Most business owners never think about what they security need for, they just want to know how much it will cost them! This has a variety of adverse affects on your business right away! First the old cliché, “You get what you pay for” has never been more appropriate than when you hire security at a low rate per hour! When you take the lowest bidder to provide security for your business, then you are asking for trouble, you will usually get the lowest service possible.

When security has no real stake in your business, then they have no reason to protect it like it was their own. They know that if they loss this job, there will be another one to go to. That is why you really need to look at security when hiring a service and ask some pointed questions before you pay the lowest price. This can save you a large law suit if they do something wrong while working for you. This can occur through security negligence, failure to protect or failure to properly train their staffs. Any way you look at it, they can cost you a lot of money if they make a mistake and you get sued for it, after all, you are liable for all that happens on your property. So let’s look at the main questions you should be asking before getting a low ball price quote for security services.

How are the security officers trained?

Who trains them?

Are their instructors certified to train them?

How many refresher hours of training do they get a year?

Are they certified in unarmed defensive tactics?

Are they background checked before hiring?

Are they insured?

Are they bondable?

What security associations do they belong to?

Are they supervised on shift?

Do they know how to write reports?

Do they know what to do in case of an emergency?

Do they have any medical training?

If armed, do they

Who certifies them to be armed?

There are several reasons to check out a security provider, you don’t hire an accountant without checking their references, I hope. So why hire security and not check them out? Saving money is not a good answer to this question!

The main reason is not to get sued by the mistakes they make while working for you! The second reason is to provide a safe place for your employees and customers. This can give you added business just from word of mouth that you really do care about how safe your property is, that’s a good thing to have in today’s society!

So next time you think about hiring security for your business, take some time and forget about going the cheapest way, check on the best service for the money you plan to spend. Remember, security can and does actually add to your bottom line, not reduce it as a cost! You save on insurance costs, you save on workers safety and you can actually add to your customer base with the right security in your business dealings.

© 2004 Gary L. Cunningham

C&M Consulting Services

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Gary Cunningham is a Certified Protection Officer with over 30 years experience in High Risk Security, Law Enforcement Special Operations, Specialized Training and Military Special Operations. For more information on his services to business owners, check out www.cmbizinfo.com or e-mail him at mailto:secuone@aol.com!