You Can Thank Your Lucky Stars Or Hire The Best Security Company
How Lucky Do You Feel?
Accidents and attacks happen in mere seconds. People get mugged, attacked, and robbed daily. Businesses get vandalized and their employees robbed and you might never have known about it unless it made the news.
Within precious seconds, or even in the blink of an eye, something can happen to you or a loved one that will alter the rest of your life.
How well you are prepared often dictates the outcome!
The more prepared you are for the potential of a natural disaster, personal attack, accident, home invasion, fire or another emergency, the better off you are.
Leaving it all “to chance” is one sure way to set yourself and your loved ones up for failure and a negative outcome.
Do You Want Your Security To Be ‘Lucky’ or Scientific?
If you’ve never been
- attacked
- robbed
- vandalized
- in a fire
- under attack
- in an accident
count your lucky stars!
Each year, millions of Americans deal with the aftermath of personal disasters like accidents, home invasions, fires, attacks, vandalism and more.
Let us look at some statistics and scientific data next, to find if preparation for an emergency can make a difference.
Facts and Data Don’t Lie!
We contract with C.O.P.S Monitoring Services and this is why!
This means that when you do have a home or business emergency, help is on the way instantly, even if you are incapacitated due to injury, smoke inhalation, an attack or another emergency!
Safewise states: “Based on a report by the University of North Carolina at Charlotte’s Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology, about 60% of convicted burglars stated the presence of a security system influenced their decision to target another home.”
How is this for a statistic: “Almost 30% of burglars enter a home through an unlocked door or window.” It’s easy to prepare and to make sure to lock up every night to prevent burglaries.
Don’t Leave It To Luck. Hire The Best Security Company Now!
We are on standby to help you and yours.
Your security is our business here at Strand Security and we take it very seriously.
We are a locally owned and locally operated business and we want nothing more than help to protect those whom you love and that what you’ve worked so hard for!
Come to talk to us and learn the difference.
We Are Thankful For Our Customers!
We wouldn’t be where we are today without our loyal customers.
To our current customers, we’d like to say “We enjoy doing business with you and thank you for your patronage.” For those who are not customers yet; “What are you waiting for?” Pick up the phone and give us a call!
Seven Solid Reasons You Need a Business Security System
Are You A Local Grand Strand Business Owner?
Whether your business is here in South Carolina on the Grand Strand or elsewhere if you are a business owner with a business with a physical location including
- warehouse
- store
- medical facility
- restaurant
- office suite
- office building
- shed
- trailer
or any other building – you are in need of a business security system!
To start any business takes an investment of time and money.
We know because we are business owners ourselves. If you have invested your hard-earned money and/or life savings into a new business venture, don’t you want to make sure this investment is protected against all sorts of crime and accidents?
Crime Statistics for Myrtle Beach, Horry County and Georgetown County.
The local crime statistics aren’t pretty.
The Myrtle Beach area is a fast-growing area with many transient families and individuals. We are also a tourist hot-spot; millions of non-residents come to visit our shore and golf courses every year. They not only bring their families and money to spend, they also attract criminals.
To learn more about daily Myrtle Beach criminal activity, or any city you live in, check this out.
You can also you NeighborhoodScout to check on crime near you.
To learn more about why Myrtle Beach was listed on ‘Most Dangerous City’ reports, read this.
Learn To Protect Your Investment!
When you start a business, there are many things to consider.
You have to
- write a business plan
- create a budget
- get funding
- purchase equipment
- hire staff
- market yourself
and much much more.
One of the most frequently dropped but important tasks is getting the right insurance coverage up front and installing a business security system.
And of course, always lock your doors!
You Need a Business Security System
If you own a business, you need a business security system.
If you own a business, your responsibility isn’t just for yourself, but also for those you employ.
The personal safety of your employees is now in your hands, is now your responsibility.
Just this one fact alone should have you pick up the phone and call us immediately. You can not go back and prevent a crime once it has happened. You can not go back and prevent someone from getting hurt once they’ve been hurt. You can not go back and give someone back their life if their life was taken during a robbery.
Equipment, buildings, inventory and your fleet can be replaced and if you’ve got the right insurance, without too much hassle. People lives is a whole different matter.
