How much are you willing to spend to keep your business safe? Jo Barnes checks out one option... 

The price of a daily cup of coffee could be the difference between Gwent businesses protecting themselves from crime or being the victim of one.

That is the stark warning of one of the country’s leading security agencies, Monmouthshire-headquartered Select, whose security systems protect more than 1,600 nationwide businesses from crime.

Previously released figures by the Federation of Small Businesses calculated that the average cost of business crime to a company was £6,000. Crimes include burglary, robbery, shoplifting and vandalism, while alarmingly in 2015/16 there were 10,717 counts of theft by an employee recorded in England and Wales.

Select, which also has a satellite office in London, has developed a unique leasing package for its state-of-the-art HD, Wi-Fi CCTV technologies that crucially protect businesses from crime, while reducing their expenditure for security provision. 

Costing the same as a cup of coffee a day, the system is being used by 90 per cent of its customers and has helped generate significant savings with one client reducing their security running costs by £200k over five years.

Launched in 2010 by industry expert Leon Window, Select has quickly grown to become one of the country’s leading security agencies specialising in the commercial, industrial, agricultural, residential and public sectors.

Its customers include Cardiff Airport, Dyfed Powys Police, BBC Wales and Chepstow Racecourse with a new client using its services every day.

Mr Window said: “Crime costs regional businesses significant amounts of money – immediately through damage and loss of stock and in the longer term through increased insurance premiums. We know from our own research that not enough businesses in the Gwent area are adapting their security provision to maximise its effectiveness and ensure they are best protected. The ramifications of not doing so are significant and wide-reaching.

“Crucially, intruders are becoming more astute, which means security systems designed five or ten-years-ago do not offer the same protection as those developed more recently, putting businesses at risk. 

“Our technologies use special software so that the CCTV units are so advanced they are able to distinguish between the motion of an animal and that of an intruder. Uniquely we are able to convert a company’s existing security cabling and infrastructures to run HD and wireless connections thus reducing costs further. 

“Our leasing options are approved by the Financial Contract Authority, while we have developed a series of apps that allow us to quickly assess a business’ risk score and visually demonstrate how it can be improved.

“All of this is part of our efforts to better protect businesses and help reduce their costs. In doing so we are ensuring they are protected from crime and supporting their bottom line, which is important to any business.”

To help Gwent businesses learn if they are at an increased risk or crime, Select is offering a free security survey. To book or form more information visit sservices.co.uk.