Why you need security cameras for your business

Some business owners might feel reluctant to install security cameras for the first time. It’s easy to understand why – most people don’t want to feel like the ‘big brother’ of Orwellian lore, even if it’s to protect their own business.

Having security cameras in your workplace will mean your employees end up feeling like they’re being spied on, but it’s a necessity to get that extra layer of protection that few other forms of security can give.

What security cameras can do for you

The full range of benefits of having a security system installed often becomes apparent only as time progresses. Security cameras won’t just help you mitigate losses and find out the culprit behind any theft or breach of service – they also act as a powerful deterrent to boot.

When people – even your own employees – see security cameras, they will be inclined to ‘follow the rules’ in order to avoid getting their questionable behavior recorded. While some might consider this a violation of rights, see it as the opposite – it’s in your every right as a business owner to keep tabs on the workplace.

Say you’re running a carpet cleaning business, especially one where you’re not always present. For starters, security cameras will keep an eye on any and all items in the office and/or workplace – the carpets themselves, machinery, cleaning tools and so forth. If your security camera is up for everyone to see (as it should be), visitors will be less inclined to indulge in socially unacceptable behavior, even if they end up dissatisfied.

But there’s more: a security camera also lets you keep track of your employees. For these purposes, a concealed type actually works much better than one that’s visible – unlike with visitors and passersby, you want the bad apples in your employ to show their true faces so that you can weed them out efficiently. Security cameras can be used to reward workers just as easily as to punish them – they’ll let you know who’s doing the real work (again, a concealed camera works much better here).

Types of security cameras

Business security systems are quite varied, ranging from a single device monitoring anyone passing by your business(or sticking around its entrance for too long) all the way to a complete system that leaves no corner unmonitored.

Security cameras can be regular-quality or high definition, can be resistant to weather, include audio, have night vision, be shielded from impact and so on. You’ll have to assess your needs and the total value of your business to know the kind of system best-suited for you. Here are 2 solid examples:

FLIR DND13TL2 HD IR: What’s not to like about the FLIR? It’s vandalism-resistant, functional in every type of weather and delivers 1080p footage over Ethernet – forget outdated forms of storage and delivery. $300 for a single piece makes this cam ideal for high-risk areas, as you probably won’t be able to afford more than a couple.

Vivotek FE8173: The FE8173 features something called a fisheye lens, which allows for monitoring of a greater area in spite of the camera’s inconspicuous size and shape. The footage can also be stored on a MicroSD card to provide backup in case of a compromised Ethernet/Wi-Fi range, although the $720 price tag can be quite prohibitive.

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