Guide to Starting An Alarm Systems Business for Office Buildings

Alarm Systems are an integral part of an office building. A business that offers alarm systems to such businesses is bound to get more clients by the day.

Records indicate there’s a 3.3% annual growth for alarm systems businesses that cater specifically to the needs of office buildings.

And this means you can bring your business one step closer to scaling.

Quick Read: Find out how the best marketing techniques can turn your alarm systems business into an OMNIPRESENT Business in your region.

Most office buildings require some form of access control, and this is where your business comes into play.

You will need to inspect the building and find out what are some of the alarm systems tools the office requires.

There are slightly over 50,000 alarm systems businesses in the United States alone. And this number is not close enough to warrant much competition.

Any investor thinking of having or already has an alarm systems business that suits office buildings is on the right track.

How do you convert clients to your business model? There are plenty of ways to convert clients, and accurate advertising and marketing should do the trick.

It would be best if you kept in mind that word of mouth impacts how clients in your local area view your business.

For those new to the alarm systems spectrum, our guide will help you know how best to serve clients in this ever-changing business environment.

With smart locks ever becoming popular, this guide helps you know how to turn your client’s needs into a win for your business.

Alarm systems for Office Buildings

There are plenty of alarms in the market. And this can be overwhelming to decide which one best suits an office building.

Most alarm systems businesses often fail in this aspect, not knowing which alarm system works best for the office.

Our alarm systems for office building guide gives you a proper jumpstart on how you can properly assign alarm systems to office buildings.

We have developed the most essential types of alarms for office buildings that are useful in modern-day office buildings.

Before we begin, you should note the 3 main types of alarms

• Burglary Alarm
• Fire Alarms
• Intrusion Alarms

There are other different types of alarm systems for office buildings available.

These include carbon monoxide and smoke detectors, video surveillance, environmental sensors, and monitored home security systems.

1. Burglar Alarms for office buildings

Burglar alarm systems for office buildings protect offices from theft and vandalism. These alarms are connected to doors and windows.

The alarm goes off if anyone tries to break in, and the right authorities are notified.

An efficient office burglar system will have the following features

• Alarm screens

It’s normal to keep office windows open while keeping the office safe. The alarm goes wild if an intruder attempts to cut through the screen.

Depending on the notified party, they will respond within the specified time limit and protect against any break-ins.

• Door and window protection

Once the door or window opens beyond your control, the authorities get notified and respond accordingly

• Property motion detection

Once these office alarm systems get armed, they sense when someone is walking through a specified area.

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These alarms will help monitor the office building in case of intrusions or if it’s just a friendly pet walking around it.

Advantages of office alarm systems

There are several advantages office buildings get from installing these systems. And these should be your sale factor when converting clients.

(i). Helps lower insurance premium

Installing alarm systems greatly increases the value of the office building. And this will also decrease your office insurance premium as you already installed security systems.

With a handful of security-led incidences, your efficient alarm systems for offices mean spending less money and lowering annual insurance premium rates for office buildings.

(ii). Prevent Burglary

Studies show that most burglars will avoid office buildings with alarm systems. You can further integrate these alarm systems on your phone and have a bird’s eye view of the office.

Owners of these buildings and offices inhabited will want a secure office building. And the guards stationed at the door will be an added incentive for the offices.

(iii). Providing peace of mind for those working on these buildings

An alarm system for office buildings gives those working peace of mind thanks to heightened security.

Everyone working under the office building will be comfortable knowing the building has taken extra steps to prevent any burglar incidences.

2. Fire Alarm Systems for Office buildings

These alarm systems detect fire and smoke and prevent those inside these buildings from potential harm.

The fire that could have damaged the office building property gets managed faster thanks to fire and smoke sensors.

Advantages of having Fire alarm systems for office buildings

• Notify office buildings when batteries need changing

After every six months, make sure to check the office building fire and smoke alarm batteries. You can replace the alarm systems after a decade.

If the fire and smoke alarm systems start beeping, you should move quickly to replace these batteries.

