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3 Signs Your Parking Lot Needs A Security Gate

You and your business want to make a profit. The cost of doing business is seriously threatened if the security is. Theft accounts for an average of two percent of United States’ business loss. That is two percent more profit for you if you prevent crime! Criminals are upgrading their skills and resources, so you need to update yours.

parking lot

Here are three signs that the next security step you should take is getting a gate for your parking lot:

Sign #1 The Vehicles in Your Next Door Neighbor’s Parking Lot Have Been Vandalized

If other businesses in the area have experienced recent break – ins, then yours may be next. Business owners should stay up to date not only by reading and watching local news reports, but also by becoming familiar with the neighbors. Pay attention to what the criminals exploited. Did that business fail to notice an additional vehicle left on the property at night? Could an employee’s car getting vandalized have been prevented if the parking lot had a security gate? Do your best to learn from your neighbors’ mistakes.

Sign #2 You are Losing Customers

Polls show that consumers value the safety of their parking lots. Drivers typically consider three things when looking for the best place to park: cost, location, and security. Naturally they want a deal. They do not want to pay more for parking than they think it is worth. They also do not want to have to walk too far to their destination. The closer that a parking lot is to your business, the more likely someone will want to park there.

Keeping careful track of the number of customers is important. Just like restaurants have an occupancy limit for the number of diners, parking lots also have to comply with government regulations on occupancy. Safety standards depend on the number of people that might need to exit in an emergency, utilize fire extinguishers, etc. The second reason for tracking the exact number of cars that are there is that it benefits the staff, especially at closing time at the end of the day. Before they leave the lot, staff members have to make sure that all of the cars parking there have left. With the exception of overnight parking, every vehicle has to be accounted for. They need to confirm that everyone left and that the lot does not have to be responsible for vehicles.

What else can help you do that but a security gate?

And what does your parking lot look like? Is it clean? Are the potholes filled in? Are the spaces clearly marked? Or, is there trash everywhere? Weeds popping up through the concrete? Are there rogue hub caps, empty beer bottles, or shards of glass everywhere? Even though the way your parking lot looks isn’t necessarily your fault, it truly is your problem. The impression a customer gets of the area around your store affects their opinion of you. He or she might drive right by and go to another shop down the street. Do a little beautification, and then set up a security gate to keep people out after hours, and see if the customers start to return.

Sign #3 Local Crime in General Has Increased

A variety of factors can influence crime in any location, with any population. Financial difficulties locally, nationally, and internationally almost always come with an increase in crime. When some place is damaged by a tsunami or a tornado, survivors are forced to commit additional crimes just in order to stay alive. The political climate, especially, has a big correlation with increased criminal activity. In general, burglaries in the United States have been at a steady decline since the 1970’s. Forty years ago the average number of burglaries occurring in households was over one hundred and ten out of every one thousand. In 2002, nearly twenty eight out of every one thousand households was burglarized. That amount dropped to twenty six out of every one thousand in 2008. Compared to the one hundred and ten in the 1970’s, that is a significant decrease. In 2012 there were more than two million one hundred thousand burglaries in the United States. When you do the math that equals about one burglary every fifteen seconds.

A security gate is a one- time- only purchase. The cheapest types are made of wood or aluminum, and can cost between one hundred and eight hundred dollars. The top of the line steel or aluminum models that come with tire spikes, motion detectors, alarms, and automated key card access can cost up to two or three thousand dollars. Although daily power use and routine upkeep are required, the majority of the cost of a security gate is up front and finite. Security gates are in action on the grounds twenty four hours a day, seven days a week. If your business’ budget for security is small or unable to support the long- term needs of full time security guards who are on watch night and day, purchasing a gate might be the way to go.

The United States Chamber of Commerce states that thirty percent of business go under because of external criminal activity including billions of dollars in property damage caused by burglary. By investing in a new security gate you are taking a vital step to prevent theft and damage to your property!

Are you looking to install rolling security gates for your business? Call us at 718-614-0616 or e-mail info@nygates.com for more information. You can also visit our page for rolling security gates located here.

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