You can’t adequately protect your investment unless you have the proper security system in place. An integrated security system goes beyond protecting your valuables and deterring crime; it affords you with a luxury that is increasingly rare in today’s world: peace of mind. If you’ve taken the time and spent the money to purchase or build a storage facility, your business is likely of utmost importance to you. In fact, you may spend most of your time and energy finding ways to grow and improve your business. The success of your facility is vitally important to you, so having top-of-the-line security isn’t optional, it’s mandatory. Even if you’re not always sure there’s a threat outside, you lock the doors of your home and business because you love what’s inside.
What’s outside can certainly prove scary. In 2015 alone, property crimes resulted in $14.3 billion in losses, and many of the victims of those offenses were small businesses. In the world of self-storage, tenant and business insurance helps mitigate losses from break-ins. But before you underestimate the role of security in protecting your investment, consider what can’t be replaced. You may think you’ll just lose documents or personal items if you’re the victim of a robbery, but losses can go far beyond what’s in your office. For many storage owners who have been victimized by theft and vandalism, the losses are less tangible but have a much greater impact.
Loss of reputation and sense of safety are nearly impossible to restore once put in jeopardy. Your tenants aren’t storing meaningless possessions; they’re storing childhood memories, family heirlooms, and four-wheel drive toys they’ve saved for years to buy. People are emotionally connected to their things, and it should come as no surprise that tenants and local media tend to blame facilities for not taking proper security precautions when robberies occur. Bad press and word of mouth are an uphill battle that you don’t want to fight.
The good news is that deterring crime at your site is relatively inexpensive and painless. If you’re building a new facility or renovating one you’ve purchased, an integrated security system will help you keep both your business and your reputation safe. A true security solution will include keypads, a controller, security software, mobile apps, video surveillance, and a way to secure individual units using door alarms or internal electronic locks.
When building or purchasing a self-storage facility, security should be your first priority. You have dozens of things to accomplish in a short amount of time as well as fires to put out on a daily basis. Everything else you do is important, but nothing is more important than the safety and security of you, your employees, your tenants, and your business. Protect yourself, your tenants, and your investment with an integrated security system.
