There are so many people across the UK who are getting in the Christmas spirit early this year. 2020 has been a tumultuous year and people are ready for a bit of festive cheer. Here at IDS, we know that businesses have had a lot to cope with and various parts of the UK are still facing the challenge of lockdown restrictions.

One thing's for certain, if and when small businesses can open back up again, they're going to be taking advantage of the Christmas shoppers and hopefully making up for sales lost earlier in the year. 

Here at IDS, we want to help small businesses open up in a safe manner so that they can welcome Christmas shoppers back into their stores with open arms (socially distanced of course).

Controlling customer numbers

One of the first challenges that businesses face during the coronavirus pandemic, is making sure that the number of people inside their store is kept to a minimum.

Now, you've probably seen some smaller businesses using a "one-in, one-out" system, but as the weather gets colder, shoppers may not want to hang around in the cold and wait for their turn to enter your shop. The very thought of this is probably driving Christmas shoppers to buy online anyway, but there is something you can do to make sure your business can accommodate anyone who comes to shop in person.

How can you remedy this? Well, to start with, we'd recommend reading our blog - How Many People Can I Have in My Shop at a Time?

Rather than having one or two people in-store at a time, you'd be able to accommodate more Christmas shoppers with the right technology in place. 

We'd recommend taking a look at our density control cameras, designed to help you manage people coming in and out of your store automatically. That's right, you won't need someone to stand by the door and count people as they come in and out, our density control cameras will do the hard work for you. 

Density Control Cameras >

Detecting COVID-19 in shoppers

Most business owners would agree that knowing whether or not their customers had COVID-19 would make it much easier to create a safe shopping space. Of course, you can do your bit by providing track and trace QR codes, but this only really becomes useful after the customers have been to your store and left. 

You'd hope that people going out and about to do their Christmas shopping would be sensible enough to stay at home if they suspected they had COVID-19, but this isn't always the case. Some people are unaware that they have it and others are taking too long to recognise their symptoms. 

There is a way to protect your business! Our thermal screening cameras can look out for any customers with an unusually high temperature, a key indicator of COVID-19. This can be useful, not only for your customers but for your employees too. Checking temperatures regularly will help make sure that no one visiting or working in your business over Christmas has a fever.

Thermal Screening Cameras >

We know that Christmas 2020 is going to be challenging, but with a little help from IDS Security, you can make your business safe for Christmas shoppers. Give us a call on 029 20 753 251 for more information.

If you're a small business owner, investing in a good CCTV system can help you ensure your property is secure at all times. The CCTV system needs to be built to suit the layout of your business so that all the vulnerable areas are covered. This includes any doors, windows or other entry points. The mere presence of a CCTV camera can be enough to deter criminals, but having a high-quality CCTV system installed will come in very handy if an incident ever occurs. 

What are the main benefits of a CCTV system?

Digital Witness

One of the most appealing benefits of a CCTV system for small businesses is the idea that they'll witness and record any suspicious or criminal activities that take place around the premises. The footage can be used in a court of law to prove innocence and/or guilt. The two key things that CCTV cameras record are the physical appearance of the suspect and the true nature of events. High-quality CCTV footage is hard to argue against!

Reduction of Crime

People who are up to no good, don't like the idea of being caught! Once people in the area know that the space around your shop is under surveillance, they'll be less likely to commit a crime there. Most members of the public assume that CCTV cameras are installed... pretty much everywhere. Don't be caught out by being the one small business owner that doesn't have CCTV installed!

Public Safety

Some business owners can see the footage on their CCTV cameras in real-time (whether that's inside or outside the building). If someone has their eye on the camera footage, they can ensure that someone intervenes early on. Catching someone in the act of a robbery, an assault, or any other crime can help you prevent/prosecute for it straight away!

Covid Security

As well as keeping your small business safe, CCTV cameras can be useful for general business management and COVID security! Here at IDS Security, we offer temperature screening and density control cameras that can help you to control the spread of coronavirus in your business.