Let’s look at a few reasons to call Strand Security and get a business security system installed by the end of the year!
7 Reasons To Install a Commercial Security System
Here are 7 solid reasons to install a business security system!
- Deter crime before it happens
- Keep vandals and squatters out
- Protect your employees and customers
- Deter employee theft
- Save money on insurance
- Alert authorities in real time when a crime happens
- Gather evidence in case of a crime
We’d be happy to discuss any of these with you at any time. Let’s get you protection.
Give us a call today!
Why Do I Need a Commercial Security System?
Do You Own a Business on the Grand Strand?
If you are a local Myrtle Beach area business owner, let’s talk security!
Crime rates in the Myrtle Beach area vary from town to town, neighborhood to neighborhood, but the reality is that with a transient community like Myrtle Beach which hosts millions upon millions of tourists every year, these tourists also lure crime and criminals to our area!
If you are a local business owner, it stands to argue that you’ve been confronted with some sort of crime at your place of business.
Have you dealt with
✔️employee theft?
✔️counterfit money?
✔️ loitering around your building?
✔️vandalism?
✔️break-ins?
If you have, we are very sorry you’ve had to deal with this type of crime. We want to offer you a solution.
Please read on.
Do You Value Your Business Investment?
As a locally-owned and locally operated business, we fully understand the sacrifices and investment of time and money it takes to get a business off the ground.
We understand you are building something for the future, for your family, for your community.
We know this because we are living it alongside you.
If you value your business investment, we need to talk about security!
Do you have a few more minutes?
How To Protect Your Local Business Location and Reputation
Our slogan is “your security, our business” and we mean it!
We install, support and monitor residential alarm systems to protect local Grand Strand area families. What not everyone knows is that we also install, support and monitor commercial security systems.
We are ready to partner with you and protect your business investment, your employees and you!
Let’s talk about how a commercial security system can protect the physical location of your business as well as your reputation!
Why You Need a Commercial Security System
As business owners, we understand you can’t be everywhere all the time! You put your trust in your employees, yet all responsibility still rests on your shoulders.
A commercial security system will take away, in a way shoulder some of the responsibility for you!
We offer Total Connect Video Services for your convenience because we know how busy you are!
With this service, you can view your business from your iPhone, iPad, Droid, Blackberry or laptop from almost anywhere and
- check on employees activities and their behavior
- monitor critical equipment remotely, no matter where you are and what time of day it is
- view your business in real-time, or with event triggers
- gather evidence against employee theft or errors and outside criminal activities
- find out how busy your business is when you are away
and much much more!
Your Security, Our Business!
We work with business owners as well as property management companies.
Here are some of the ways we can help protect and secure your investments;
✔️ Monitor alarm systems
✔️ Digital camera systems
✔️ Telecommunication networks 24/7
✔️ Overhead Projection
✔️Plasma, LCD, LED displays along with AUDIO Sound Systems (for restaurants and sports bars)
and much more!
Isn’t it time you give us a call?
Meet Honeywell Total Connect™ and Fall in Love Forever!
What is Honeywell Total Connect™?
Honeywell Total Connect™ Remote Services lets you stay in the know wherever you go! How neat is that?
Whether you are running an errand in Myrtle Beach, at work along the Grand Strand, or on summer vacation in the upstate of South Carolina or elsewhere, you will have full access to your home and/or business through our app. You will love being able to check in from anywhere, at any time! Once you have Honeywell Total Connect™, you will fall in love forever.
With the tap of a finger, our app lets you control your security system, receive push notifications, text messages and email alerts, control thermostats, lighting and locks, locate vehicles or assets — even view live video and see, hear and speak to visitors at the front door anytime, anywhere on compatible smart devices, including iPhone, Android and iPad.
Honeywell Total Connect™ is packed with features that help you receive a great user experience!
Who Can Use Honeywell Total Connect™?
Honeywell Total Connect™ can be used both for residential as well as commercial use, so homeowners, as well as business owners, get great value from our system!
Kids, teenagers, elderly parents, nannies, neighbors, employees; anyone you trust and who needs access to your home or business can get access while you are away!
What Can Honeywell Total Connect™ Do?
Let us check out what Honeywell Total Connect™ has to offer, shall we?
