When you arrange for security services to protect your property, you usually set up a contract with the security company for a specific length of time. Most companies offer varying lengths of agreements, so you can set up short-term or long-term security contracts as you see fit. If this is a new company that you're dealing with, should you go for a long-term contract or keep it short-term at first?

In Your Estimation, How Temporary Are the Security Problems? 

If you're arranging for security services because of an increase in criminal activity in the area, how temporary do you think the problems are? For example, if the increase is due to a couple of bad people living nearby who you know are moving away soon, then the security team would be necessary for a finite amount of time. But if you're looking at a general increase in your city, and you have no idea when the crime rate will go back down, then you'd want guards on-site indefinitely.

Do Different Sections of the Property Have Different Security Needs?

It is possible that you need security services long-term for part of your property, but short-term for the rest. For example, you may want security officers patrolling the main building on your property all the time, but you'll need security personnel at a satellite property only part of the time, such as during a shipping rush when you have a lot of expensive products on-site to be shipped to customers. Maybe you need a couple of front desk security guards during the day but several more all over the property at night. Take a good look at the areas where you want the security people to be and figure out if that need is only short-term or long-term.

How New Are You to Having Security Personnel on Site?

If you've ever had security services at a business before, then you know enough about what it's like to have them around and what their effect on people really is. But if you have not ever had security personnel at a business of yours before, you may want to start with a shorter-term contract. That gives you more flexibility as you find the right combination of people, placements, and timing. You may find after the first few weeks, for example, that you need fewer security personnel during the day and more at night instead of an equal number around the clock. With a shorter initial contract, you can modify the number of people and when they guard your property much sooner.

Having a security team at your business can help make workers and customers feel more at ease. Once you find the right company and the right team, you can set up a long-term contract with the company so that security personnel protects your property in the months and years to come.

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