Your aim is to keep the office building ready for any eventualities. And keeping the alarm systems working is the first order of business.

• Prevent fire from sparking in the office building

Once the fire and smoke alarms detect carbon monoxide, everyone gets an alert thanks to the loud siren.

It helps manage and prevent any fire outbreaks in the office. And this alerts everyone of the danger and helps prevent loss of life and property.

• Protect any office in the building

One of the offices may catch fire, and it’s paramount that the alarm systems know where to start a fire management plan.

That includes sprinkling water in the affected area without sprinkling water in all office buildings.

A smart alarm system for office buildings will know when to manage fires and in the right office space.

• Protecting the offices at a low cost

Considering the peace of mind these alarm systems give officeholders, and the value can’t be clarified.

NB: These are the features you will get from a targeted hyper-local ads campaigns that involves media houses in your area.

These systems are incredibly affordable to install and often come with added incentives and devices such as live surveillance.

• Protect the offices when no one is there

You want the office to remain safe during the weekends or public holidays. These alarms guarantee safety and are on high alert.

The right authorities closely monitor the alarm systems and can patrol the offices from time to time.

3. Intrusion Alarms

Thanks to smart technology, you can now get alarm systems that help prevent intrusion. These include alarm systems such as smart access keys and virtual guards.

Examples of intrusion alarms are surveillance systems that detect and monitor movement in office buildings.

You get services such as motion sensors and video recording services. Installing CCTVs for office buildings should be paramount for an effective security setting.

Advantages of Intrusion alarms for office buildings

• Monitor what happens around the office buildings

By strategically placing security cameras around the office building, you can closely monitor activities 24/7.

• Preventing crime and theft in the office building

These surveillance tools help prevent theft and other forms of vandalism. Security guards are alerted of possible or ongoing theft and swiftly avert it.

• Providing evidence of an intruder

In case of crime or theft in the office building, you can provide evidence of the event to the concerned authorities.

CCTVs can take audio and video recordings of an incident to help catch perpetrators. The evidence found can help convict burglars and recover stolen property.

The above three classes of burglar systems show that your alarm systems for office building businesses have various tools to offer.

You can’t go wrong with CCTV tools and alarm systems. Depending on the office building, you need to survey the area and determine which alarm systems tools suit the building best.

Here are other options for alarm systems

1. Contact sensors

Contact sensors are the right tools for the job for office buildings looking for smart alarm systems.

These contact sensors can flicker lights when intruders enter the office. Contact sensors can also trigger smart door alarms, among other functions.

How do contact sensors work for office buildings?

Most of these sensors are door-related and communicate via a secure security system on doors or windows.

Office buildings can install these sensors even on desk drawers and office lockers. Depending on the need, there are also different types of sensor systems.

Examples of door sensors include overhead door contact sensors and roller ball door contact sensors.

Why is it important for office buildings to have door contact sensors as alarm systems?

(a). Activate and help trigger alarms

Traditionally, contact sensors were initially created to trigger alarms after detecting an intrusion.

(b). Generate real-time alerts

These sensors also help to generate real-time alerts sent to smartphones. The owner gets notified of the activity each time the office drawer gets opened or locked.

Depending on the type of information the office building needs, you can twerk the alerts and customize them to meet the needs.

(c). Offers protection for valuables

Thanks to the ease of installation of contact sensor tools, offices in the building can keep track of valuables.

2. Door Sensor alarms

Door and window sensor alarms are the same things, no need to separate them when pitching to a client.

The work of the door and window sensors is to trigger the alarm when such doors and windows open without authorization.

How do door and window sensors work?

These sensors are composed of two main parts, the magnet and the sensor part. The magnetic switch is placed at the door with the sensor installed on the door frame.

Other door sensors get triggered once the door or window glass gets broken. You must specify which door and sensor work for the office building.

Types of door sensors

• Door-Forced-Open Alarms systems

The alarm activates when the door is opened by force, and an activation alarm rings as the force activates the contact switch.

