You may be unaware of how an up to date, quality surveillance system is an asset to your business. Many people think that bad things cannot happen to them and are unaware of the dangers in the world. Anyone can wreak havoc on your small business. It might be a petty crime like parking after seven in one of your spaces, or something that requires legal action like damaging your property. No matter what the crime is, law enforcement is unable to do anything without evidence. Additionally, it is nearly impossible to prosecute if your video footage is slow and hard to see because you don't have the right equipment. A surveillance system should be able to do its job effectively. Like any job, this is impossible to do without the right tools and equipment. There are a few basic rules you should follow to keep your system running clean and efficiently. For example, you will want to replace your tapes frequently if you use a system that records surveillance footage on them. Many systems record new footage over the old tapes. This results in blurry images which are hard to read and would be hard to use in court if things go wrong. You will also want to make sure that your surveillance system is not damaged in any way. Occasionally wires can become old and need to be replaced. Other electronic equipment can go bad as well. It's recommended to check up on your surveillance system every two to six months to make sure everything is working correctly. If it isn't you should probably replace it. If you have already installed a surveillance system for your business make sure that you have at least one camera aimed at both the entrance and exit doors. If you have more than two doors, make sure you have enough surveillance on every door. Having proper footage of every person that enters and exits the building will make it easier to identify individuals when things go wrong. You should also have appropriate surveillance of everyone while they are inside. Make sure your surveillance system does not have many areas which are not monitored. You will also have psychological protection from most criminals if they see a video camera within their view. This is because a lot of crimes are petty theft and a criminal will be unlikely to do anything wrong when they know they are being watched. Instead they will try to find an easier target. If your business has a counter where things are purchased make sure that there is a surveillance camera within eye level of your customers. This will ensure you have a head shot a criminal if they decide to try anything at the counter. You will need to update your system if it is more than ten years old. Technology changes a lot within ten years and unfortunately criminals become smarter with time. Therefore, you will need to make sure your system is top-of-the-line, or at least up to date, as soon as ten years starts passing by. It's also recommended that you switch to a digital system if you haven't already. Since technology is advancing at a rapid rate, old systems are dying out quickly and the materials to update them are becoming scarce. A digital surveillance system has many features which traditional systems simply cannot compete with anymore. You will find a digital system is easier to pull video from and is overall easier to manage. You may need to do some research to find the best features for you since different places have varying needs. You may want to have a professional come in and evaluate your security system at least once a year. This will maintain the systems integrity and they will be able to give you some tips and pointers if it is necessary. They will also be able to tell you if your system have been comprised in any way, and how to fix areas which do not have complete surveillance. If you are very concerned, you may want to consider coordinating with your local investigators and crime prevention officers to make your surveillance system as strong as possible. Many local Crime Prevention Units offer businesses free commercial security surveys. You may want to research your area to take advantage of this great resource. However, a great surveillance system starts with the best equipment. You want to make sure you have a surveillance system that its your needs as a small business and can catch crooks when things go wrong.