These cameras work by either detecting how many people are entering/leaving the building at any given time, or doing temperature checks to ensure that people interacting with your business aren't displaying one of the key coronavirus symptoms.

What can IDS Security Systems offer my small business?

We've worked with so many small businesses over the years to help improve their security. As well as providing bespoke CCTV systems, we can also offer fire alarms, intruder alarms, access control systems and security barriers. Our technicians work with you to build a comprehensive security system that suits your small business needs exactly!

With many businesses closing their doors due to the coronavirus pandemic, now is a really good time to improve your security systems. That way, you know that your business is safe, even while you're away from the premises. 

 Read More: COVID-19 Cases Still Rising - Protect Your Business

If you have any questions about setting up CCTV for your small business, don't hesitate to get in touch. Call 029 20 753 251or email us at admin@ids-securityltd.co.uk.

Request a Quote Now!

If someone tries to force entry into your business premises, a commercial burglar alarm will provide a quick response to get the situation under control. Commercial burglar alarms work by alerting staff members on-site, passers-by or the emergency services that an intrusion is taking place. But how do you choose the right one for your business? With so many on the market, it can be hard to know where to start. The IDS Security System experts have put this guide together to help guide you.

Audible Alarms

Audible alarm systems work by, you guessed it, making a lot of noise until someone does something about it. They're designed to be so loud and piercing that the intruder won't be able to stand it and will vacate your property immediately... if you've ever heard one, you'll know what we mean. Generally, these alarm systems will continue to sound until they're manually switched off... not ideal if you live miles away from your business and it starts going off over the weekend! 

We don't usually recommend audible alarms for commercial premises for a few reasons. Firstly, they rely solely on the actions of individuals that are in or near to your commercial property. If no one is around at the time of the break-in, then the chances of it being reported to the police are pretty slim. Besides, if these alarms are triggered accidentally, they can cause a real disturbance for surrounding businesses. 

Having said that, there are a few commercial properties that might benefit from an audible only alarm system. For example, if you're a small business and you're friendly with the neighbouring businesses/homeowners then you can be fairly confident that they'll report a disturbance to the police and notify you straight away (they're also likely to be less disgruntled if it starts going off accidentally). These alarms are also good for 24-hour businesses (where someone is always on the premises), or for business owners who live very close to their businesses. 

That being said, this wouldn't be our first recommendation if you came to us looking for a commercial burglar alarm system. Nowadays, there are much more sophisticated systems on the market which will provide you with a higher level of security and control.

Monitoring Service

Commercial burglar alarms that are connected to a remote monitoring service are highly effective! Nowadays, most commercial property insurers will specify this level of alarm system as a minimum, so look out for this if you're a new start-up business. 

These commercial alarm systems work by contacting a monitoring service when the alarm is triggered. The monitoring service will then take a look at the situation and decide whether or not it's a false activation. If it's not a false activation and a break-in is occurring, the monitoring service will notify the relevant emergency services straight away. By filtering the activations, monitored alarms help to make sure that you're not wasting police time unnecessarily.

The response time is very quick and completely automatic which ensures that someone attends the property even if you, the business owner, are unable to do so yourself. Monitored alarms are perfect for all kinds of businesses, but are particularly beneficial for companies with multiple locations across the country or vulnerable businesses that might be targeted by professional/skilled burglars. 

Our Monitored Alarm Service >

Here at IDS Security, we work with commercial businesses to create a burglar alarm system that suits their needs exactly. To choose the right commercial burglar alarm, we'd recommend thinking about your businesses security needs and tailoring the system to suit you!

If you're looking for a commercial burglar alarm system, don't hesitate to get in touch with our technicians for a free quotation today!

The year 2020 has been defined by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. And while it may feel like the worst is behind us, there are signs that a so-called 'second wave' could be upon us very soon.

More...

Selecting the right security system for your home or business can be a tricky business. There are so many different types of security system to chose from - is one as good as any other?

Well, not exactly. Different security systems are suited to different jobs, so when you're trying to pick the ideal system for your premises, you should first ask yourself what exactly you're trying to achieve.

More...