To get the full scoop, check out this brochure!
How Easy Is Honeywell Total Connect™ To Use?
Oh, it’s super easy!
In fact, our app is so easy to use once it is set up, that kids, teenagers, as well as the elderly, should have no problem using our app. Of course, if you use Strand Security as your service provider, we will make sure that everyone who needs access to your system will have full access.
Are you ready for a Smarthome?
How Can I Get The Honeywell Total Connect™ System and App?
All you need to do is connect with us at Strand Security. We can answer any question you may have.
You can also stop by our offices for a demo to see how a Honeywell Total Connect™ system works and play around with it!
Did you know you can install vehicle tracker in your (commercial) vehicles, too, and monitor with Honeywell Total Connect™? Great for teenage drivers and employees.
Are You in Search of The Best Burglar System Money Can Buy?
Does Your Home Have a Burglar System?
If you have any sort of burglar system, congrats. We hope you did your research before purchasing and that you are happy with the system you picked and the provider you currently have. Have you had an emergency yet? How good was the customer service provided and how was the response time?
If you do not currently have any sort of system in your home, we assume you might want to know how to get the best burglar system money can buy!
Does Your Business Have a Burglar System?
If you own a business like us, you understand the value of preventing crime.
Employee theft, workplace accidents, vandalism, workplace invasion; each of these come with a heavy price tag.
Having a solid burglar system in place at your business location can help prevent and deter crime. A system with cameras can also help you determine cause, and guilt, of crimes.
If you do not currently have any sort of system at your place of business, we assume you might want to know how to get the best burglar system money can buy!
Here are several points to consider before buying any kind of security burglar system.
Do your Due Diligence and Research Burglar System Options First!
Why do you need a burglar alarm system?
Have you
- recently purchased a new home?
- moved into a new home?
- made a state-to-state move?
- switched neighborhoods?
- been the victim of a crime?
- read about the increase in crime in your town?
- started a business?
- taken over an existing business location?
- recently dealt with employee theft?
Most often, something ‘triggers’ a homeowner or business owner to start looking for the best burglar system available.
The journey to select starts with solid research on what is available in your location.
Decide How Much Money You Can Spend on the Best Burglar System Money Can Buy
‘The best burglar alarm system your money can buy’ can mean many things.
When thinking about a budget think about the following cost; both now and in the future.
- equipment
- monthly monitoring
- installation
- equipment replacement
- add-ons
- smart home technology
Remember this:
The most basic burglar system will still deter a would-be burglar.
A fancy, automated system will make it easier for you to operate the system.
Will You Want Home Automation and Add Smart Technolgy in Your Home?
If you are going to be spending money on a burglar system, this is a great time to check out your smart home options!
These systems can and do work together.
Have you ever thought about
Talk to your trusted security company about these options BEFORE deciding on a burglar system.
Is the Track Record of the Remote Monitoring Company Important to You?
Last but not least, we want you to remember that you get what you pay for.
You could have the best equipment, the latest technology, and the nicest customer service rep, but if the response time of the monitoring company is not good, you could still be left ‘in a pickle’ when an emergency happens to you or your family!
We at Strand Security pride ourselves on working with the best in the industry!
Is Cheap Home Security an Oxymoron?
Do You Need a Security System But Think You Can’t Afford It?
If you think you need a security system, you probably have done some due diligence on crime rates in your street, neighborhood, town, and county. People come to us for security systems for some of the following reasons.
- new construction
- a new residence
- a recent move
- new family addition
- new business
- unhappy with current service
- upgrading system and/or service agreement
- a recent victim of crime
The last reason is what we hate to see happen to anyone!
People call us after they’ve had a home invasion, burglary or experienced personal violence. They are scared, worried, traumatized by the recent experience and need to feel secure and protected once again.
There’s not always a budget for a security system when crime happens, which of course always happens unexpectedly.
Today, we’d like to talk to you about cheap home security.
Is there such a thing as cheap home security, or is it an oxymoron?
Is There Such a Thing as Cheap Home Security?
Well… the answer is yes.
Let’s get this straight.
“You get what you pay for.”
Having said that, here are some ideas for cheap home security (and the limitations each option brings).
