When you invest a considerable amount of time and resources into your business, the safety and security of your operations become an important factor. If you don’t have strong safety and security, aside from the possibility of incurring financial losses, you also risk your company’s reputation as well as the trust and faith of your employees and customers. Here are some ways you can ensure the safety and security of your business:

1. Safety is Everybody’s Business

Aim to have an internal culture that promotes awareness of safety and security. Invest in educating your employees at all levels so that they understand the various ways security can be breached, and safety compromised. Create written policies and procedures that employees can refer to and have security personnel in place that can address issues as they arise. Some scenarios to consider:

• Do your employees understand the importance of securing their password data and leaving their PCs logged out or locked when not in use?
• Do your team members understand that company documentation, files, printouts, etc., should not be left unattended?

Ensure you proactively measure the performance of safety measures and staff awareness by conducting drills regularly. Safety, in this sense, not only covers theft and crime, but also the effects of natural or accidental disasters such as hurricanes, floods, or fires.

2. Securing Physical Spaces

As a business owner, you have a responsibility to work with your local safety/security experts to understand how best to secure your physical spaces. Some of the basics include:

• Installing business security systems onsite, such as surveillance cameras and alarm systems.
• Installing controlled access systems to control and manage the employees who have access to specific areas, and to avoid unauthorized access.
• Installing fire alarm or smoke detection systems.
• Understanding workplace hazards such as cords that can be tripped over, frayed electrical wires, unguarded machinery with moving parts, and raised work areas that can cause falls.
• Implementing cleanliness, tidiness, and hygiene in all workspaces.
• Regularly auditing filing systems for archiving, shredding, or secure storage.
• Ensuring seating, lighting, and other workplace arrangements promote the wellness of your employees.

3. Securing Your Online Presence

These days, it is rare for a business to not have an online presence via a website or social media channels. Unfortunately, cybercrime is a very real 21^st-century threat to both safety and security. The most common types of cybercrime are fraud, online scams, system hacks, identity theft, and attacks on your company website.

Here are some ways to secure your business online:

• Have a cybersecurity policy in place that your employees are aware of at all times.
• Ensure your wireless networks are secure.
• Set up firewalls on all your servers, laptops, PCs and mobiles.
• Encrypt portable devices such as USB keys, laptops, or CDs/DVDs.
• Install anti-virus or anti-spying software.
• Always maintain back-ups of all crucial data.
• Ensure that any updates, upgrades or patches are applied to your systems whenever needed.

Having safety and security procedures in place is a must for any business owner, large or small. Use these steps as a starting point to create a solid foundation for a safe and secure business.

A coach can help you to evaluate the safety and security of your business and help you to implement them for your employees, physical spaces, and online presence.