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  • Self storage: A lifesaver for a house move!

    Self-storage is perfect for home buyers! Whether you’re downsizing and need some space for your goods or just need a stopgap when moving house, or even for your seasonal equipment, self-storage is ideal! For a 3 bedroom house you’ll usually be looking at between 125 sq. ft and 150 sq. ft of storage space needed whilst a 4 bedroom house you’ll usually be looking at between 150 sq. ft and 175 sq. ft of storage space needed. There are many self storage sites in the UK, so you’ll likely be able to find a site close to your home, but choosing the right provider is key.

    How to compare storage facilities?

    When looking for a self-storage facility there are plenty of considerations to keep in mind, including:

    Location

    Make sure you’re pleased with the position of your selected self-storage facility. Nothing is worse than going out of your way to get to your storage space, only to find that it’s difficult to park or unload, which brings us to the next point.

    Parking

    Parking is obviously going to be very important for those moving house, because when it’s time to get your stuff loaded into your car or van and on the road to your new home, you need a stress-free experience. Put simply, you need to be able to park up and unload without any hassle.

    Accessibility

    The location of your chosen self-storage facility should also work for you. Look for somewhere that’s close to main roads, so if you’re driving on the motorway or across town it won’t be too difficult or costly getting there. It should also have good public transport links so if you do decide to use public transport, whether bus or train, it’ll be easy enough to get there with your belongings.

    Size

    You obviously want a self storage unit which is big enough for all of your stuff but also check that your chosen facility has units large enough for your needs because not all companies offer the same options when it comes time to book!

    Find out what’s included

    Speaking of booking, it’s always a good idea to find out exactly what you’re paying for before making any firm plans. Some facilities will charge extra if you need access outside of their opening hours. Other costs to consider are if there is anything extra should you wish to extend beyond three months and how much it all costs, so make sure you check this out as soon as possible.

    It might be an added expense but taking out insurance for your belongings could lock in the value of your possessions after they’ve been stored with someone else during moving house. This can be invaluable should something go wrong!

    Overall, if you need self storage Olney, it’s easy to find an affordable and versatile solution. It’s also a lifesaver for a house move! You can quickly and easily find the right amount of space for your goods, knowing they’re protected from thieves and pests, whilst generally, there’s no commitment to worry about!

  • Retail security is on the rise for obvious reasons!

    With a large number of retail chains already having been hit by malware incidents in 2017, it’s no wonder that retailers are rushing to implement modern security solutions.

    The consequences of not doing so can be potentially devastating, but it’s not just online where retailers need to maximise protection. Manned guarding is widely recognised as one of the most traditional security measures, however, the role has become far more advanced and multi-faceted.

    With the rise in high street shop thefts, undercover shoplifting and even armed robbery, security guards on the ground will always be a highly effective deterrent for would-be criminals. But with criminal activity and innovation evolving every day, what’s actually changing?

    One of the most significant new areas of retail guarding is surveillance monitoring. As technology continues to advance, so too does the equipment used by law enforcement agencies – and this can make identifying suspects much more straightforward. Of course, there are also many benefits AI advances such as machine learning that helps identify suspicious behaviour almost instantly – just imagine how helpful this could be during an active shooter scenario! Another area where modern surveillance techniques stand out is facial recognition – once again proving itself invaluable when it comes to helping to identify suspects as quickly as possible.

    This area of retail security is definitely on the rise and it’s not hard to see why. In the UK, there were 455 incidents of violence or abuse towards shopworkers each day in 2019/20, up 7% from 2018/19. The data reveals that the total cost to retailers of crime and crime prevention was £2.5bn, an increase of 14% on the previous year.

    Robbery, the most costly crime to retailers, was up 7% to 32,845 incidents at a cost of £224m. It is also worth mentioning that over 104 million working days were lost due to violence or abuse towards workers in UK high streets and retail outlets.

    Sounds awful, doesn’t it! However this isn’t all bad news as on the upside these statistics are merely down slightly from the previous year so hopefully, this means that people are starting to take matters into their own hands by investing in more security or even just being more aware of what’s going around them. of course, investing in SIA licenced guards to protect your premises is going to increase safety, and security for your shop, products, staff and buildings. You don’t have to spend an arm and a leg either, because many security firms can step in to assist, brooding the guards whenever you need them, rather than you having to employ a guard and commit to high costs initially.