- Get a dog. Dogs aren’t free, of course, but having a dog will deter potential burglars. They’d rather go to the next house than confront a dog.
- Put up fake security cameras. This again is a cheap solution and might give you a false sense of security. Will it deter some crime? Sure! Will it help you during a crime? Not at all.
- Put your inside lights on timers and outdoor lights on sensors. When criminals are casing houses to break into, they will look for signs of activity. If you have lights going on and off, they might skip your home.
- Add loud sensor alarms to your windows and doors. This will not prevent any crime, but it will alert you, the homeowner, to a crime in progress.
Adding any of these options to your home will give you a bit more security and most likely a bit more peace of mind. These are not perfect solutions by any stretch, but if you are limited on funds, these options are a good place to start.
Can A Home Security System Be Cheap and Good At the Same Time?
Yes and yes!
Home security systems come in all shapes, sizes, and brands. They run the gamut in equipment fees, monitoring fees, and smart-home intergration.
We can install a very basic home security system that you can afford. We offer great monitoring rates with the best monitoring service. We trust not just our customers with COPS monitoring, but our own family as well!
How Should You Decide On a Security System?
The best way to decide on a security system is to read this article; ‘What is the best home security system?’
This article features 5 questions you, as a homeowner, should answer before picking up the phone and calling us.
Once you have an idea of what you want, what you can afford and what you need, we are ready to talk shop with you!
What Type Of Security Can You Get on A Limited Budget?
Even on a limited budget, you should be able to get a solid security system to fit your needs.
We recommend budgeting for a monthly monitoring fee to get a complete package and the best service and security.
Interested to know why we work with COPS monitoring?
Check out these two articles.
Dispatchers standing by 24/7 monitoring with COPS for your security!
Our assets are monitored by COPS
How To Get The Best Cheap Home Security for Your Budget
#1 Work with a local, locally owned security company. We can not stress the importance of this enough!
#2 Check the company out online. Read reviews, check their website and social media channels.
#3 Ask about technician experience. Anyone who is proud of their work will tell you how long they’ve been in the business and why!
#4 Call your local chamber or the BBB for recommendations. Any legitimate business will be registered and most likely be active in the community.
#5 Ask for current specials and promotions. Some companies run online promotions you might not know about when you call. They most likely will be happy to give you that promotion. All you have to do is ask.
We are here for the Myrtle Beach, Horry County, and Georgetown County communities.
Give us a call today, or any day.
How To Best Prevent Crime at Your Construction Site
Do You Know What Happens At Your Construction Site During Off Hours?
Many construction sites deal with the same two crimes:
✓ Theft (of tools, equipment and materials)
✓ Vandalism
The Grand Strand/Myrtle Beach area is undergoing a huge surge in new construction of homes and businesses and thus there are many new construction sites popping up. Each site deals with theft and vandalism, and we do get calls and inquiries about how to prevent crime from happening.
As much as the advice is
‘Don’t leave anything of value at your construction site unattended’
that advice, in reality, isn’t very practical.
What is realistic, is that sometimes you need to leave materials, equipment and large tools at the site. The good news?
There are ways to protect these items.
Here are some ideas on how to get started.
General Crime Prevention Tips for Your Construction Site
- Identify all your assets and property at your site and index/catalogue them so they can be tracked at any time.
- Engrave tools and special tag other equipment.
- Connect with neighbors, nearby businesses and neighborhood watches so they are aware of your site.
- Bring awareness and offer training to your crew and discuss how they need to do their part (lock up)
- Do background checks on your employees.
- Utilize fencing if at all possible to deter theft and vandalism.
- Post notices around your fence that this construction area is protected and monitored.
- Secure tools and equipment in a locked shed or box when not in use.
- Secure shed and lockbox in the center of your site, not along the perimeter.
- As not all theft comes from outsiders, have a tool ‘check-in, check-out’ system in place.
- Perform a final ‘check’ at the end of each work day; a walk around your site.
- Only have the absolute necessary equipment and materials on hand. Do not use your construction site as storage.
Preventing Crime At A Construction Site Which Has Electricity
- Make use of motion-detecting flood lights and special lights.
- Set up a security alarm system that alerts a monitoring company and the authorities.
