As a business owner, you are naturally looking to keep expenses down, but one area that you can’t compromise on is safety. This means securing your business, including your customers, employees, and property, against theft and harm. In today’s world, simple physical security measures simply are not enough. It is important to take proactive steps to secure your business, and one of the best ways to do this is with a video surveillance system.
Prevent Theft and Vandalism
With well-placed security cameras monitoring your premises, many criminal acts (particularly theft and vandalism) are much less likely to occur in the first place. Video surveillance systems act as a visual indication that activity is being monitored and that a physical response could occur at any time, which is likely to deter many if not most criminal acts. This is undoubtedly one of the biggest reasons that businesses need video surveillance systems: on average, small businesses will lose more than $50,000 every year due to theft, and even a single act of vandalism can easily cost several thousand dollars and lead to an interruption of business activity. As a result, by deterring even a few of these acts, a video surveillance system can quickly pay for itself.
Real-Time Surveillance
Clearly, one of the most significant advantages of video surveillance is the real-time view it offers business owners of the security of their establishment. Previously, in order to take advantage of real-time video surveillance feeds, additional personnel were required to remain on-site to monitor them; however, due to recent developments, these live feeds can now be broadcast anywhere to computers and mobile devices. This allows business owners to keep an eye on their facility from anywhere, and even combine all their feeds onto one screen.
Evidence of Criminal Activity
Though video surveillance systems are likely to reduce the amount of criminal activity that will occur in the first place, it is still possible that a crime will occur on your premises or immediately around it. In this case, video surveillance systems can serve another important function in providing valuable evidence both in identifying the perpetrator and court. In many cases, footage from a security camera alone can serve as suitable evidence for a judge and jury; in this way, video surveillance offers benefits both for the business and the community as a whole.
Increased Employee Productivity
Another well-proven benefit of video surveillance systems is the effect that they have on employee productivity. It has been shown many times that employees work more efficiently when surveillance cameras are present, which can also take pressure off of supervisors responsible for monitoring the establishment, allowing them to focus on other tasks. The boost in productivity that video surveillance can offer can easily make up for the cost of the system as employees work to their full potential.
More Easily Settle Disputes
In addition to crime, most businesses are likely to face at least one legal dispute in time. These can involve customers accusing your company of irresponsibly allowing an accident to occur, claims of sexual harassment, or other disputes between employees and management. Regardless of the specific nature of the claims, video footage of the incident can be invaluable in protecting your company from liability, allowing your company to formulate a response to any misconduct, and providing a fair resolution to any disputes that arise.
Reassure Customers and Employees
Your customers and employees should feel safe and secure whenever they are within your facilities, and video surveillance can provide them with a sense of comfort. This improved customer confidence can help them to feel comfortable spending time in your establishment and make them more likely to return. Additionally, this can allow you to view customer habits and optimize the environment to improve the flow of customer traffic, providing a superior experience.
100 Percent Coverage
A professionally installed video surveillance system can provide your business with 100 percent coverage for complete security. Through a network of cameras working together in sync, you can monitor your entire business without blind spots and protect your property and employees from vulnerabilities. This is a considerable improvement over human security, which will invariably leave in gaps in coverage, and allows easy management all from a single command center, which can be your own smartphone or computer.
Final Thoughts on Video Surveillance for Business
It is easy to see why every business should consider investing in a video surveillance system. From improved efficiency to greater safety and security for people and property alike, a well-designed video surveillance system can ensure that your business is always running at its best.