Last Updated on Feb 6, 2020 by James W
CCTV cameras might be a common sight in businesses of all shapes and sizes these days. From small single cameras to huge CCTV systems they come in many forms. CCTV commissioning is certainly on the rise and there is no shortage of suppliers, but if you own a business should you invest in a CCTV system or not?
Well to answer that question let’s look at the benefits and potential issues that could make CCTV undesirable for business. To begin with, let’s examine why CCTV could be a wise investment for businesses regardless of their size or the industry they work in.
Benefits of CCTV
There are numerous benefits to getting CCTV cameras for your business with the main one being the increased security and peace of mind you get. CCTV is a powerful deterrent against would-be thieves and burglars but when it comes to protecting your business many of the benefits will come from having cameras inside not outside, although businesses can certainly use both interior and exterior CCTV cameras.
And most businesses should utilise both as many businesses can fall victim to crimes like shoplifting and having cameras will be a big deterrent to this. Even if people do still steal from your business having CCTV will ensure you can more easily identify them. CCTV footage will be a big help when it comes to prosecuting anyone.
But it will also help provide loss prevention as well as they will be a brilliant source of evidence for any crimes. CCTV is also much more versatile now and can be used to increase security in all kinds of businesses from classic retail outlets to offices and much more. CCTV isn’t always used with security in mind either many places use them to simply give people some more peace of mind.
Potential Downsides To CCTV
I think the majority of people would say CCTV is always going to be beneficial to businesses regardless of the industry they work in or their size. However, that doesn’t mean there aren’t some potential downsides to consider as well.
For many businesses particularly smaller ones, the main issue will be the price. CCTV systems can be very expensive, but I think it’s important to highlight that there is quite a range of different systems available these days.
Few businesses will be able to really utilise CCTV effectively with just one camera but if you only have a small office/shop or other premises you might not need many to properly survey the whole area. So, investing in cameras might not cost as much as you think especially with the different varieties of cameras available.
Investing in CCTV cameras could also save you money as well because with cameras you can actually avoid the need for hiring security personal. In the short-term buying a CCTV system might cost more but in the long-term, it could easily net you big savings, especially when you take its loss prevention benefits into account.
Many of the potential downsides of CCTV are avoidable yes if you are a small business investing in them right away might not be advisable but the many benefits, they have will certainly provide a boost to many businesses. When it comes to improving security nothing really offers the preventive measures and peace of mind like CCTV does.
So, is CCTV essential to the modern businesses of today? Well, I would argue that in the majority of cases it is. You might not need to get it right away (although that certainly wouldn’t hurt) but most businesses will be sure to find CCTV incredibly beneficial.
