Protecting your small business is essential and should include a number of different ways to do so. Aside from adequate business insurance, surveillance equipment and screening employees carefully, you should also have a business alarm. This alarm code is kept only to you and other trusted individuals, and prevents people from entering your business after hours. However, there are so many different companies and brands of business alarms, it is often difficult to choose the right one. Here are some helpful tips and things to consider when purchasing a business alarm.
What the Alarm Protects you From
The first thing to consider is what exactly you need the business alarm to protect you from. Depending on your business, some risks are more prevalent than others. Some things you may need protection from, include burglaries, vandalism of your property, fire, temperature monitoring, employee and internal theft.
The Company
The first thing you to factor in is the company you purchase an alarm through. Pay close attention to how they operate; read previous customer reviews and choose one that was recommended by another business. Another factor with the company is whether or not they take the time to get to know your business. All alarms aren’t appropriate for every type of business, so they should offer to come out and look at your work site before helping you determine which alarm is best. This is a sign of a good alarm company.
What to Look For
After considering what alarm companies are trustworthy, it is time to choose the actual alarm. There are a number of factors to consider when choosing a business alarm, including the following:
Monitoring – Not all business alarms come with video monitoring, so this is something to consider beforehand. Depending on your business and interests, you may want to choose an alarm that includes monitoring of your store. This means you can view what is going on in your office or store from a remote location.
Wireless – Business alarms may be either wired or wireless. Wired alarm systems are the systems installed in the wall of your office or business, and a more permanent solution. Wireless alarms are also available, which don’t require this permanent wiring and installing into your business; this is beneficial if you’re renting a business space.
Real-Time Alerts – Modern business alarms often allow you to receive monitoring and real-time alerts to your mobile device. This is done by connecting the alarm to your mobile phone or device via wireless signal. It allows you to get instant notification if a sensor has picked up a presence in your business or another issue is occurring.
Additional Features – Finally, consider what other features you want in the business alarm. Some to consider include alarm cancel verification, different passcodes for different employees, stamping events for future documentation and a custom touchpad.
