It’s that time of year again and with the holiday season right around the corner, so is that time when business insurance agencies start stressing safety and keeping your business secure during this busy time.
Even if you have great business insurance coverage, the best way to protect yourself and your company is through prevention.
Consider these important tips for keeping your company safe during this active period that brings higher traffic and possibly extra days when the business is closed so you are not a crime target.
1. Test All Security Equipment
Your security alarm system is a great deterrent for keeping would-be thieves away and preventing claims to your business owners insurance policy; however, it only helps if it’s active and working.
Don’t forget that your business computers should be included in your company's security plan.
Going into this busy time of year, jumpstart your holiday security plan by testing your security system to ensure it’s wired correctly and that all elements are working as they should.
If something isn’t functioning well, call the security company out to make repairs and get your system working properly.
Once it is, use it!
While you’re testing out your physical security system, go over your cybersecurity setup as well to ensure you’ve got the latest updates and are not at risk for a cyberattack.
2. Review Safety Procedures with Employees
Now is the time to meet with employees and refresh them on your existing, and any new business safety procedures.
Go over everything from how to secure valuable items and equipment as well as how to set the security alarm to what to do in case of an emergency.
Review Internet safety protocols with employees as well and refresh them on what they can and cannot do with the company internet connection, how to spot malicious emails, and more.
3. Keep Business Information Protected with Secure WiFi
While reinforcing safety protocols for internet usage, make sure your company’s WiFi connection is secure so there’s no risk of the network being breached.
Insurance companies stress that your employees need to avoid downloading business information or emails on unsecured public WiFi and make sure any remote workers are protected with secure devices and a VPN to prevent company network connections from being traced.
4. Inform Security Services of Holiday Schedules
If the holiday season brings changing schedules to your business, insurance companies suggest forwarding those changes to your security company as well as employees.
Whether it’s extended holiday hours or extra closed days, they’ll be alerted to what is happening at your business and ready to respond if there is some kind of problem.
While you’re at it, confirm that your service has the correct emergency contact numbers to call if the alarm goes off, whether accidentally or intentionally.
5. Get Into the Habit of Locking Everything
As obvious as this idea may be, business insurance companies find that it’s not unusual for people to simply forget to lock up a building completely or get into bad habits of not being thorough enough.
Create a lock-up protocol to ensure everything that needs securing has been taken care of and that the building is properly locked and protected by an activated security system.
Keep the Holidays Happy with Business Security
The holiday season can sometimes bring busier, more stressful days as everyone rushes around to get things done on time.
Business owners insurance companies also find that all that activity can make it easy to forget security while also generating added unwelcome interest in your building.
By implementing these security tips plus purchasing business insurance coverage to appropriately protect your establishment, you can be confident that this holiday season will be a happy one for you and yours!
