Home Office Security

By Dr. Tamara Johnson, Ph.D.

When you work at home, you face certain security risks that require more than simply keeping the door locked. Not only do you need to take steps to ensure your personal safety, but you also need to protect the equipment in your office from burglary or other mishaps. These security suggestions can help keep you, your home and your bussiness safe.

Keep your home and office separate.

If clients, contractors, and delivery people visit your home office during the day, try to prevent them from seeing your personal space or valuables. Ideally, your home office should have a separate entrance from your living area. If that is not possible, look for other ways to set it apart.

Hold meetings in your office, not in your living room, and don’t provide a clear view of the layout of your house and the valuables within it. Never indicate to delivery people that you are home alone, and handle deliveries at the door, not in your home or office.

Don’t have meetings alone.

If you need to meet with a new client in your home office, invite a business partner to the meeting or agree to meet at the client’s office. If this is inappropriate because of the nature of the meeting, ask someone to drop by or call during the visit. Better yet, consider holding the meeting off–site. Restaurants, coffee houses, and even libraries often have quiet corners where meetings can take place.

Business centers, where you can rent meeting rooms by the hour, can be used for more formal gatherings. These centers often provide administrative services, Internet access, fax machines, telephones, and other tools needed to work with clients efficiently.

Set up an informal neighborhood watch system.

Knowing your neighbors is among the most effective anti–crime tactics. Locate a neighbor who is also home during the day and work out a “daily watch” plan. Keep an eye on each other’s homes, watching for unfamiliar cars and faces and odd behavior from pedestrians.

Program emergency numbers on speed dial.

When you work at home alone, placing a call for help should be as easy as possible. Set up your phone for one–touch emergency dialing. Numbers to program include the 911 or the number to the closest sub-division of your local police or sheriff department.

It’s also a good idea to put two or three of your neighbor’s home and cell numbers on speed dial. If for some reason, your doorbell rings unexpectedly, consider keeping your phone with you when you answer. Someone with dishonorable intentions will be less likely to harm you if there is someone listening to the interaction.

Use your alarm system.

Many people who have alarm systems fail to use them, putting themselves and their businesses needlessly at risk. It is easy to be lulled into thinking you only need the system when you go away for a weekend or longer trip. In fact, many burglaries take place when people are out for just a short time. Get in the habit of setting your alarm system whenever you are out.

Don’t advertise that you are not home.

If you plan to be away from the office for an extended period of time, such as a vacation or an all-day meeting; don’t leave an “away from office” message on your voice mail. Instead, call key clients and business partners to let them know you will be traveling, and that you will check messages and respond, as needed.

While you are on vacation, if your schedule permits, call in to check your messages regularly. Consider using one of the various virtual office and adminstative solutions that are available. This small investment gives the apperance that you are in the office even if your not available. This solution will be not only a good business practice, but it will convey to your customers and clients that they are important, even if you are out of the office.

Dr. Tamara Johnson, Ph.D., is the founder of Arlington, Texas based Proverbs Consulting. Proverbs Consulting offers a diversity of professional business consulting strategies to entrepreneurs, small-business owners, faith and ministry-based as well as non-profit organizations. Contact Dr. Johnson at info@proverbsconsulting.com or visit the Proverbs Consulting website.

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