- You can add an audible siren to deter crime or go with a silent alarm that’s tripped when intruders arrive.
- Set up (remote) video surveillance for your construction site and monitor from any device, anywhere.
Preventing Crime At A Construction Site With No Electricity
- Hire a security firm with security guards to patrol your site overnight.
- Make sure to take extra care to lock up tools, equipment and materials each night and consider taking tools home.
As always, preventing crime is a much better option that reporting crime and having to replace tools, equipment or materials. The time it takes to set up and secure your site is nothing compared to the time it would take to replace stolen tools, equipment or materials or have to fix an act of vandalism.
We highly encourage you to talk to your security specialist before it is too late!
3 Reasons To Be Thankful For Your Security System
What Are You Thankful For?
We have seen this question asked all month as it’s November. Many people practice #ThankfulNovember or #30daysofthankfulness on social media, sharing small and large things, places and people they are thankful for each day!
We are so lucky to live in beautiful Myrtle Beach! We are lucky to live near the beach, have gorgeous weather most of the year and live a bountiful life lived in short, t-shirt and flip-flops!
What about you? What are you thankful for?
- Are you thankful for your health?
- Are you thankful for your home?
- Are you thankful for your job?
- Are you thankful for your family?
There are many people in this world who do not have basic necessities such as access to clean drinking water, food and a roof over their head. There are many people in this world who live in areas of unrest and war; we are so lucky to live in a place in this world with access to all of these things.
If you are lucky enough to live in a safe and secure home with an alarm system like we do, isn’t it time to list some of the reasons it makes you thankful?
We have come up with 3 reasons to be thankful for your security system. Read and let us know if you feel the same way!
Your Security System Will Keep Your Loved Ones Safe
This alone should be the #1 reason you are thankful for your security system. In case of attack, fire or home invasion, your security system – if connected to our monitoring company C.O.P.S. – can call the authorities for back up, whatever agency is needed (rescue, fire or police).
Minutes and seconds saved can be the difference between a good or a very bad outcome of any of these scenarios.
We are thankful that our security system keeps our loved ones safe!
Your Security System Deters Crime At Your Business
If you, like us, own a business, you know firsthand how much effort, time and money has gone in to making your business successful. You want that taken away in an instant now, would you?
A fire that would totally destroy your retail store can do that. Employee theft can cripple your bottom line. An accident in your restaurant which results in a lawsuit can do that – but with a security system and security cameras in place, and a monitoring company to back you up, your business is protected.
We are thankful that our security system deters crime our our business!
Your Security System Gives You Overall Peace of Mind
Now when you add “Will Keep Your Loved Ones Safe” to “Deters Crime At Your Business” you got what?
Peace of mind!
If you can rest easy because your family is protected and you can rest easy because your business is protected, how much is that worth to you?
We are thankful that our security system gives us overall peace of mind!
Strand Security Is Thankful Too!
We at Strand Security in Murrells Inlet are thankful, too.
We are thankful for
- our health
- our family and friends
- our successful business
- our employees
- our customers (you!) in Horry County and Georgetown County
- our community on the Grand Strand
- our network of business associates
- our service provider COPS
- our partnership with large brands like Honeywell Total Connect, Sonos, Hikvision, BEAM and many more
- our self defense division Myrtle Beach Self Defense
and much much more!
Thank you for being part of our success story. We are thankful for you!
3 Important Reasons Your Business Needs a Panic Button
You might know an elderly person with a personal panic button.
Don’t we all remember the first commercial (1987) with that famous line:
“I have fallen and I can’t get up”
Personal panic buttons are wonderful and enable our seniors and disabled citizen to live a more independent life then they would without.
However, panic buttons are not just for personal use (or for banks). Regular businesses could and should consider installing panic buttons in their place of business. Not convinced? Let us show you the ways…
3 Important Reasons Your Business Needs a Panic Botton
A Panic Button is Cost Effective for your Business
What does this mean? Many businesses spent lots of money on safety and security of their goods, but not on the safety and security of their employees. However, if an employee gets hurt on the job, or worse, cost skyrockets. Getting a quick response time during emergencies can help save a life. A panic button at your place of business can summon help quickly when 9-1-1 can not be called from a phone.
