Five Safeguards For Your Business and Workforce

Whether you’re an owner of a small business or a founder of a tech startup, one thing is certain, there are safety concerns that are worth looking into. And as the head honcho, it falls under your lap to address and resolve these problems. From natural disasters including fires and floods to storefront break-ins, robberies, and vandalism, these dangers can cost you both money and time. It can delay your business’ ability to scale and create an unattractive and non conducive work environment that raises employee turnover rate, which again costs you money, manpower, and time. Left unchecked, this vicious cycle will eventually lead to your demise. Here’s five ways to better protect your business and its employees:

Hire Only Qualified People

Although most safety concerns are the doing of natural disasters or delinquents, there is also safety issues that come from within the business. Your HR department is or should stand as the gatekeeper of your business, keeping out those who pose a threat to themselves and to their coworkers. Moreover, establish minimum educational requirements so that candidates and potential hires carry basic knowledge and training to safely and proficiently perform their day-to-day duties. For instance, hire a certified food manager to oversee safe food preparation, portioning, and presentation. Having that certification can make all the difference in the manager’s ability to fill the role properly.

Protect Your Intellectual Property

When an employee leaves your employ, they might be taking more than what they came with. The trade secrets and intellectual assets that allows your business to thrive against its competitors and that which separates it from the crowd is jeopardized if you do not put the proper safeguards in place. Start by looking closely at your company’s assets and determining which data gives you a competitive edge. If that particular data is not yet already available to the public, then it is most likely a trade secret. A non-disclosure agreement should be signed by all key employees who are hired into your business. Make sure the contract is filled out correctly and that it is up to date.

Install Security Cameras

Arguably the most common and obvious way of protecting your business’ employees and material assets is through the installation of reliable security cameras. Security systems at every entrance, corner, and floor of your office or storefront is key to deterring would-be assailants and criminals. The footage recorded through these cameras can also serve as pivotal evidence in the event that your business is sued by a customer or employee for personal injury or property damage. A basic four camera system from big box retailers will start at $300 to $500.

Keep Software Updated

Every now and then, newer versions of an antivirus program are released. And while most systems are defaulted to automatically update to new patches, your IT department or employees may have played around with the settings in which case your business’ network and computers are at risk of getting breached by hackers and their malware. Make sure your antivirus, anti-phishing, and anti-malware programs are running with the latest patches to avoid any cracks or holes that hackers may use as a backdoor into your system.

Get Insurance

It sounds anticlimactic to end with a tip about getting insurance to protect your business, but it’s a practical and powerful move. All businesses, regardless of size or type, should secure liability coverage in case an employee or customer is injured within the premises Other insurance coverage features may also make sense, depending on what type of business you’re operating. If you run a large enterprise with a Board of Directors, a Directors and Officers liability insurance coverage could be a worthwhile investment.

Final Thoughts

Your business and its employees are one of your most valued assets. Go above and beyond to ensure that they are safeguarded from both the common and less common risks out there, whether it’s a lawsuit from a disgruntled employee or a warehouse fire that wipes out month’s worth of inventory.

Source: business-achievers.com