Running a business is like cooking a meal—your hands are in a lot of pots. That comes with risk, the risk of overextending oneself and consequently jeopardizing the vision of the company.

There are 31.7 million small businesses in the United States. Every year these businesses face security threats inside and out. Small business insurance company, Hiscox, reported that in 2017 employee theft resulted in a median loss of $289,864 for small and midsize businesses. In other words, a loss like that can cripple a company. In order to combat these security risks, employers must proactively use access control technology.

Small businesses fall prey to these threats for various reasons:

Small security budgets: Small business owners might try to cut costs by opting for inexpensive lock-and-key security. This is particularly risky.

Low employee pay: Running a small business might mean trimming salaries. At times, these salary changes can sometimes lead to grudges.

“Insignificant” items: Also, at times, Employees might believe the items they are stealing will not affect the company.

Easy targets: Small businesses do not have the legal backing of larger enterprises. Further, outside forces look to take advantage of a business that might not have the capital or time to press charges.

What Features to Consider First: Access Control for Small Businesses

Access control technology is rapidly evolving with new features coming to market virtually every day. As with other purchases, small business owners must consider the future. When comparing access control systems, remember the acronym, PRONE. In other words, Prone is a cheap access control system that makes a small business prone to problems. If the access control solution you are considering lacks these features, it is best to avoid it:

• Protects valuable information and property: How secure is the solution? Can it be hacked? Is it encrypted with SOC2 protocols?
• Restricts areas within the office and leading outside: Robust software allows users to customize access to offices, file rooms, and more based on staff credentials.
• Organizes and stores access data: Know who enters the office and when. The best software allows administrators to easily view access logs from clean, user-friendly dashboards.
• Non-proprietary hardware: Many cloud-based access control companies force customers to buy their unique hardware. This means that if the software is faulty, the small business will have to replace the whole system. Ultimately, for the best flexibility, look for a system with non-proprietary hardware.
• Evaluate: Also, health screenings and visitor management solutions help you know the people entering and leaving the office. Ensure a safe workplace during COVID-19 and beyond.

Modern access control systems help deter outside entities from entering the business. But good access control does more than sound an alarm.

Questions to Ask Prospective Vendors

Additionally, small business owners must consider the scalability of their access control system. New offices, doors, elevators, and adding/removing employees are some scalability issues small businesses face when expanding. Here are some other important questions to address:

• What is the installation process like? Also, can the system be installed easily? Does it require any downtime for the business?
• Does the access control vendor offer support and training? What is the customer support like during and after the installation? Does the access control company offer live chats? Is there 24/7 support? What additional documentation is available?

Genea for Small Businesses

Genea prides itself on cultivating relationships with its customers. Our white-glove treatment offers 24-7-365 support and many current customers have praised Genea’s Customer Success Team for friendly and helpful interactions. Schedule a demo to learn more about Genea’s non-proprietary, cloud-based access control.