The Role of Safes in Small Business Security
It's easy to imagine that safes are reserved for people or businesses with lots of cash on hand or who are dealing with sensitive documents, but the truth is every small business needs a safe to protect their valuables. While we typically associate safes with keeping our goods secure from burglars, there are a host of potential hazards in which a safe will be your best asset. In light of the obvious threat of theft, fire, floods and other natural disasters which may strike when you least expect them, having your valuables in a safe could mean the difference between losing your business and rebuilding successfully.
Owning and using a safe is your business’s best defense against theft and natural disaster. Even if you don’t think your business necessarily handles the typical items you would store in a safe, chances are there are documents that will be crucial if you ever have to rebuild your business. If you aren’t sure what kind of safe would best suit your needs, read on to help determine the best option for your business.
General Business Safes
At the very least, your business should have a basic business safe to protect valuable documents and assets from theft and prying eyes. The most basic of these safes are the lock box types that keep valuables under protection while you aren’t able to physically or visually monitor a space.
More advanced are the keypad and alarmed models that will only open with the right code and set off an alarm if they are tampered with. Often installed in the wall or floor in an inconspicuous location, these safes are designed to offer protection against tools commonly used in break-ins including hand, mechanical, and electrical tools, as well as high-speed drills. The more advanced versions offer even more protection against more forceful tools such as cutting torches.
Fire Safes
Fire can be one of the most devastating events for any small business. Losing not only physical assets but cash, intellectual property, and important documents is a disaster that many small businesses don’t ever recover from. If you’re storing any important documents at all, you should consider investing in a fire safe. Fire safes are designed to keep the interior of the safe from reaching 350 degrees, which is the burning point of paper. Depending on the quality of the safe, the amount of time this can be achieved varies from 30 minutes to four hours. As a general rule, purchasing a safe that protects from heat for at least an hour is advised.
Diversion Safes
Diversions safes offer two layers of protection—it’s difficult to break into something that can’t be found! Diversion safes are made to look like ordinary household items that might be found in any home or business and blend into their surroundings seamlessly. While not all diversion safes are locked, they are very difficult to identify, especially for a thief who is likely in a hurry. Even if a burglar has general knowledge about the existence of diversion safes they will be hard pressed to go through every potential item in the amount of time they have allotted for a break-in.
No matter the type of business you run, a safe will help protect you from unforeseen events and is a crucial layer in your security. Whether you are looking for a basic model or the best fire safe on the market, we have a safe to meet your needs. We invite you to contact our team directly with your questions. We’ll be glad to talk with you and help you make the best decision for your business.