Security…is it important? All and all, I guess it depends. If you have children and are a single mother, I’d say it’s more important than if you are a single 26-year-old man who is 300 pounds of pure muscle. But, that’s just me (being a female and all).
For businesses, same rule applies (not the female part, but the type). If you operate a home-based business and your computer is the only real collateral you have, I wouldn’t worry about it. If you have an office with employees, documents and products, you might want to consider. Video surveillance systems and other security devices can help save your business money, just on insurance alone. Not to mention the fear factor to keep employee theft down and act as a security safety net in the case of a break-in.
The U.S. Department of Commerce reports that employee dishonesty costs business owners around $50 billion a year.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce goes on to report that approximately 75 percent of all employees steal at least once, and half of these employees will be repeat offenders. Shocking, right! If this isn’t reason enough to invest in a video surveillance system, consider the following.
Saves Money
Insurance companies will actually knock off anywhere from 10 to 20 percent if you have a business security system in place. In general, most video surveillance systems are inexpensive—depending on your security needs. A basic single camera system on an analog system (aka not digital), will run anywhere from $120-$250 for a camera, and quality DVRs go for $500-$1,000+ (depending on your needs), according to Resource Nation.
Good Investment
For a more robust system, you may need to invest in multiple cameras and monitors. Digital offers the best picture quality, but again it may not be necessary to purchase a digital security camera system if security at your company is at a low risk of being violated. Before talking to vendors, decide what level of security you are looking for and stick with your decision. No need to purchase a state of the art system if you don’t need it.
Don’t let sticker shock on some of these systems deter you from what you need. Once you factor in savings from your insurance company, many times some of these systems are completely free.
Negotiating
When negotiating with video surveillance vendors make sure you are going through the contract thoroughly. Will they be setting the system up for you? Will they be educating you on how it works? Asking these types of questions will help you realize what is going to need to be done on your end. If a price seems too good to be true, it might just be. Paying a little more to get your system hooked up by a professional may be a better option. You can visit EverythingBusiness.com for a full list of security camera system providers.
