Video surveillance is a subject of much controversy, especially in light of privacy in the digital world. But whether you prefer it or not, security cameras are placed almost everywhere you go. They’re in parking spaces, public streets, and increasingly, inside offices and business complexes.
Both external and internal security risks such as vandalism, robbery, and even terrorism are rising. This has compelled more and more companies to implement strong security systems such as video surveillance.
Criminals often target businesses where staff work very early or late hours, such as gas stations and liquor stores. Having a functional video surveillance system will allow you to review the footage of all events that happened if you need to report to the police.
Other businesses such as bars, grocery stores, and restaurants experience shoplifting, customer falls, and even theft from employees.
So, is installing security cameras at your business a necessity? Let’s take a look at the promising benefits of installing security cameras for businesses and what criteria should be followed when choosing a surveillance system.
Consider the Meraki MV32 for your business and learn more about is the Meraki MV32 a good security camera for your business?
Benefits of Installing Security Cameras for Your Business
1. Security Cameras Help Deter Crime
One of the benefits of installing a video surveillance system is that it can help ward off potential criminals. Criminals and vandals may be deterred from shoplifting or breaking into your business premises when they see that you’ve taken preventive measures to protect your business.
The fact that they may be recorded on video committing a criminal offense means they can be caught even if they do succeed with their goal. Installing a high-quality surveillance system that will capture high-resolution images can help view the offenders’ facial features, making it easy to identify them.
2. Can Also Help Prevent Vandalism
Depending on the nature and location of your business, vandalism can be quite a nuisance. Vandalism costs small businesses and government agencies thousands of dollars to repair, not to mention the loss of business due to operational downtime.
Most vandalism acts are done in plain sight and public areas such as subways, billboards, and tunnels. While installing a surveillance system, consider installing cameras in high-risk areas.
3. Help Monitor Employee Workflow
Installing surveillance cameras is not just for curbing theft from employees. As the business owner, you’ll be well aware of how your employees use their time at work.
A surveillance system will show you who is working full shifts and spending their time doing things that are not productive.
Apart from providing you with valuable insight into employee workflow, security camera installation will also help you create a safer working environment for your employees. This can help you determine whether any measures are necessary to make them more productive.
4. Insight into Customer Behavior
If you have a retail store and would like to create a good customer experience for your clients, installing a surveillance system can help you do just that. By monitoring customer behavior, you will be able to see what interests them the most, whether they’re attended to on time, and if the interior of your store is clean and ready for business.
Security cameras will also help you monitor the exterior surroundings of your business. You’ll be able to see if shopping carts were in the right areas, whether the parking spaces are enough, and if there is debris or rubbish around the area.
Overall, customers want to work with businesses that value their security. Viewing different areas of your business will help you manage your business better so you can make the necessary changes if anything is out of order.
5. Security Cameras Can Help Businesses Save Money
Every smart business owner is always looking for a convenient way to reduce the cost of business. For a lot of companies, one business expense they have to deal with is shrinkage or internal theft.
By installing security cameras, these enterprises can save a lot of money. For instance, imagine a business that loses an average of $3,000 every month from inventory. If the company were to invest in a surveillance system worth $10,000, they can reduce their losses significantly or even entirely altogether.
6. Security Cameras Can Provide Evidence in Case Of Injury Claims
Slip and fall injuries are the main sources of customer liability for businesses with Society Insurance. While a lot of them are legitimate, a good bunch of them are often fraudulent.
With a functional security camera system, false claims are very unlikely to succeed. The cameras will provide footage that will serve as evidence of what exactly happened during the investigations.
7. Businesses With Security Cameras Often Pay Low Insurance Premiums
Claims accrued from cases of theft and breach of security far outweigh any potential insurance discount.
As such, insurance providers usually look for factors that will either reduce or increase the cost of claims when evaluating potential risks in a business setting. In simpler terms, they want to know what you, as the business owner, are doing to protect your customers better and prevent losses.
These factors that insurance companies for include non-slip flooring, provision of a well-written safety program, and an effective video surveillance system. As such, businesses with video surveillance systems are offered low insurance premiums since they carry a lower risk as compared to those without surveillance systems.
8. Resolve Internal Disputes Efficiently
Regardless of your business’s size or how much office space you cover, internal disputes are bound to happen. The arguments could be between employees or between employees and management.
In such cases, you’ll want to figure out what went wrong before things get out of control. Security cameras can help provide sufficient proof in such instances to solve the situation.
For example, cases such as sexual harassment, which is a persistent issue in many workplaces, can really damage a business’s reputation. The Equal Opportunity Employment Commission receives thousands of complaints that result in companies paying plaintiffs tens of millions of dollars.
Installing a surveillance system can both serve as a deterrent to sexual offenders and ensure that such activities (if they did happen) are captured on video. This footage can help you come up with an appropriate response in the possible event of litigation.
Choose the Best Surveillance System For Your Business
The best surveillance cameras provide a good balance between value, functionality, video quality, and durability. For this reason, you need to ask yourself various questions while choosing the best security camera system for your enterprise.
How Many Areas Do You Intend to Cover?
The total areas you want to be covered by your security cameras will help you determine the best cameras for your business. Fewer cameras can cover smaller spaces, and the installation will be cheap compared to large areas that will require more cameras and a more intense surveillance system.
Indoors or Out?
While most modern cameras can be used in interior and exterior environments, you need to consider camera housing, mounting locations, and lighting conditions. Outdoor spaces will experience sunlight during the day, but what happens at nighttime or when seasons change?
You need cameras with infrared features that can capture images in low-light conditions.
Do You Need Audio?
Integrating audio may not be mandatory for most setups, but it can help provide clarity in various situations, such as those that may involve court proceedings.
How Much Will It Cost?
Your ideal surveillance system’s pricing will depend on how many areas you would like to cover, the data storage you need, and additional features such as motion detection and video analytics.
Is the Meraki MV32 a Good Security Camera For Your Business?
Security is essential for any operational business. Today, security surveillance systems are more intelligent than ever, providing a variety of functions that were not possible before.
An excellent example of a good security camera that you should consider for your business is the Meraki MV32.
The Meraki MV32 is a highly advanced indoor and outdoor camera. It has a 3-9mm lens and a horizontal FOV (field of view) ranging anywhere between 36 and 112 degrees. This will allow you to get a wide-angle view of the location or lock its view on a particular subject.
The camera features a massive 256GB storage functionality and a smartphone-grade processor. This means it can store over a month’s worth of recordings, making it an excellent camera choice for remote locations.
It also captures high-resolution 1080p images at 20FPS (frames per second) as well as infrared sensors that allow effective night-vision functionality of up to 100 feet.
When scouting for the best security camera for your business, you want to make sure your ideal choice suits your business needs ideally.
The Meraki MV32 is also highly weather and impact-resistant, thanks to its IK10+ impact resistance rating, which is the highest rating that exists.
So, Is the Meraki MV32 a good security camera for your business? Absolutely yes.
The Meraki MV32 is also highly weather and impact-resistant, thanks to its IK10+ impact resistance rating, which is the highest rating that exists. Its smart functionality will also allow you to keep track of the total number of people in your business space at any particular time. Any changes in that number will notify you.
Consider the Meraki MV32 as a practical, functional security camera for your business.
