Business surveillance systems provide an added layer of protection to deter and prevent crime from occurring on your premises, and the demand for these systems is only growing. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are more than 70 million security systems nationwide, and the global demand for video surveillance is expected to increase by 9.5 percent from 2019 to 2025.
Businesses stand to gain a lot from investing in their security. Surveillance gives you and your staff peace of mind by promoting a safe working environment. Customers are also more likely to patronize your business when they know you take security measures seriously.
In this guide, we’ll answer, “Why are security cameras important?” and cover surveillance benefits your company can take advantage of.
12 Benefits of Security Cameras for Your Business
The popularity of business security camera systems has exploded. Today, the video surveillance system market is projected to reach $21.86 billion in 2027, underlining the demand from business owners for additional security.
Want to know the top video surveillance business pros as part of your commercial security system? Here are 12 benefits you should consider.
1. Protect Staff and Property
The biggest of all the business surveillance benefits is protecting your staff and property. Crimes against property are especially prevalent, with 60.5% of all reported crimes involving property in 2020.
Security cameras cannot intervene in a crime in progress, but they deter criminals from choosing your business as an easy target and reduce crimes of opportunity.
Make your staff feel safer and show that you’re committed to protecting them from harm.
2. Provide Business Compliance
Some businesses must have a surveillance system to comply with regulations. If your company handles private or personal information from members of the public, there’s a good chance you will need to have security cameras.
Examples of businesses that fall into this category include businesses in the healthcare sector (HIPPA) and investment firms (SEC).
3. Reduce the Cost of Security Staff
Did you know the average cost of a physical security guard is $31,200 annually? This salary figure is only for a single security guard working full-time. Round-the-clock security guards will easily cost a six-figure sum per year.
While security camera benefits cannot fully cover the advantages of having a guard on your premises, it enables smaller organizations to continue to invest in their security.
4. Save Your Business Money
One of the main benefits of security cameras is that this investment actively saves you money. Approximately 56% of small businesses nationwide have experienced some form of theft from their stores. Shoplifting costs businesses thousands of dollars annually, with most stolen stock never recovered.
Your business can save money by installing surveillance cameras in your workplace to discourage criminals.
5. Mitigate Employee Theft
Many business owners are surprised to learn how many employees are responsible for theft in their business. Employee theft constantly threatens modern-day businesses, and small business owners suffer the most.
According to the stats, 80% of employee thefts happen within organizations with 100 employees or fewer. Over half of employee thefts occur in businesses with fewer than 25 employees.
Security camera systems can reduce your incident rates and keep your team honest because they know they are being watched.
6. Increase Sales
If you’re a public-facing business, you know the importance of positioning your goods throughout your store. You want each product to be in the right place to entice customers and maximize profits.
But how do you know where your high-traffic areas are?
This is one of the most innovative security camera uses because, with constant surveillance, you can follow customer traffic patterns. Watch how your customers move around and where they stop to look at your stock.
The lessons learned from your security camera system can allow you to move inventory around to take advantage of natural high-traffic areas.
7. 24/7 Peace of Mind
Worrying over the security of your business can add unnecessary stress to your day. You have enough to handle without also concerning yourself with becoming a crime statistic.
Unlike human security agents, security camera pros can install a system that constantly monitors critical business areas 24/7 from anywhere. Many modern systems have apps to tune into a live feed, making monitoring even more accessible.
8. Defend Yourself Against Legal Claims
Did you know that 43% of all small businesses are threatened with a lawsuit every year?
As a small business owner, getting sued is a reality today. However, frivolous and fraudulent lawsuits can cost you thousands of dollars, even if you win. False and dishonest claims rob your business of critical resources, but you can stop these claims in their tracks with video evidence.
Any time an incident occurs on-site, you can review the video evidence and figure out where you stand. Rather than relying on hearsay, you have tangible evidence you can use to defend yourself.
9. Increase Your Business Profits
Do you know installing surveillance cameras can boost your business’s profits?
Profitability depends on a range of factors within your company. Operational surveillance systems reduce theft, improve productivity, and boost your business’s bottom line.
CCTV camera pros know that a 24/7 surveillance system is like having a manager on the floor at all times. Using the latest technology, you can tune into your business’s live camera feed as long as you have an internet connection to see what your staff is doing.
10. Resolve Customer Disputes
Disputes with customers happen all the time.
For example, a customer may have claimed to have purchased an expensive item and doesn’t have the receipt. With video surveillance, you can look back through the feed to confirm whether they really bought that item.
Another customer could claim an employee abused them. Looking over the footage will tell you whether the claim has merit.
The same benefits of security cameras also apply to issues within your team. Instances of physical assault are highly problematic for any business. A security camera system lets you see what occurred and deter potential assaulters from committing the act in the first place.
Resolving disputes fast preserves valuable resources and avoids spending more time than necessary on frivolous claims.
11. Improve Staff Productivity
Staff productivity is a constant battle for team leaders, managers, and business owners. Poor productivity curtails ambitions and can lead to a toxic work culture.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, labor productivity plummeted in 2022, with the first quarter showing a 7.5% decrease in total productivity, despite increases in the number of hours worked. The reasons behind this are multi-faceted, with every company needing further research into the issue.
Installing surveillance cameras enables your leadership team to be in more than one place. Monitoring your team's activities helps you improve productivity because you know what your staff is doing. Some business owners shy away from installing cameras as they believe their staff will view them negatively; however, 54% of Americans said having them in the workplace is acceptable.
12. Aid Law Enforcement
The benefits of security cameras come from providing a permanent record of all the activities occurring within your jurisdiction. Crimes can still happen regardless of how many security cameras you install, but the business with an operational surveillance system has the power to investigate.
Business owners can only provide so much aid to law enforcement if something occurs. Security cameras offer recordings you can return to and provide as evidence.
The footage shot by your cameras could mean the difference between writing off the damage as a loss or seeing the perpetrator going to jail.
Get the Protection You Need with Signal Solutions
Every business can take advantage of the benefits of security cameras. It’s an investment that repays itself many times over.
At Signal Solutions, we protect your company, employees, and customers with the latest commercial security technology. We also offer video surveillance solutions for businesses of every size and budget.
You deserve the very best in state-of-the-art security. To learn more about commercial security camera installation, contact Signal Solutions today.