Five Ways to Ensure the Security of Your Small Business

As a small business owner, there’s little doubt that you worry about the security of your company. Whether it’s the physical security of your structure, your data, or the need to protect your fleet, keeping your company safe is a top priority. If you’ve recently started your own business, here are five things that you can do to ensure that your office, structure and data are as safe as they can be:

1.Security System

Whether you run your business out of your home or out of a separate building, installing a security system like one from Front Point Security can mean the difference between arriving at work to find it as you left it, or arriving at work to find that you’ve been the victim of a crime. Security systems are your first line of defense when it comes to burglaries and vandalism; their importance cannot be stressed enough.

2.Preventing Employee Theft

We all like to think that we have good instincts when it comes to the people that we surround ourselves with but sometimes we’re fooled. Whether you have one employee or 50, employee theft is a concern that shouldn’t be taken lightly. To prevent employee theft to the best of your ability, make sure that you vet all potential employees properly. You may want to consider running a background check and requiring a drug test before you put your trust in anyone that you aren’t already familiar with. Be careful who you give keys to and install a close-circuit television system.

3.Office Security

You should take the same considerations when protecting your office as you do when you se-cure your home. Make sure that your landscaping doesn’t block windows or provide hiding plac-es for would-be thieves. Both the exterior of the building that houses your office and the interior of your office itself should be well lit. Both the exterior and interior doors and windows of your office should have secure locks and be monitored for breakage as part of your security system.

4.Data Protection

If you keep paper copies of any important documents in your office, they should be kept under lock and key when you aren’t present. As far as your computer goes, you should consider using a data storage or online file sharing site instead of storing confidential documents on your hard drive. As tempting as it is to go the cheap route and keep your own files, having sensitive information stolen or leaked from your office can ruin your business and, in turn, ruin you financially.

5.Small Business Insurance

If you’ve protected your home, your health and your life, why aren’t your insuring your small business? You can shop for insurance by profession or specific coverage. Typically, you will need professional liability coverage and general liability insurance for the average small busi-ness. If you aren’t sure what type of coverage you need, speaking to a financial advisor will be in your best interest. If you run your company out of your home, don’t assume that your home owner’s policy will provide the coverage that you need. Your insurance agent can walk you through the details if you aren’t sure what type of extra coverage is necessary.

If you own and operate a small business, protecting it is of the utmost importance. Not only can a robbery, vandalism or natural disaster put you out of business, but any can ruin you finan-cially. Remember that you started your business for the same reason most people do: to make money. If you aren’t adequately protecting your company, those dreams of making it big can quickly go up in smoke.