A Panic Button Protects If the Threat Comes from Within
Businesses put up barriers like gates, buzz-in systems and steel doors to prevent criminals from entering their building. Businesses add security cameras and security systems to further deter criminals from stealing, loitering and attacking. However, what happens if the threat comes from within the business? From someone who is already inside the business, maybe a coworker or trusted delivery person? While current events show us that no one is safe from harm, no matter where you live and where you go in public (a concert, a bank, a school or a movie theater), a panic button can help those who are in a dire situation quickly!
A Panic Button Promotes Workplace Safety
When your company deals with the public, and customers come into your place of business for a service or a product, and you have a slew of ‘random strangers’ coming through your door like it is a revolving door, it is imperative that you protect your employees as well as your customers from potential danger. A panic button near the cash register, or strategically placed around the workplace, or even on your manager or person-in-charge will allow a call for help within seconds of an emergency. Often it is seconds, not minutes that can make the difference between life and death. Employees who feel save at work perform better.
Do you own a business on the Grand Strand, in the Myrtle Beach area? We would love to come talk to you about installing panic buttons in your place of business. From our own personal experience, we know how important this back up is.
How to Prevent Inventory Loss in Your Business
Theft Can Cripple Your Business!
Whether you own a restaurant, a retail store, an accountancy or any other business, if you have employees and customers, you can lose inventory. Not all loss can be accounted for. Not all loss can be prevented. However, theft on a larger scale is mostly preventable and that’s what this article is all about!
According to Loss Prevention Media one sure way to limit your losses is to remove the opportunity for malicious loss
Individuals typically consider four questions before embarking on an act of theft.
First, what is the risk of being caught?
Second, how easy will it be to carry out the act?
Third, is the likely reward worthwhile?
Four, if I do get caught, what is the likely punishment?
Once we have a better understanding of how and why theft takes place, we can go about putting systems in place to prevent theft from happening.
How To Stop Thieves from Stealing From Your Business!
I would think you’d agree with me that preventing theft is better than catching a thief in the act.
Therefore the first tips deal with prevention:
- Install surveillance cameras. Make sure these cameras are located strategically throughout your place of business and trained upon places where theft is most likely to take place (cash register, back room, front door). Often, just seeing these cameras in your place of business will deter a thief.
- Install a security system. This system should be monitored during off hours as to keep the place of business secure while it’s closed.
- Put up signs. In prominent places around the workplace, display signs with security cameras and/or security monitoring. Again, if a potential thief sees these signs, they are more likely to skip your establishment and go somewhere else to steal.
- Train your employees. Sometime during the hiring process, talk about loss prevention and theft consequences. Make it clear there is a ‘no tolerance’ policy in place. In your newsletters and employees meetings, reiterate loss prevention techniques and tips and remind them of your surveillance cameras.
- Hire a loss prevention consultant. If you are losing inventory at an alarming rate, hire someone to find out where and how your inventory is disappearing. It’s not always obvious how and where thieves strike.
- Lock up! This might seem like an easy thing to do, but you’d be surprised how many business owners deal with (new) employees who forget to set the security alarm system at the end of the day or forget to lock up the business correctly after their shift.
The next tips deal with catching a thief in the act of stealing (in case your ‘warning signs’ didn’t work)
- Hire a loss prevention specialist. This person should be tasked with watching surveillance video in real time and thus should be able to catch thieves and employees in the act of shoplifting. If you have a large business, you might need to hire a team of loss prevention specialists.
- Electronically tag your products. Tag your (most expensive) products with electronic monitoring devices. Install gates at your exits to catch thieves.
- Train your employees. Every employee should recognize the signs of a shoplifter or thief and should know all steps involved in catching the thief in the act. This requires yearly training on your part – making sure everyone is on the same page and know how to handle any situation.
- Install panic buttons. In strategic places all throughout your place of business, install panic buttons for the safety of your employees and the security of your business.
Taking Action to Prevent Inventory Loss Will Save You Money!
Not all theft can be prevented.
Not all thieves can be caught.
However, having a clear plan in place on how to handle situations as they occur will help tremendously. Investing a bit of money into your business for a security system, surveillance cameras and loss prevention employees might in the end, save you money, and time and lots of headaches along the way.
