Many business owners know that their small business should have a safe of some kind. But is this enough protection for your particular operational needs? Or might you need more than one safe on the premises? To help you make this important distinction, here are a few reasons to think beyond just one all-purpose safe.
Multiple Locations
A very small business may have a small enough layout that just one central safe is sufficient. Everyone can easily reach it from where they often use items that need safe protection.
However, as your operation grows, this may stop being the case. Not only does an inconveniently located safe mean wasted time away from other work and wasted energy, it may also discourage staff from using it as much as they should.
Dedicated Purpose
What do you need to protect within your business operations? And who might it need protected from? Many businesses use safes, of course, to protect cash or valuables from outside intruders and theft.
However, key employees may need their own dedicated safes. Management, for instance, works with company secrets that even other employees shouldn’t be privy to. The accounting department, in addition, may hold cash, checks, and customer’s personal data that shouldn’t be accessible by others. In both instances, sharing a safe with cashiers, office staff, or manufacturing crew may not be appropriate.
Specific Protection
Safes come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes. Do you have safes that work best for specific items you want to store in them? If not, think of how you might take advantage of modern choices to tailor your protection.
A simple box safe designed to store cash overnight isn’t the best choice if you need to store a large and sensitive prototype. Have lots of small proprietary or high value goods? You might opt for a jewelry safe or one with similar built-in organization. Need to protect petty cash? A full safe may not be the most efficient option, so consider small portable versions.
Different Hazards and Goals
What do you want the safe to protect your valuables from? A manufacturer using flammable materials might opt for a safe in that area with a high rating for fire protection. This doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the best rated against break-ins, though, since these are separate goals. With two safes, your retail section can keep cash in a convenient location while the warehouse protects expensive gear in another.
A variety of considerations exist when choosing the right safe for the right spot. Wall or floor safes provide a first line of protection by hiding the presence of a safe in the first place. Vaults and panic rooms, on the other hand, trade anonymity for protection of the largest goods and even staff members in a crisis.
Cost-Effective Solution
A business constantly evolves, and it should reassess its needs regularly. However, if you need a new safe, your old one can still be part of a good security plan. Have you outgrown a safe? Buying a second medium-size safe expands storage capacity but costs less than buying a large new unit. Similarly, if you decide to upgrade fire protection, your old safe may still be useful for secondary storage of less fragile goods.
Where to Start
Could it be time to consider a second safe for your business? Whether your operations have changed, the business has grown larger, or departments have specific security needs, the best place to begin is by learning more about available options. DuPage Security Solutions, Inc. can help. We provide a wide variety of options for any business and any budget. Call or visit today to learn more.