Small Business Security Checklist
If you have a small business - whether it’s a new startup, a purchase, or a small going concern, you know you have take steps to protect your project.
Threats come in many forms, not just dramatic robberies and burglaries (although those happen too). Less visible risks like employee theft, time clock fraud, and underdelivery of key inventory can put a big hole in margins. New risks like copper cable theft and signal jammers can catch even prepared owners and operators by surprise.
To protect your livelihood and your employees, you have to add security to the long list of specialities to master, along with accounting, marketing, and human resources.
To help entrepreneurs and small business owners make sure they’ve got the most important bases covered, we’ve put together a small checklist of the most important steps you can take to mitigate key risks, internal and external.
The list covers a few key categories of physical security. Watching for risks in other specialities like IT, recruiting, and training is also a good idea. Most items on this list will be relevant to most businesses (including home businesses!), but some may not be relevant for your operation. Bigger businesses will certainly have more sophisticated needs. Some high-exposure verticals will need more specialized attention (retailers, for example, will also need policies and procedures for dealing with shoplifting and fraudulent returns).
Depending on your facility and its ownership structure, some of these items may be things you can get a landlord’s assistance with, such as exterior lighting and cameras.
Here’s the checklist. Scroll to the bottom for a link to a printable version. If you have questions or comments, we’d love to hear from you!
LOCKS AND DOORS
Good locks for exterior doors
Window locks or bars as appropriate
Audible alarms for emergency exits and back doors
Separate keys for controlled inventory
Locking cabinet for server/computer equipment
Monitored burglar alarm (operations that close at night) or access control (24/7 operations)
SECURITY CAMERA COVERAGE
Entries & exits - including emergency doors
POS & cash handling areas
Controlled inventory storage
Time clocks
Customer areas
Limited access zones
Hazard zones
Parking lots
(Also check out our free guide to assess how many security cameras you need!)
LIGHTING
Good exterior lighting
Nightime interior lighting
CASH HANDLING
Time delay safe or other secure storage
Two-person policy for cash counting and handling
ACCOUNTING
Third-party audits
Secure storage for sensitive financial and personnel documents
Process to compare received orders to purchase orders and enter into inventory