By Arina Smith
In the hustle and bustle of the modern world, there’s no getting away from the inevitability of some sort of incident happening on your property. Whether you’re running a retail establishment, a public gathering place, or a different type of operation there is always going to be the lingering and possible threat of something going down on your property.
To protect your assets, your staff, and your business it may be prudent to consider hiring a security guard company to safeguard your business before, during, and after operating hours. There are plenty of reasons to hire a security guard but actually doing so can be a little daunting.
Where do you start? What do you look for? In this article, we seek to answer these questions and hopefully provide you with a solid jumping point into hiring a security guard company for your business soon.
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Determine Why You Need Security
Hiring a security guard or security team isn’t a decision to be taken lightly. So, the best thing to do before finding a security company to hire is to determine the reasons you need security in the first place. What specific concerns do you have that might require security officers?
How many will you need? What time frames are you looking at having them work within? Are you going to permit them to be armed while working in your facility?
Do you need an off-duty police presence or just a simple patrol? For the security guards themselves, there are a few crucial things to find out like how long they’ve been in business and what kind of monitoring the company has for both its guards and clients.
It’s also key to find out if they implement technology services and have support systems. All of these factors can mean the difference between a great company and one with which you may not want to do business at all.
Favorable Contract Terms/Flexibility
If you’ve decided to go forward with hiring a security company, you’ll need to ensure you sign a flexible, favorable contract with them for their services.
Any solid contract should outline the expectation for the services on behalf of the company, how they’re going to accomplish those services, what sort of actions they are authorized to take, and any other pertinent details relevant to the safety and well-being of everyone at the business.
It should also contain contract length and provisions for breaking or terminating a contract if necessary. You should seek to find a company that has favorable terms for your organization with an extremely flexible contract duration, length, and provisions.
Hire A Reputable Company
A reputable security company isn’t merely one that provides high-quality security. That’s only part of it. A reputable company will have a high retention rate for its clients along with a solid track record of protecting and preventing crimes at businesses.
Regardless of the services the company provides — from standard patrol services, concierge security, or even technological supplements and off-duty officers — the reputation of a security firm is easily the factor that can ultimately determine whether you hire them or not.
When searching for security guard services, be sure to thoroughly vet the company and speak with the owners/management of the company to understand their past history and successes. Get to know the officers that will be working with you at your business and understand the different protocols the company has in place for certain situations.
Ensure that they are willing to follow your rules and guidelines as part of the contract and that they will actually be there for you when the time comes.
Check Out Certification
Licensing and certification are interesting things when it comes to hiring security guards. Every one of the 50 states in the United States of America has some different requirements for both of these things for security guards. Some have state mandates and schools/programs specifically to provide security guard training. While it varies by state, there are some places where the local laws might supersede any state requirements.
Either way, having a licensed and certified security guard working for you is just good practice. In order to get the license and certification in the first place, plenty of training, on-site work, and background checks are typically involved. This thorough vetting process ensures that the people you’re hiring to secure your business are actually reputable and trustworthy.
After all, you wouldn’t want somebody with a history of committing crimes walking freely around your employees, business, and customers. That’s why it’s so essential to check out these credentials prior to selecting a security company.
Many security companies will be forthright and straightforward with the types of certifications they hold and how they go about ensuring their employees are licensed/certified. Be sure to check out all of this information during your selection and research process before even considering putting ink on a contract.
Use A Managed Service Model
The phrase managed service model usually only comes around with it and other technological solutions. But, however, it actually has quite a bit of application in security services. Some security companies rely on a group of vendors to help implement and manage security across their client base.
Whether it’s monitoring an area on foot or through cameras or providing enhanced technological solutions to many security concerns, this model empowers both companies and their clients to tackle security head-on with the most current innovations available.
Additionally, there will be a 24/7 support system in place to help troubleshoot any tech issues related to these managed services as well as provide additional insight into ways to leverage them to the business’s advantage. Security can go beyond having guards patrolling the premises. With a managed service model, that’s precisely the goal that a reputable firm can accomplish for you, themselves, and the future prosperity of your business.
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