Running a business from home can be incredibly freeing. You have the freedom to choose your own hours. You don’t have to worry about transport costs. It’s a great way to balance working and being independent. But there’s always a flip side to any situation. When running a business from home, it’s important to remember to treat it like one. All too often people working from home can end up feeling too relaxed and forgetting to think about safety and security. Here are a few things you should definitely be thinking about to keep your home business safe.
Insurance
Don’t get caught out assuming that your home insurance will cover your business as well. For one thing, working from home increases your electricity usage and risk which can impact everything from your personal safety to your insurance premiums. You also need to think about specific business insurance requirements. That is when you should contact an insurance broker Brisbane expert. When it comes to things like stock, equipment, and visitors to the premises, you’ll need specific business insurance. That goes extra if you happen to employ anyone else. Make sure you have employers liability insurance. If you’re not sure about what insurance is right for your business, speak to a reputable business insurance broker to understand what insurances you might need to safeguard your business.
Online safety
A good deal of businesses are online these days which opens them up to the risk of online intruders and scammers. It’s crucial that you keep any work computers up to date with all antivirus and security software. The last thing you want is to leave your business exposed to cybercriminals accidentally. If you’re working from home, there’s a good chance you’re only working on a handful of devices so you really can’t afford for even one to be compromised. This means you’ve got to have your firewall and antivirus software on all devices. Not only that but you need to make sure that your email isn’t letting through unwanted spam. Another consideration you may want to consider is using a VPN software company such as Avast Secureline VPN. Having VPN set up on all of your devices will deliver you with secure and private internet browsing. This will protect your personal data from hackers, making it ideal for users who want reliable and straightforward VPN protection.
Secure storage
If you’re working from home, then that means it’s quite likely that all your important documents are stored in one place. This leaves you at risk not only of theft but if accidents as well. If a fire were to start, you’re far more likely to lose a large volume of valuable information than you would if it was spread across various sites. There are two primary solutions to this problem. One is to ensure you have a secure safe in which to store any cash as well as valuable information or documents that you need physical copies of. The other is to get as much data onto secure digital storage as possible. Cloud services are available that let you easily access your files wherever you are and have their own security in place to keep them safe.
Remember, your home is a business site. You need to secure it in the same way you would an office or a warehouse. This means that surveillance and alarm systems are both essential. What could be worse than an intruder invading not only your business but your home as well? Having both in the same place puts you at high risk of a break-in, so this is one area you really can’t afford to ignore.
