As a female entrepreneur, you’ve likely invested a small fortune in a cache of technology, specialized tools and furniture to craft a home office where you love to work.
But it could all disappear in an instant at the hands of a greedy burglar. Protect yourself and your business by taking the following measures to secure your home office.
Install Wireless Surveillance Cameras
No matter how safe you think your neighborhood is, it is in your best interest to invest in a security solution to add an extra layer of protection for your home office. A break-in by an amateur burglar could cost you thousands of dollars in lost computer equipment, but even more costly are the potential losses you could incur as you work to get business operations back up and running again.
If your line of work requires you to maintain sensitive client information, then the damages could be even more expensive — your reputation could be tarnished and you could lose customers.
To keep your home office as secure as possible, install a wireless surveillance camera system. Strategically place cameras in highly visible locations around your home office access points so that any thief attempting to break in will see that he or she is being recorded. Invest in a multi-camera system so that you can cover the maximum area around your home office to prevent any blind spots.
Opt for a security camera system that is fully networked so that you can access it remotely to check in on things while on vacation or traveling on business.
Upgrade Your Locks
If you doors and windows are not securely locked, even the best security system can be breached. Avoid tempting fate by upgrading all of the locks on your home’s exterior access points. This is especially critical if your doors and windows are older and beginning to degrade, which can make them easier for burglars to break into.
Upgrade the locks on your doors with smart locks so that you can easily control access from your smartphone. Smart locks allow you to lock and unlock your doors with the touch of a button from a smartphone app, so you won’t ever have to worry about whether or not you locked the doors.
If you have employees or need to have someone pick something up at your office, you can easily unlock a door to let them in without having to worry about giving out spare keys.
Use Cloud Storage for Backup Protection
In the event that the worst happens, you should be prepared to keep your business running smoothly by backing up all of your files with a secure cloud storage system.
Whether you are robbed, have a house fire or even face a natural disaster, backing up all of your business dealings to the cloud offers you the peace of mind of knowing that no matter what kind of challenge life throws at you, you can handle it in stride and keep your business running as usual.
There are a ton of cloud storage solutions out there, but they are not all created equal. Like with most things, you get what you pay for, so be hesitant to use free services to store sensitive professional information. Depending on the sensitivity of your information, you may want to invest in a cloud storage service that offers advanced encryption and extensive security audits to ensure there aren’t any holes in their data security.
Scalability is another factor to consider, especially if your business is experiencing a growth spurt. Other questions you’ll want answered are what happens in the event of data loss and how responsive is the company’s customer service.