  • Top reasons why garden gates are so popular (and now more important than ever)

    Before we get into this blog, we’d first like to say that we’re referring to all of the standard gates, like those for side passages, front gardens, driveways and estate gates. So why are they so popular today. Is it for style, safety or security? Or a combination of all three?

    1. Prevent uninvited visitors from entering your property.

    2. Keep pets and children in the garden and off the road.

    3. Stop cats and other animals digging up your lawns and flowerbeds.

    4. Peace of mind – it will be much easier to relax in your garden knowing that you have everything under control using a well-fitted, secure gate or fence.

    5. Improve the value of your home by adding incentives for buyers looking for homes with gardens containing some form of fencing or security.

    6. You can paint, stencil or decorate your gate any way you like! With care, they should last 10 years before needing some TLC  and touching up.

    7. Gates and fences can be fitted very quickly, often in less than 1 day.

    8. They are strong and durable; secure fencing improves the appearance of the garden which is likely to increase its value.

    9. You can match or complement your gate or fence with other elements in your garden like decking, summerhouse, shed etc…

    10. It’s possible to create a bigger opening by adding extra panels on one side of the gate (or both). This allows you to drive through without having to open it all up each time (for example if your gate opens onto a gravel driveway ). Or you could leave out the bottom panel for small pets who come and go whenever they please, namely cats.

    Should you invest in metal or wooden gates for your home?

    Wood gates are a thing of the past and metal is where it’s at. Wooden garden gates were popular years ago due to their aesthetic qualities but metal offers several key advantages. Metal garden gates are much more durable, far less maintenance and if you ever require a replacement panel it’s easy to make any necessary adjustments or order a completely new set based on measurements provided by yourself before buying. There won’t be any issues with warping either as there isn’t any wood involved in metal gates, unlike wooden ones which can expand and contract depending on the weather.

    Regardless of whether you choose a traditional design or one that reflects a contemporary style, you’ll find that there will be no need for regular upkeep or costly repair work as wood becomes worn out over time. While metal garden gates are far more expensive when you first buy them, they are actually part of an overall long-term cost-effective solution that will save you money in the long run.

    As far as security goes, this is another reason why people choose to have steel garden gates fitted instead of wooden ones. There is less chance of thieves being able to gain entry through a metal gate without having to break it down in some way which could draw attention to them and there would be signs of damage on both sides if this was attempted.

  • Why You Want a 960H DVR

    It is important when upgrading your security cameras to also upgrade your DVR. Why is a better DVR important? Well, if you have high resolution cameras, then you want to ensure that your DVR has the capabilities to process that information, otherwise the camera resolution is wasted and the best and clearest picture will not be recorded.

    The 960H DVR technology is capable of processing and recording the highest analog resolution available (700TVL, 960H x 480W pixel resolution). 960H refers to 960 horizontal pixel resolution, which allows you to view your camera feed on a wide screen display monitor, without stretching the image. Older DVRs are not capable of processing anything above a certain, capped broadcast limit (typically only 540TVL, or lower).

    It is important to have a newer DVR with the 960H technology so that your camera resolution doesn’t get lost during recording. You do not want to be missing out on important details that your cameras can pick up, but your DVR simply cannot process.

  • How Do Security Guards Help Retailers Today?

    If you’ve been to a nearby mall or perhaps a shopping centre in a UK town or city, you might have noticed security guards that walk the grounds. They’re always checking the interior of these facilities and the exterior areas, including the parking lot. You might not understand why they’re doing or why they’re important until you need them. Several individuals have been accosted or perhaps robbed by individuals while simply purchasing items at these locations. Nevertheless, they do provide other benefits for those that sell merchandise like retail outlets, shopping centres, coffee shops and corner stores. Here’s an overview of how security guards can help retailers today.

    The Main Purpose Of Security Guards At Retail Store Locations

    The main reason behind having security guards at any retail store is to protect both patrons of the store and the owners. It’s typical for criminals to target stores that could have cash on hand. Based upon where you live and the kind of shopping centre that your business is actually set, you might need more than a single security guard working at the same time. There’s a great deal of ground to cover, and by providing this additional protection, you will motivate far more customers to visit and purchase what you’ve to offer.

