Quirks That Make or Break Small Company Security Systems
Office security is one of the most fundamental concerns for businesses, irrespective of their size or industry. Any threat to the office assets or employees results in heavy losses to the businesses; this typically comes in the form of capital expenditure, healthcare and social security. Even though small office security may seem simple, it requires a great deal of planning.
While larger offices can afford costly, sophisticated and more integrated security systems, small office security systems should be robust and affordable while offering your business integrations with the software it already uses (like Asana, Google Directory, SSO, etc.).
Here is an example of a more bulky version of a security system:
Small business are often more attractive to thieves and burglars since perpetrators usually expect serious surveillance and access control systems at corporate facilities.
Small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) typically employ between 1 to 50 people at a time, but only a small portion are full-time employees, with an average of only about 12. An SMB is often a life-long family investment for owners, and you can imagine that access control violations might hurt not only their small office security but also inflict wider property damage.
A small office security system should be designed to efficiently protect office assets from outsiders as well as employees. Another part of the small office security system is that it should also effectively protect office employees and digital data.
Here is an example of a lightweight solution for small offices (which is easily scalable for larger companies):
There are different types of office security systems, such as third-party security contractors, an office employee collaborative system or a dedicated security personnel at the door—depending on the cost and the level of the office assets.
If you decide to set up your business at home, you need to think about how you'll manage the varied aspects of security, convenience and cost. There is an even finer line to follow in order to pick a home office security system than the one needed for commercial buildings. After all, you don’t want to turn your small business into a digital fortress and make employers and visitors feel uncomfortable. Luckily, there are countless options to maximize the privacy and maintain the human touch for your business, without jeopardizing your small company security.
While it's true that outside intruders can pose the greatest risk for your small office security, you still have to think of your employees or of people who need occasional authorization. Even for small offices, neglecting the internal access control system is not advised, especially if you own high-maintenance equipment or classified documents, or simply need to meet certain security standards because of the nature of your business.
Scalable Access Control Systems for Small Company Security
To provide access to authorized people while keeping anyone unauthorized out of a small office, you don’t need large networked systems for multiple buildings. For random guests, you don’t even need to issue a card pass or a key fob. Locking and unlocking the doors can be done remotely from a single software point of control run by a single person.
This is a big time saver. Instead of having your colleague run up and down the building to unlock the door for everyone, you can spend those hours in a more productive way and cloud-based access control solutions can allow you to integrate the software with your current visitor management software.
In this way, apart from the regular benefits of electronic access control systems, you also get a cost-effective office security solution that will work on just one door and can scale up indefinitely.
Office security for small businesses can be configured and rolled out fast. So, instead of worrying about replacing hardware you can choose the right amount of door readers for your current needs and won't need to worry about the expansion until it's time. For example, you can add a video camera that sends immediate notifications when a user has unlocked the door and you can integrate alarm systems and door bells with cloud-based access control. The best thing in video access control for small office security is that you don't need to think of extensive storage since the camera activates only when actual unlock events occur.
Despite the scalability, you do need to set a nick of time for some planning in advance, in particular if you know that your business will grow.
Small Office Security System Components
The main components of a best small office security system should include the following components of access control systems.
- A combination of surveillance, access control, security lights, and manual access interruptions are four major components of a best small office security system
- High quality physical access equipment like intelligent locks, controllers, keypads etc.
- Best small office security camera system should be installed covering all important access points
- Additional layer of a standalone locking system is desirable for sensitive assets like servers and other critical equipment
- The paper files should be locked in cupboards
- A proper monitoring of the movement of employees and outsiders should be done
- A record of visitors and employees’ time log should be maintained
- Should be powered by the latest technologies like remote access through cloud and mobile devices
Best Access Control Brand Reviews
Looking to buy access control? Read reviews of the best brands.
See Reviews
Important Questions You Need to Ask for Small Office Security Infrastructure
Think of the purpose and the size of your business. Will you grant access only to employees or to some of the customers, too? Start from the possibilities of the physical materials in use at your small company - a wooden or a glass door will require different infrastructure than one made of steel. Is there anyone else who has a say in your small company security, such as a fire inspection? Do you run intermittent security checks on an independent contract?
After you consider these basics, make sure to go into a bit more detail for:
1. How will you get in and out?
For example, a stand-alone lock powered by internal replaceable batteries may be a perfect solution for a single door. Within minutes, you have a ready-made office security solution. The quick installation has its flaws, though. It is difficult to make stand-alone locks work in a large access control network. Keypads are another budget-friendly alternative, but impose greater risk because of workers’ affinity for code sharing.
2. How will you secure the door?
It is likely that your small office won’t need a complex door-securing mechanisms, such as a push-button or push-bar exit, or a motion or time activated exit. An electric deadbolt is a convenient door lock for interiors which don’t require an electromagnetic mechanism. They work for cabinets, too - a fact you want to keep handy for storing secure documentation.
3. How will you monitor the system?
An essential question you need to consider before you decide on the access control system at place for your small company security is to check the compatibility of the operating system. Even if you don’t go for full-on software control right from the start, you need to think of future changes and upgrades. As business needs change, so will your office security adapt. Don’t forget about how will the chosen solution get power-supplied and how it will fit the overall layout of your business premises.
It’s clear that security for small premises doesn’t always equal simplicity. Especially when you need to decide on alternatives for audit trail tracking, time-based control and power supply work within a small-company limited budget, some extra care is needed. Nevertheless, answering the above questions will remove most larger concerns.
Other Considerations for the Best Small Office Security System
Other than the questions above, you should also consider the following points:
- Access system should be system integration compatible to integrate all components like door security, camera surveillance, alarm system, and elevators
- It should be flexibility to expand it in the future easily
- The system should be compliant with the local building and safety codes
- The capacity of the system should be large enough to store transaction data for at least 90 days
- The upfront cost of the entire system
- System maintenance and customer support cost