Owners of small businesses want – and need – it all.
Many go into business for the opportunities to do what they’re passionate about, working with customers on products and services that closely match their own talents and interests. For others, owning a business enables them to gain control over how they spend their time, and thus create the freedom to choose how and where they work.
That freedom that comes with small-business ownership doesn’t mean owners are free from worries, however. Not at all.
Ask these owners what keeps them up at night and they’re likely to tell you that they constantly think about the security of their business, their employees and their customers. Theft, fire and delays in openings and closings are just a few of the problems waiting to trip up even the best-run businesses.
Owners’ worries are justified. Crime alone costs businesses dearly – as much as 5 percent of gross revenue each year.1 Crime against businesses is pervasive, as 52 percent of businesses will be victimized by employee theft, vandalism
Control and Freedom
at the Same Time
How Remote Security Management Helps
Small-Business Owners Have Both
Until recently, staying on top of any of these issues meant long hours at the office, or driving back in the evening or on weekends. No more. Easy-to-use technology, like that which small-business owners already own and use every day, can help them deal with security issues quickly, efficiently and – with a smartphone, tablet or other Web-enabled device – from anywhere and at any time problems arise.
That’s the freedom that you and many other small-business owners seek.
Stay in Control from Anywhere
Remote management tools put you in control of your facilities with your mobile device. You can easily check whether your business is open on time or that it closed as scheduled, and that your security system is activated during off-hours. And small-business owners are increasingly realizing the value of such
technology: 70 percent of small-business owners say technology is very important to the success of their small business.3
Remote security management can give you the ability to:
• Arm and disarm your security system remotely
• Double-check that security is activated when the business is closed
• Receive automatic alerts when alarms are triggered or other conditions are met
• View live video of what’s happening inside your business
In addition, you can better control how you spend your time because monitoring your business security system can be a full-time job by itself. Four burglaries occur every minute in the United States,4 so being able to check alerts and live video feeds when you’re away from your business is critical to keeping ahead of potential threats.
Go Mobile, so You Can Go Home
Mobile security management is growing in popularity with small-business owners, providing the ability to control their company’s security in flexible, new ways never thought possible.
With 74 percent of small-business owners regularly using a smartphone for business,5 they can easily be equipped to remotely interact with their intrusion detection systems and access control solutions and receive text or email notifications as specific events occur. Such technology can help protect a small business with greater confidence and peace of mind, something every small-business owner wants – and needs.
With mobile security management, you can remotely:
• Set alerts for business open-and-close events
• Manage after-hours deliveries
• Change employee access privileges
• Receive email and text alerts when intrusion incidents occur, such as back door opened, motion detected or system disarmed
• Test systems and view test results
• Receive video clips of motion sensors that detect breaches or when doors to sensitive areas are opened
• View live video to monitor vulnerable areas such as stock rooms, delivery docks and rooms containing high-value assets
Fight Business Crime with
21st-Century Mobile Apps
Burglary, vandalism and employee theft are potential risks that can threaten any business. Owners and security managers often worry about what’s happening overnight and when they are off site. This concern is justified, given that 64 percent of businesses experience some sort of theft by employees, according to a survey of small-business owners by researchers at the University of Cincinnati. What gets stolen? That same 2014 survey found that 40 percent of thefts from businesses involved cash, in amounts averaging $20,000.6 The survey also found that business thefts include these five areas:7-10
To combat this crime, mobile security management apps can enhance security awareness around the clock by providing small-business owners ways to keep in touch with what’s going on inside their business.
Email or text alerts can also be added to quickly notify when a potential issue arises. By accessing live video, you can assess the situation and take appropriate action. With this technology installed on your smartphone or tablet, you are better able to respond to almost any situation as if you were back at your business.
Tools for Your Business Success
Mobile security management helps you not only handle all of your obligations but also maintain a healthy work-life balance, which is an important definition of success for small-business owners, according to a survey by the Enterprise Council on Small Business.
Business owners need every tool that can help them get away from the office, because 48 percent say they work 40 to 60 hours a week – and nearly 10 percent of owners say they work more than 60 hours a week.11 Moreover, the majority of owners say they are able to take off only one week, or less, for vacation.
Because it is impossible to be in two places at the same time, remote security management gives you the critical ability to know what’s going on in your business even when you’re away – and to do something about it from the convenience of your handheld device. This tool is especially useful for businesses with multiple locations, such as retailers or the owner of several fast-food franchises.
For even more convenience, remote security management technology works with many of the security systems you already have in place. In this way, it lets you leverage the investment you’ve already made in security systems time management and efficiency.
Going Beyond Security to ‘Business Optimization’
Additional benefits of the use of remote security management are the insights the tools designed to protect your business can also teach you about your business.Small-business owners have realized improvements in their operations because the live video capabilities help monitor interactions between employees and customers. From these insights, owners are better able to reinforce training and improve overall customer satisfaction.
Video that is archived for procedural compliance also can be used to improve safety for employees and customers. Owners focused on customer service appreciate being able to review reports generated, to confirm that employees are opening and closing at the right times. For business owners who believe that their most valuable asset is their time, a key benefit that results from using mobile security management is that they’re able to get more done. Some owners report their productivity increased by as much as 25 percent by working remotely, according to a recent article by the Huffington Post.
Managing Remotely Lowers Security Costs
Remote security management certainly is not new. Centralized services staffed around the clock by security professionals have long been available, but generally their costs are out of reach for small businesses. That’s where mobile technology saves owners not only time but also money.Remote security management that uses apps on your smartphone or tablet enables you to keep tabs on your office, store or factory without adding the labor costs associated with the staffing of the centralized approached. This “view it yourself” security solution uses mobile devices you already own, further avoiding new costs.
Is Remote Security Management Right
for Your Business?
Here’s How to Make That Decision
Remote management is an example of an important trend that’s shaping business today: the move beyond security to business optimization. Through the integration of video cameras, access control, intrusion detection and other systems, small-business owners are finding new insights into areas such as business operations, customer interactions and workplace efficiency.
Sources:
1U.S. Chamber of Commerce, “Crime (theft, vandalism, burglary) costs businesses an amount equal to 5
percent of gross revenue each year.”
2 U.S. Chamber of Commerce, “30% of all business failures may be the direct result of a crime.” 32013 National Small Business Association (NSBA) Small Business Technology Survey. “70 percent of
small-business owners say technology is very important to the success of their small business,” http:// www.nsba.biz/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/Technology-Survey-2013.pdf (accessed February 20, 2015).
4U.S. Chamber of Commerce, “Four burglaries occur every minute in the United States.”
52013 National Small Business Association (NSBA) Small Business Technology Survey. “74 percent of
small-business owners regularly use a smartphone for business,” http://www.nsba.biz/wp-content/ uploads/2013/09/Technology-Survey-2013.pdf (accessed February 20, 2015).
What can you do to get started with remote security management? The first step is to evaluate your current security setup with the help of an experienced, reliable security partner.
There is no cost or obligation – just the peace of mind that comes with helping to better protect your people, property, inventory and operations.
Safer. Smarter. Tyco.™
Schedule a free commercial security review today.
