built into their computers and networks, in order to stop code theft, customer information leaks, etc.

Different types of businesses need different kinds of security systems. Even a business security policy is business-dependent, i.e., you cannot have one standard security policy for different types of businesses, apart from the standard ancient business security policy that says all businesses should use locks and keys.

The bottom line is that any small business needs a security system and there is no escaping from it.

Setting up a secure office

Here are some suggestions for setting up a secure small office:

• If your business employs a lot of people, install key-card access systems at main entrances/important doors. The employees and all authorized contractors should wear badges with their latest photographs on it.
• Always keep the master and duplicate keys in a security office.
• Arrange the office space in such a way that any visitors can be easily noticed.
• If your business is vulnerable to theft - either from employees or from visitors - then you need to install closed circuit television at points where your stock and cash is located.
• You should never ever delegate to anyone small chores that are meant for you. For example, opening mail that's addressed to you. Bank statements, credit card statements, customer complaints are examples of important documents that you should be looking at yourself. Another chore is signing checks - don't ever delegate this to an employee.
• Install adequate computer security. You should know if your employees are emailing or passing sensitive business information over the Internet. Keep changing computer passwords to restrict access to sensitive data.
• Lock up important documents and papers in a secure storage place.
• Keep your office neat so that important papers don't lie all over the place.
• Empty the trash can often. Use a shredder to destroy all waste papers, which may carry unwanted but confidential information.
• Be sure there is a strong confidentiality clause in your job agreements. Make sure your employee knows and understands the consequences if he breaches the confidentiality clause.
• Maintain an executive file that has dossiers of all your employees.

If you follow these suggestions, the security aspect of running a small business would be taken care of.