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Taking Surveillance of Your Small Business Operations
By: SmallBizClub
According to a survey conducted by the University of Cincinnati, about 64 percent of small businesses said that they had experienced employee theft.
Theft, both by employees and outsiders, can result in substantial financial losses for your business, and you need to take effective measures to prevent it.
One of the most effective ways to prevent theft is to install surveillance cameras in your store, office or other facility. Installing surveillance cameras not only helps prevent theft, it also offers other important benefits.
Here is a look at why you should use surveillance cameras to monitor your business operations.
Deter and Record Theft
Most business owners prefer not to have to think about the possibility that their employees may steal from them, but employee theft is actually relatively common.
According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, businesses lose $20 billion to $40 billion to employee theft every year. Theft can occur in many ways, ranging from “borrowing” supplies or tools to stealing from the cash register, and it can be committed by insiders or outsiders.
By installing surveillance cameras in your business facility, you will make your employees and/or outsiders think twice about stealing from you, because they will face a higher risk of getting caught.
If they decide to steal despite the presence of cameras, you will know how the thefts are committed, and you can take effective measures to prevent such acts from occurring in the future. It is relatively costly to implement a video surveillance system in your business facility, but you can reduce the cost significantly by looking for a good deal.
Major retailers like Walmart offer an extensive range of affordable and reliable surveillance camera options for your small business.
Adherence to Company Policies
Almost every company has a set of procedures and policies to ensure that their employees conduct themselves properly and perform their work duties correctly.
Having surveillance cameras in the workplace can help you determine whether or not your employees are following your company’s rules and procedures, and performing up to expectations.
It also makes it easier for you to make improvements to your business processes to boost efficiency and productivity.
Settlement of Disputes
It is not uncommon for disputes to occur in the workplace, and it can be difficult for you to resolve them if you do not know what really happened.
If you have surveillance cameras in your business facility, you will have a clearer idea of the circumstances that led to the disputes.
As such, you will be able to resolve the disputes in a fair and effective manner. A video surveillance system is especially useful for preventing and dealing with harassment in the workplace.
Before you install a video surveillance system in your small business facility, it is essential that you consult with a legal professional to find out about the laws in your state that pertain to the use of surveillance cameras in the workplace.
Additionally, you have to make sure that you meet the reasonable expectation of privacy standard and inform your employees that you are installing a surveillance system.
Author: John McMalcolm is a freelance writer who writes on a wide range of subjects, from social media marketing to Cloud computing.
Published: June 3, 2014
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