It’s a new year and a fresh start. January tends to be a slower time for businesses — after the year-end holiday rush, the beginning of the new year gives us a chance to pause and plan out the coming months. On a personal level, many of us use this time to make resolutions — this idea can be similarly applied to our professional work. If resolutions are all about making our lives better, how can that effort be applied to our businesses? One major way is to consider the wellbeing of our workplaces, which is where facility security comes into play. Don’t let your business’ security be a once-and-done effort. Instead, consider how you can strenghten and maintain your facility’s security all year long.
For Your Facade, Be Proactive, Not Reactionary
The facade of your business is its public face. If the social unrest of recent years has taught businesses anything, it’s that having a plan during turbulent times can mean the difference between protected exteriors and stolen goods. In your security, you want to be proactive, not reactionary — that means already having a plan and security system in place so you are not scrambling. If your facility is public facing or in a highly populated area, invest in scissor gates or roll up doors; don’t just board up with wood at the last minute. Get gates and doors that provide an extra layer of protection in case cameras and other efforts do not deter intruders.
Take Seasonal Precautions
If your lights are on a single timer, that might only work during certain times of the year. As they say, even a broken clock is right twice a day. Changing seasons, daylight savings, and inclement weather can affect lighting. In darkness, it is easier for invaders to make a move, so be sure to make subtle changes to your exterior lighting so that your building stays well-lit by dusk all year long. Then, take your facility security a step further by adding in motion-activated lighting around your building’s sides and less conspicuous areas.
Have Security Grow with Your Business
You may be at the start of a bang-up year for your business. That might entail an addition on your facility or a new campus entirely. If that is the case, know that security should grow with your business — those new areas will need their own cameras, keys, lighting, and more to ensure employee and equipment safety. Such new areas also offer the opportunity to invest in new technology. If you have the money to expand your business, you should have a line item for security to protect it as well.
Conduct Post-Mortems Right Away
If there is a security breach or other internal failing, do not simply move on. This is an opportunity for an all-hands-on-deck post-mortem, a meeting where, after the events have settled down, managers and company leaders can come together to learn from what happened and adapt. This is vital for your facility security: learn where your vulnerable areas are and strongly patch them up. This can involve everything from new cameras and lighting to stronger alarm systems or surveillance.
The Security Professionals understand the importance of facility security, working with many companies in varying industries to maximize their protection. See how we can serve your needs to improve your facility’s security.