When was the last time you conducted a safety audit on your business? We don’t just mean changing the locks to the door—there are more ways than ever for companies to be open to attack, so all business owners need to think about both physical and digital security.
If your business isn’t safe, you can lose money, personal details, and even put the lives of your staff in danger. To stay safe, think about any business improvements you can make to improve the safety of your business and employees.
To find out more, keep reading to find seven key ways you can protect your business.
1. Install Security Cameras
As a business owner, you should make physical safety one of your top priorities.
You need to protect both your business assets, like expensive technology, but also your staff. You have a duty of care to your employees to protect them while they’re working, so keep an eye on the business by installing security cameras and alarms.
A security system will allow you to keep an eye on the business, even when you’re not there. It’s also useful on weekends and nights, times when break-ins are most likely to occur.
Work with a security company to install a state-of-the-art security system that will alert you and notify the police as soon as something goes wrong.
2. Educate and Train Your Staff
Business protection starts from within, which is why it’s important for your staff to know how to stay safe. Often, safety breaches like opening a malware email attachment or leaving the back door of the warehouse open are accidental, with employees not realizing the error of their ways.
To prevent staff mistakes or accidents, you should host regular training sessions, ensuring staff understand their role in keeping the company safe.
Staff training is particularly important for workplace health and safety, ensuring they know how to safely handle dangerous tasks like working with chemicals or climbing ladders.
3. Change Your Passwords Frequently
Business safety isn’t just physical—it’s also digital. Cyberattacks and hacking attempts are a huge threat to your business, as plenty of online criminals are constantly trying to break into your data.
Hackers can steal personal details of staff, customer records, credit card details, and even your bank account numbers, causing endless damage to a business.
One of the best ways to avoid this is by making it harder for criminals to access your files by using challenging passwords. You’ll also want to change them often, so you’re always one step ahead.
You and your staff should always use strong passwords with at least eight characters, but longer is better. Passwords should be a mix of numbers, letters, and symbols, but don’t use words that can be commonly guessed, like your pet’s name or street address.
4. Keep All Software Up to Date
Digital security also means keeping all of your software and IT system current. If you’re using older versions of software programs, this means they’re no longer supported by the manufacturer and aren’t safe to use.
Many companies find it hard to stay on top of all their software programs, so consider working with an IT management company for this. You can easily outsource all of your software management to them, giving you peace of mind—look here now to find out more about how they work.
5. Have a Plan for Emergency Situations
What will happen to your business in case a fire occurs? What about a hurricane or an unexpected flood?
Emergencies and natural disasters can happen in seconds, so you need to be prepared. Always have an emergency action plan in case staff need to evacuate, so that everyone knows what to do if something goes wrong.
Conduct regular emergency drills and nominate one staff member to complete first aid training, so they can help in case of an accident.
6. Conduct Background Checks Before Hiring
Depending on the nature of your business, you might want to conduct background checks before hiring new staff. This way, you can be sure that your employees don’t have any criminal records or issues that could cause you problems in the future.
For example, if you need to trust staff with large amounts of cash, you want to be sure they’re reliable and trustworthy.
Some industries might also require background checks for anyone working with children or the elderly.
7. Require All Visitors to Sign In
Day to day safety within the office starts with the reception desk. Your company should have a sign-in, sign-out policy, so that you always know who’s within the company at all times.
Name badges for guests are a good idea as well, so that everyone is aware of who’s in the building.
These Business Improvements Can Help Your Company Stay Safe
If your company isn’t up to scratch when it comes to security, then it might be time to make some essential business improvements. The guide above should help you start thinking about how you can improve your company.
Yes, it can be expensive to make updates and changes to your company, but think of it as an investment for the future. Without adequate security, your business is at risk of attack, damage, or theft, so don’t take the chance!
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