It's both an exciting and worrying time for business owners across the UK right now. For those in the retailer and hospitality sector, June will see the start of preparations to reopen your store, pub or restaurant. It's important for your staff, customers and your reputation to do this right first time, adhering to the strict social distancing measures that need to be put in place, to keep everyone as safe as possible.

This means planning needs to start now to avoid costly mistakes. If you haven't already considered a security presence at your business, thinking that security guards are simply for patrolling at night in industrial estates, you couldn't be more wrong. Just as your business has had to adapt to the changing environment, so have we, and there are several ways a trained and specialised security presence could benefit your business.

1. Social distancing and security

Our security officers are highly trained in social distancing measures, and understand the increased risks that lockdown may have caused your business. We can assist with door supervisors to monitor the number of people allowed in your store or restaurant, and we can have security officers inside the building to keep your staff and customers safe. This might include guiding people in a one-way system and managing challenging individuals who may not want to comply.

2. Crowd Control

It might be that you have queues outside your business premises now, with strict 2 meter apart guidelines. For popular local businesses, this may see an increase in crowds at peak times, and these will need to be managed. It might be that groups of friends congregate, failing to understand the guidance that no more than 6 people should meet at one time, and this is another circumstance in which our security officers can assist. With schools only partially opened, and the summer holidays only around the corner, youths are expected to congregate and could potentially cause trouble if you don't have the right security measures in place ahead of time. As has always been the case, unformed security officers act as an incredible deterrent to unfavourable behaviour, and we expect this to be able to support social distance measures too.

3. Traffic control

Many popular restaurants are implementing drive-thru services, and at peak times this could mean large queues of traffic -- especially at fast-food chains. Maintaining good traffic flow, assisting with any parking or one-way systems and being highly trained to deescalate any kind of potentially heated scenario, our security officers are an invaluable addition in these difficult times.

For more information on how we can work with you to provide a quality security service at your business during these unusual times, please don't hesitate to get in touch a member of our team.

Alternatively, if you're looking to further your career within the security industry, please check the careers section on our website or email us an up to date copy of your C.V. We never subcontract our staff, we invest in their training and we work hard to support our staff. We look forward to meeting you.

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