As COVID-19, or the novel coronavirus disease, continues to work its way through the United States and the rest of the world, business owners everywhere have become faced with some tough situations. Many have temporarily reduced their staffs to decrease the risk of person-to-person contact, while other businesses have shut their doors entirely.

Of course, the most dire problem in the country right now is the health crisis, but another issue is actually following right behind that: the need to secure stores and other places of business that their owners have been forced to abandon. These locations now sit empty, their merchandise inside, unguarded by employees as they normally would be every day.

The fact that businesses cannot sell their products or services to people is difficult enough, even without the issue of security. Businesses are trying to survive in any way they can, such as by offering food for takeout and marketing products to customers through social media. As a side note, social media is one of the most effective ways to stay in touch with customers during a pandemic such as this.

Chad Hill, CMO of Hill and Ponton Law, had this to say about social media: “In today’s global crisis, a lot of small businesses are looking for ways to survive. One of the most helpful platforms that small business owners can use to protect their business is social media. Social media can grasp not just the nearby area, but also those areas that seem unreachable through the updates received by those who like and subscribe to your company website or page. Keeping in touch with your customers is the key to securing continuous transactions until the end of this crisis.”

Social media marketing is certainly one effective way to ensure you still have a business to protect at all. But, returning to the matter of securing a location while you are away for long periods, you must ask yourself: What should business owners do in the face of this crisis? What is the best and most cost-effective way to safeguard your business’s physical storefront during this time of COVID-19?

CCTV Camera World has the answer, and it is: security camera systems.
 

How Can Security Cameras Protect Your Business?

Security cameras allow you to record and view footage of your business while you are away, giving you peace of mind at all hours of the day.

Let’s explain how this works.
 

1.   Security Cameras Deter Would-Be Thieves

If you are wondering how security cameras can protect your businesses during this time of uncertainty, one good place to start is to understand that such cameras act as deterrents for would-be criminals. A conspicuously placed dome- or bullet-style security camera can be all the protection you need to convince intruders to back off from your property, knowing fully well they are being recorded.

Joe Flanagan, lead project engineer at Tacuna Systems, had this to say about cameras as deterrents: “Ever since I installed the cameras, there have deterred thieves on several occasions, and even helped apprehend one on one occasion.” Joe’s point is well taken: security cameras work great as cost-effective deterrents, and should the need arise where a criminal does try something untoward, your cameras’ footage can be used to identify the suspects.

Not only do CCTV systems help deter would-be thieves, it also provides a feeling of safety to let you sleep at night. According to a survey by Porch, 84% of individuals who had security cameras felt safer after having them.
 

2.   Security Cameras Can Link to Alarm Systems

Maybe you feel that simply having footage of your business while you work from home is not enough. Perhaps you want to have instant alerts in case of a security threat at your place of business. The good news is that security camera systems now feature smart cameras which are great for that. You can have your cameras connect to an alarm network that can send push alerts to your phone, and also notify your security company and the police of any illegal activity. This way, police can automatically respond to an emergency.

We discussed this with Bridgette Norris, marketing director at EcoSecretariat. She said: “As the world has had to close down for the safety of others, we have moved from our workplace to our homes, leaving our businesses unmanned, knowing that it is for the best interest of all staff. We feel safe in this decision, as we have security cameras that would trigger an alarm if our perimeter was breached. Our security team is notified of any breach. The footage is recorded during this time, allowing us to identify who was responsible.”
 

3.   Security Cameras Work with Proper Lighting

Security cameras are, of course, an excellent way to protect businesses or any property, and you can maximize their effectiveness by installing them alongside all the proper lighting. What do we mean by this?

We talked about it with Mike Falahee, owner and CEO of Marygrove Awning Co. He first reinforced the point about security cameras linking to emergency-response companies before commenting on lighting patterns: “We have ramped up our security system and linked to an auto-response company...If this lockdown continues, I will be installing random light timers so that it looks like the business is operated at different times during the day.”

This is a perfect example of how you can augment your security camera system with the right kind of lighting. The lights going on and off at set intervals during the day can make it seem like employees are currently occupying a store. If, by chance, those lights did not deter a criminal, then the cameras act as a backup, recording any illegal activity that takes place on the premises.

Dr. Mike Golpa, dental surgeon and CEO of the G4byGolpa dental implant centers, agreed on the concept of lights as additional deterrents. “A well-lit outside will make potential thieves feel more exposed and should discourage them from even trying to break in. If they attempt a burglary anyway, good illumination will help passers-by or CCTV to identify criminals. The most obvious precautions tend to be the most effective. A sturdy lock on the door, silent alarm, and CCTV inside and outside the building will likely deter or stop the thieves.”

Dr. Golpa said it perfectly: security cameras work well in conjunction with alarms and lights. Introduce all of these elements to your unoccupied business, and you should have nothing but peace and quiet until you return to work.
 

Stock Up on Security Cameras from CCTV Camera World

In these troubling times, we need to know that we, our employees, and our businesses are safe as our work takes on new settings. Security camera systems are the perfect way to do that. They monitor all activity at your place of business so you always know what’s going on from the comfort of your home.

Whether you need dome, fisheye, PTZ, or another type of camera, CCTV Camera World has you covered. You can meet all your security needs with us. Contact us with any questions, and we will be happy to help out!

Ray graduated from NYU with a degree in Chemistry and Computer Science. He strongly believes in a buying process that involves customer education and involvement. His vision to make the security camera buying process transparent began with video samples we make of our cameras. We continue to work under Ray's leadership to provide expert, ethical, and expedient support to our customers.

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