Small business owners work hard. Arriving first and leaving last, they often take their work home with them to ensure their business is as successful as possible. Because of this, many business owners don’t take vacations and, when they do, they spend a lot of time worrying about how things are running in their absence. A top concern for small businesses is theft, as it can have devastating effects. Therefore, a quality video surveillance solution is a worthwhile investment for peace of mind and control.

Let’s dive into the top reasons why a small business can benefit from a video surveillance solution.

Reviewing incidents

High-quality video surveillance systems with detailed coverage allow small business owners to go back and find incidents to review what happened. For example, if something goes missing from a retail store, examining the video will reveal exactly what happened and possibly who took what.

Video systems can also be valuable from a liability perspective. Slip-and-fall claims are common, but sometimes turn out to be false. Without video to verify claims, such incidents could be costly. Another example could be the case of customers who claim they were short-changed or a supplier who claims to have delivered three cases of merchandise but only two are in the storeroom. Rather than wasting time counting money in the cash register or arguing over what has been delivered, a small business owner could simply review video footage to determine who is correct.

Checking in

For small business owners with video surveillance systems, vacations can actually be relaxing. Rather than sitting on a beach worrying about their business while they’re away, an owner can use their smartphone to remotely view live or recorded video. That peace of mind is invaluable.

Additionally, if something was actually to happen, some surveillance solutions allow the users to set up specific notifications on activities. For example, if a store is closed between the hours of 10:00pm and 7:00am, an action rule could be set up to handle movement during off-hours. This would trigger an alert to be sent to the mobile device of the business owner, who could then check video footage via the app to establish the cause and if it is an issue, in real-time. This is particularly useful in the retail sector where customers will constantly enter certain areas during the day, but no one should be in the store once the shop is closed. The person who is authorized to receive the notifications for each type of incident can be adjusted individually and according to the business’ needs.

Multi-user access to save time

When it comes to small business chains, such as convenience stores or restaurants, it can be useful for both managers and owners to monitor the business. Multi-user access levels allow numerous users to remotely view and manage a surveillance solution to increase the level of security, safety and efficiency. In addition to owners and managers, installers can also have access to perform timely maintenance work, such as a system update or a restart. This can save business owners some time and money as the installers don’t need to send a technician to the site.

A lasting and flexible solution

These are just a few of the benefits video surveillance solutions offer small business owners.

Today’s solutions are cost-effective, easy to use and offer the flexibility to monitor operations from anywhere at any time – giving small business owners the power to work smarter, not harder to grow their bottom line. Solutions that offer flexibility in terms of business growth also enable small business owners to remain confident and secure no matter their changing business needs. Being able to easily adapt the number of cameras or locations, as well as storage space, creates peace of mind for business owners and lets them focus on their core business.

Learn more about how AXIS Companion and Axis recorders could further help and simplify your small business.