    How Retailers Can Specifically Benefit From Security Guards

    Every store will have to have insurance. If they’ve insurance, it’s typically based upon some parameters. Several of those parameters will include the need to get a security system or even security guards at that location. If you do not, there is a higher probability that claims that you file will be ignored. Actually, likely, they might not allow you to get insurance unless you provide this protection type. Additionally, in case you’ve security as recommended, they may actually lower the monthly rates of yours as well as lower the deductibles of yours. If you currently don’t have security guards at your store, you might want to consider looking for companies that provide them. The larger businesses that offer security systems typically make this option available.

    Ways To Find Security Guards For Your Retail Store

    Numerous businesses do provide security guards as a kind of security for businesses. This is exactly what you get when you search for Birmingham security services. Although most businesses are going to have cameras, that is a regular practice; sometimes, guards are also necessary. There are several locations where crime is a lot more prevalent, necessitating some kind of law enforcement. Simply seeing a person in an official uniform can help deter potential crimes from occurring.

    If you’d love to install one or even more security guards at the place of your business, it will be an extremely advantageous decision. Quickly, you will earn the trust of not only your existing customers but also others that will also feel safe. Insurance rates might go down as a result of having guards rather than just sensors and cameras. Lastly, it is a good way to protect the merchandise from being stolen by adding one or even more security guards as security protection.

  • Security Camera Lens Size Explained

    If you are looking into a CCTV system or thinking of upgrading your current systems, you may be wondering what the difference is between camera lens sizes and what some of the other camera features can do for you. Typically, the lens size of cameras come in a range of 2.5mm to 100mm. The larger the lens size, means the narrower and more zoomed in the field of view will be. So, for example, a 2.5 mm lens offers quite a wide view, but does not offer the best picture definition. With the same positioning, a 100mm will show a much smaller area, but very clearly.

    If you feel like you would need to be able to adjust the field to a very precise angle and point of view, there is also a varifocal lens camera that offers multiple fields of view sizes and focus. For example, there are 2.8-12mm, 6-60mm and 5-100mm vari-focal camera lenses. There are also different picture qualities you can chose from such as the standard analogue, High Definition (HD) and the high-end Internet protocol (IP). Other, more unique, camera types are the 108 Degree Fisheye Lens for an ultra-wide view of an area.

    Choosing the type of cameras that you need for your security system can be tricky, but by having a greater understanding of what these camera features offer, will help you to decide which camera lens size and type best suits your needs. The important thing to remember is that the bigger the camera lens size, the smaller and more focused the viewing area will be and if you need varying degrees of focus or a precision view, you may want to look into a vari-focal lens. There is also several qualities of picture that you will receive with different types of cameras. Whilst the bog-standard analogue camera may be less expensive, it may not be affective for the area you need it for.

  • Are Guard Dog Patrols Effective For Most Industrial Properties?

    When it comes to securing industrial properties, employing guard dog handlers may be a great addition to your existing security team. Unfortunately, many industrial companies are often subjected to vandals, thieves, espionage and more. So, security is extremely important and not an area that should be skimped on. We’ll now look at a couple of reasons why guard dog patrols are so effective and why you should consider adding them to your security force.

    Guard dogs have been proven to be a lot more effective than just CCTV camera systems. After all, a fierce-looking guard dog armed with rows of sharp teeth is a lot scarier than a simple camera. As a result, they are a great deterrent since most burglars would think twice before entering an industrial property with these types of dogs. Not many types of security instil as much fear into opportunistic thieves like guard dogs, so it’s certainly a method to consider if you’re looking to maximise protection for your people, buildings and assets.

    In addition to guarding the industrial property itself, the guard dogs can also protect your staff. Most guard dogs can be trained to recognize your employees as opposed to strangers and threats. As a result, they can actually help to protect your employees against intruders and give your staff a greater sense of safety and confidence at work.

    There are many people who aren’t necessarilyily interested in stealing but vandalising industrial properties. This is very costly since the company will need to spend money to repair the building, get rid of graffiti, fix broken windows etc. However, guard dog patrols would serve as a great deterrent to potential vandals who would no longer see the industrial property as being an easy target.

    Securing an industrial property can be quite difficult and having only one layer of security would likely not be enough. When you combine guard dog patrols along with additional security guards, cameras, security systems, alarms etc, it helps to add layers of security that would keep the property significantly safer.

