Check for these simple things to make sure your security plan is helping you.
As a business owner, the safety and security of your company, employees, and assets are of utmost importance. One question come in mind is How to Find the Best Security Guards in Texas?. However, choosing the right security company and ensuring that they provide quality services can be a challenging task.
Here are six general security tips for business owners looking to hire a private security company. Remember, always make sure your security plan fits in with your broader budget and business goals.
Assess Your Security Needs
Before you begin your search for a private security company, it’s essential to know what your security needs actually are. It’s easy to think that more security automatically means you’re safer, when in fact the wrong kind of security can draw unwanted attention and cost far too much. Other business owners find it tempting to skip out on much needed measures due to cost concerns, only to take much bigger losses later on.
Determine what areas of your business need to be protected and what type of security measures you require. For instance, if you operate a retail store, you may need security guards to monitor customer behavior and prevent theft. If you have a data center, you may require high specialized security personnel with expertise in cybersecurity.
Once you know what you really need you can confidently choose a security company that specializes in your exact security priorities.
Research and Verify Credentials
There are many private security companies in the market, and many have very different credentials and reputations. It’s crucial to do your research and verify the credentials of any security company you’re considering. Working with an unregistered security company can lead you into serious legal difficulty.
Make sure the company you work with is licensed, bonded, and insured. Private security is a heavily regulated industry for a reason. If anything happens that results in legal action or medical bills you need to know that your security company is protected. Ranger Guard of Texas is fully licensed and insured.
It’s also important to ensure that the company has a proven track record of delivering quality security services. Verify their reputation by reading online reviews, asking for references, and checking with Texas Department of Public Safety.
Check What Training and Certifications Guards Have?
It’s not enough to make sure the company itself is licensed and insured. You need to make sure the officers on the ground protecting your property are themselves properly trained. Private security can be a stressful job where anything could happen. You need to be confident that the people you’ve hired to protect your business have the skills and experience to get the job done professionally and efficiently.
That’s why you should make it a priority to ensure any personnel you are hiring have undergone rigorous training and certification before they are deployed. Ranger Guard starts by hiring experienced law enforcement and military veterans before giving them training that goes above and beyond industry standards.
Before hiring a security company, ask about their training and certification programs. Do they have certified armed security guards or cybersecurity professionals on staff?
If the security company doesn’t have the necessary expertise to provide the level of protection you require, you will save yourself a lot of money and time by finding out upfront.
Ensure Transparency in Billing and Contracts
Even if your security provider has exactly the right guards and experience, if the business interactions aren’t smooth, you will not be able to maintain a viable working relationship.
Make sure that the private security company you hire provides clear and transparent billing practices. Understand their pricing structure and ensure that there are no hidden fees or charges. Also, make sure that you review the contract thoroughly before signing it. Ensure that the contract includes all services that you require, the payment terms, and the length of the contract. It’s also important to ensure that there is a clear termination clause in case you need to end the contract early.
Ranger Guard offers bespoke security solutions so each contract is different. At Ranger Guard we believe that clients should only pay for what they need, and structure our contracts accordingly.
Establish Communication Protocols
Effective communication is crucial when working with a private security company, since in an emergency, every minute can count.
Establish communication protocols with your security company before you start. Make sure they have a way to reach you and your team in case of an emergency or security breach. If you have shift supervisors or site managers, make sure their contact information is shared with your security company along with their shift times.
Also, establish a communication plan for regular updates on the security situation at your business. Your front of house staff and security team need to know who they are expected to work with and what is expected of them. Over planning is always better than under planning. Ranger Guard is a full service security company so we can help you plan out what an effective security plan and briefing looks like for your team.
Conduct Regular Audits and Assessments
No relationship stays the same. Even after hiring a private security company, it’s essential to conduct regular audits and assessments of their services. Ensure they meet your security needs and provide the level of protection you require.
If you notice any issues, address them immediately and work with the security company to rectify them. Specific guards who aren’t meeting the mark can be replaced, schedules and patrol routes can be changed, and additional security infrastructure can be installed where relevant.
Ranger Guard has a 24/7 client support team so lines of communication are always open. We are always able to make adjustments to the security plan. Additional officers, emergency back up, and changing priorities can all be dispatched. Additionally, Ranger Guard security officers perform routine check-ins while on patrol using our monitoring app. All clients are able to access 24/7 live reports about what’s going on at their property.
In conclusion, hiring a private security company is an excellent way to ensure the safety and security of your business, employees, and assets. However, it’s essential to do your due diligence and choose a reputable and reliable security company. By assessing your security needs, verifying credentials, checking for training and certifications, ensuring transparency in billing and contracts, establishing communication protocols, and conducting regular audits and assessments, you can ensure that your business is secure and protected.
