Protecting your physical assets

Image credit by Marcus Winkler from Unsplash

Although we live in a digital world, there are many things that your company will have that are tangible. Tangible assets, otherwise known as physical assets, can be any number of items in your business - what matters is that they can be picked up and taken. 

Your tangible assets can be your desktop computers, portable devices like phones and laptops, cash, gold, other valuables, paperwork, and more. 

Anything used by your company is an asset - and all of your assets should be protected. Unfortunately, many companies don’t take the correct protective action until something has already happened.

In this case, you should be proactive. 

Evaluating risks
One of the most important things you need to do is check your risk. Look at how many entrances there are to the property, how easy it would be to access the assets? Do you have the proper security setup? 

Are there blind spots in your security camera system? How robust is your alarm system? It can be worthwhile to get a security company in to highlight all of the weaknesses in your network. 

Maintenance
All of your devices will need regular maintenance to ensure that they are performing correctly. You might think the only protection comes from preventing criminal behavior - but a lack of maintenance on anything tangible can lead to its breakdown. 

When your devices no longer work, they will need to be replaced - if that is the case, you will be out of pocket and unable to perform your business duties until the replacements arrive. 

Vaults
Small lock boxes, desk drawers, and usual things are easy to move and steal. Having a vault poses a much more significant challenge, and in most cases, they won’t be broken into. Specialist Vault Installation and Dismantling Services across the UK can make sure you get the proper vault for your needs and that your tangible assets are protected.

Vaults are ideal for paperwork, gold, diamonds, hard drives, and anything else of value that would otherwise be easy to remove. 

Insurance
Insurance is the ultimate in ‘what if’ protection, and while you might not think you need high-level cover, consider what would happen to your business and your reputation if you were to suffer a break-in and a loss of vital information and product.

Often smaller businesses try to get the minimum insurance, but it is worth talking to an insurance company about what they really need. 

Keep in mind that you need to have insurance for all of the devices used by your staff at their home. 

Removal
Consider if everything of value needs to stay on the business property overnight. It can be better to take home some of the essential items to your business in some cases. Encourage any staff who carry devices to keep them in backpacks with locks or codes in order to have a higher level of protection. 

Another way to protect your business is to make sure that your workers are all doing their best work too:  How to have maximum efficiency at work.