    It even helps to improve the effectiveness of your security force, especially if you combine human security along with guard dogs. After all, dogs have a much better sense of sight and smell so they would be able to identify threats before human security can do so. This can give human security a heads up so that they can appropriately deal with the threat. Many security companies in London include guard dog patrols as part of their service, but it’s always best to ensure the company you choose has SIA licenced guards, which is a legal requirement to carry out security work in the UK.

    In conclusion, we have just answered the question of if guard dog patrols are effective for the vast majority of industrial properties. Guard dogs would make an excellent addition to any industrial company’s security force and would ensure that the company and staff are well protected.

  • Data Protection for Businesses

    In these technologically charged times data theft through cyber-attacks is an ever-growing concern. If you store and collect personal or sensitive data, no matter how big or small an organization is, cyber breaches are something to try and defend yourself against.

    Top Data Protection Tips:

    1. Keep systems, including operating systems and additional software, up to date.

    2. Encrypt confidential information that is shared amongst employees, partners and customers.

    3. Use very strong passwords and be sure to change them regularly. For password creation it is recommended to use a phrase instead of a work but replace some letters with numbers or special characters.

    4. Avoid external devices, like USBs or even USB phone chargers, on work computers.

    5. Ensure your IT/security executives have a strong data backup and recovery procedures that stay updated.

    6. Make every effort to ensure you stay within the requirements of local legislation in technology and policies

  • What Exactly Are Woodrite Wooden Garage Doors?

    Are you looking for the best garage doors that are in existence today? You may want to consider Woodrite because of the exceptional quality that they provide. In fact, they have some of the nicest wooden garage doors that you will ever see. They are made of a very distinct material and constructed in styles that will be very appealing. Whether you live in a rural area, or if you are residing in urban developments, these are going to stand out and improve the exterior of your home. If you are ready to take advantage of these unique wooden garage doors, here is an overview of why you should consider this over any other option.

    Why Would You Use Wooden Doors?

    First of all, you should know that the wooden doors that you purchase from any company need to be properly treated. If they are not fully finished, and if a special base treatment is not applied in order to protect it from ultraviolet light, it’s going to wear out and fade very quickly. It should also be created by master craftsmen that understand how to put garage doors together. Finally, the natural properties of those doors, whether you are using oak, cedar, or any other type of hardwood timber, you need to make sure that it is from the best cut in order to maximize the grains in the wood itself.

    How To Find These For Sale

    If you would like to find these for sale, you can locate them online. They have a website that showcases all of the ones that they produce. It is a business that is helpful in showing you the entire process, and they provide examples of how the wooden garage doors will look on the exterior of a home or garage. You need to realize that this company has been doing this for quite some time. You can learn more about them on their Twitter feed or even on Facebook. When you visit their website, you can see how complex they are in regard to the creation process of these doors.

    It is so important to have quality garage doors if you can afford it. It’s even better when the doors themselves are more than affordable. That’s exactly what you get with Woodrite wooden garage doors that are very popular today. If you would like to make an investment that will last for many years, or perhaps decades, consider working with this company. If you have never had wooden garage doors before, you will be astounded by the quality that they can provide. If you would like to get an estimate, you can contact this company today that will be able to help you out.

  • Considerations for Event Security

    Proper in-depth planning is the most important thing when considering security. When considering the venue, staff, event attendees and guests, your planning should include all the things that you do know, all the things that you think you know and even considering all of the possible unknowns. The better the planning the better the security.

    Some things to include in your security strategy

    • Knowledge of the venue inside and out- understand how ‘porous’ the venue is, referring to ways that people could gain access without using a typical entry point.

    • Gauge attendee risk- are any of the guest speakers/performers that are a higher risk, like if they have a controversial history. Also, look into suspicious activity such as bulk ticket buying.

    • Crowd control- keep guests away from crowding exit points, keep guests from restricted areas and ensure entry is kept as clear and organised as possible.

    • Assess weaknesses- consider areas that have the potential for large-scale attacks. Bags should be checked upon entry and any weak points should be thoroughly monitored and controlled.

    • Keep tight communications- constant communications are necessary and if a professional security detail is present, ensure they have communications with the rest of the staff.