The Ultimate Guide to the Best Small Business Security Systems

In recent years businesses globally have had to navigate a rapidly changing landscape, from a pandemic to supply chain disruptions and an exponentially evolving digital world. While these challenges have been difficult for all businesses, none have been affected more so than small businesses.

Faced with staffing resource shortages, rising costs, as well as ongoing security threats, its important small businesses prepare for these challenges. And a well-chosen security system can do more than just protect property; it can streamline security processes, enhance operational efficiency, and enable you to focus on what matters most – growing your small business.

This article explores why investing in a small business security system is not only a necessity but a strategic move to ensure the smooth and secure operation of your business and prepare for the challenges that lie ahead.

The Importance of a Small Business Security System
Investing in a good small business security system is essential for several key reasons. Firstly, these systems help keep your property and assets safe from theft, vandalism, and other criminal activities. This is particularly important for small businesses, that might struggle to recover from significant losses.

On top of that, a well-chosen security system can streamline security processes and enhance your operations. Today's systems often include features like remote access and app-based management, allowing business owners to monitor and control their security from anywhere at any time.

Take Farmlands, an iconic New Zealand rural retailer, who sought to upgrade the security of their 80 nationwide sites.

By adopting Gallagher's SMB solution, they standardized their security practices across all locations with a cloud-based system.

This change allowed them to manage security more efficiently, with real-time access and control via a smartphone app.

Additionally, the solution reduced administrative burdens and costs by enabling remote user management and maintenance, eliminating the need for technicians to visit each site.

This upgrade has streamlined their operations and enhanced security throughout Farmlands' network.

Types of Small Business Security Systems

App-based access control
App-based access control systems offer small business owners a flexible and efficient way to manage who can enter their premises. By using a simple app, you can easily add, edit, or remove user access in real-time, making sure that only authorized personnel can enter specific areas.

Intruder detection systems
Intruder detection systems are a must for small enterprises. These systems enable you to arm and disarm areas using a smartphone from anywhere, at any time. They also provide a range of notifications to an owner or designated security service in the event of an attempted breach.

Third-party monitoring & guarding services
Third-party monitoring services integrate with security solutions when hands-off security is required. In the case of an alarm If your alarm is triggered, the monitoring company will notify relevant parties in accordance with an agreed action plan. This could be people from your site, your security technician, or a guarding company who will send someone to check your premise.

Factors to Consider when Choosing a Small Business Security System
As a small business owner, ensuring the safety of your premises, employees, and assets is a top priority. However, finding a security system that balances affordability, scalability, and ease of use can be challenging.

Here are some essential factors to look for in a small business security system to help streamline security, improve operational efficiency, and provide peace of mind:

• Accessibility: A great small business security system should let you add, edit, or remove users from an app, making it easy to grant or revoke access for your staff anytime, anywhere.
• Scalability: Look for systems that can grow with your business, easily scaling across multiple locations and giving you full control and oversight through one app. Many systems on the market are standalone, so if your staff need access to various locations, you'd need to update each system separately. Choose one that simplifies this process for you.
• Flexibility: The best small business security systems offer various options for unlocking doors, such as using a smartphone, key tag, or user code, and the ability to customize access levels down to specific areas and times.
• Accountability: Look for systems that provide detailed records of who entered or was denied access, capturing every instance of door unlocking.
• Reliability: Opt for a system built on existing proven technology, ensuring that no matter whether you are starting out or require high-level security, you can count on your set-up being dependable and efficient.
• Ease of Use: For the everyday user, such as a store manager giving employees access, security should be a seamless experience, not an onerous task. Security needs to be optimized out-of-the-box, so users are interacting with simple, straightforward interfaces.
• Customization: Every business is unique, and your security setup should be too. A good small business security system provides customization options to fit your needs, whether it's limiting access to certain parts of your building, setting specific times when people can come and go, or even providing temporary access. Your system should give you the flexibility to make it work just right for your business.

Features to look for in a small business security system
When evaluating potential small business security systems, certain features can enhance the effectiveness of security measures. Here are five key features to consider:

1. Arm and disarm your alarm from anywhere: With a quality small business security system, you can easily arm and disarm your business alarm through an app, no where you are. This feature is useful in the event that an employee forgets to set the alarm when locking up for the day, enabling you secure your premises quickly.
2. Lock and unlock doors remotely: This feature enables you to lock and unlock specific business doors from any location via an app. This is useful in scenarios where an unexpected visitor needs access after-hours, or a contractor requires entry into a normally restricted area for maintenance.
3. Grant and revoke access instantly: The best small business security systems allow you to grant or revoke access to your business on-the-go. The feature is invaluable when onboarding new employees or ensuring that former staff no longer have access.
4. Request a security guard: Quality small business security alarm systems send push notifications directly to you via your smartphone. From there you can then request a guard to go and check on your premises directly.
5. Manage multiple locations: If you manage multiple sites, a quality small business security solution will allow you to control the security of all locations from one app, delivering convenience and centralized management.

Installation and maintenance of small business security system
Once you have selected a security system, the installation process is a critical step that requires careful planning. Depending on your choice of system, the installation process can be complex or simple. Today, security systems for small businesses simplify installation and maintenance with remote configuration and cloud-based technology, saving time and ensuring consistency across multiple sites.

Neglecting maintenance can lead to vulnerabilities that may be exploited by criminals, so it's crucial to stay proactive. The best small business security systems on the market today offer automatic updates with the latest firmware, software, and functionality meaning you always protected.

Training your staff on how to use the security system is another vital aspect of maintaining its effectiveness. Small business security solutions that prioritize ease of use leads to quicker adoption and consistent usage resulting in significant cost savings by reducing the need for extensive training and minimizing the time required for system management.

Take Learning Links Rotorua, for example. Centre Supervisor Rebekah Howarth and her team care for up to 87 children aged six years and under, with security management being one of their priorities. They require tightly managed access to ensure the safety of children and staff, while keeping it simple for 13 staff members to use. Gallagher SMB provided an easy-to-use, cloud-based security solution for access control enabling the Learning Links team to control entry and exit from their phone.

Gallagher SMB
An ideal choice for small business owners looking for security solutions, Gallagher Security's SMB (Security Made Better) is designed with simplicity in mind. Built to simplify and streamline security and access for businesses, SMB puts the power in the hands of the operator and removes the hurdles of having to be on-site to manage your security solution.

As an app-based security solution, SMB offers ease of use, improved efficiency, remote access, lock downs and upgrades, easy installation, and round-the-clock support.

In a world where security systems are often overly complex and hard for people to manage, SMB takes a fresh approach - bringing you all the features you need, and none you don't via an easy-to-use app. With SMB, you have full oversight and control of the security of all of your business locations, from one app, from anywhere that suits you.

Selecting and maintaining an effective security system is essential for the safety and efficiency of small businesses. Solutions like Gallagher SMB exemplify the future of small business security technology, providing simple, app-based control that is both user-friendly and powerful.

As we move forward, the emphasis on ease of use, remote management, and comprehensive support will only grow stronger. Businesses that embrace these advancements will not only safeguard their assets but also streamline operations and reduce costs ensuring small business owners are better equipped than ever to meet the challenges ahead.