Such open-door forced behavior includes entering a door without a valid access card. The intruder usually uses physical force to bypass such doors.

• Door-Open-Alarms

The alarm goes off when this office door is kept open for a while. These doors are programmable and monitored when doors are opened by an unauthorized person.

These doors alert owners by emitting a chime. Loud sirens or flashlights.

The doors are made of two components, an input sensor and a magnetic stripe fixed on the door panel.

Once contact between the magnet and sensor gets interrupted, the alarm doors go off.

3. Fire Alarm Systems Overview for office buildings

There are several classifications of fire alarms that every office building should know. It gives them an idea of which fire alarm systems to go for.

(a). Automatic Fire Alarm Systems

These are fire alarms activated through devices such as heat and smoke sensors. Manual fire alarms are those stationed at call or pull stations.

Both fire alarm systems should include automatic and manual fire alarm calls.

(b). Conventional fire alarm systems

Unless inspected, conventional fire alarm systems fail to pinpoint the exact activation area. These include addressable fire alarm systems connected to a control panel.

The control panel should be identified easily as the source of danger or to help manage fires across the office building.

(c). One and two-stage fire systems

These fire systems warn everyone in the office building that a sensor is active. A two-stage fire alarm system alerts certain people authorized to take action on the fire.

A two-stage fire alarm system best suits businesses serving a large population, such as healthcare facilities.

It helps prevent panic and any form of inadequate response.

To identify the best alarm systems, you need to specify the needs of the office building. Think about how many detectors the building needs.

You must also offer fire alarm systems compatible with the current security system. Remember to prefer systems offering additional features, such as a hush button.

Familiarize yourself with fire codes in your jurisdiction before offering fire alarm systems to office buildings in your area.

4. Heat Alarm Systems for Office Buildings

Heat alarm systems are special safety devices that respond to rises in temperature and get activated in case of fire.

These alarm systems don’t detect smoke and are rather designed to save property than life. Heat alarm systems give office buildings that extra time to put off fires and evacuate users.

How do heat alarm systems work?

Depending on the construction of the manufacturer, heat alarm systems for office buildings can be electronic or mechanical.

Electronic heat sensors contain a thermistor that notes changes in temperature levels. LED indicators will blink to indicate an increase in temperature.

Fixed temperature heat alarm systems alert users of danger when a certain temperature level gets exceeded.

Experts consider fixed alarm systems to be less reliable, thanks to thermal lag. The alarm systems may detect temperatures that are actually lower than room temperature levels.

5. Infrared Sensors

These are specific types of motion sensors using infrared radiation to detect motion. These sensors are reliable in intrusion detection.

Smart infrared office building sensors can distinguish between a pet and a real person. And that’s what you need to sell to clients.

How do infrared sensors work?

These alarm systems work with radar to emit and receive infrared radiation. Once the radiation hits the object, the sensor receives the information and discerns the party.

The sensor detects movement in an office building environment and how far the object is from the sensor.

Why office buildings need infrared access control tools

There’s a need for infrared sensors for commercial use. These include night vision properties and tracking nanoparticles.

If you own a tracking company, you must also use infrared sensors to track products in the office building setup accurately.

6. Types of intrusion alarms

There are several different types of intrusion alarm systems. These include cameras, sensors, smart locks, etc.

Office buildings can have two types of intrusion alarm systems: Do-it-yourself and security systems from professionals.

Various types of intrusion detection alarm systems for office buildings

Let’s take a closer look at the various types of intrusion alarm systems

• Arming

Arming any alarm is crucial to ensuring the office building is kept safe 24/7. During working hours, you may not need to arm your system.

You must arm your system during the evening or in a high-traffic office or business environment.

It helps to restrict entities that may try and take advantage.

• Auto-dialing security systems

An office building can have an auto-dial system connecting a preset number in an emergency.

A pre-recorded message may be sent once the alarm gets triggered in the office building. These tools are best used for motion detection to help notify authorities without alerting the intruder.

• Dummy intrusion alarm systems for office buildings

These are probably the cheapest office building intrusion tools you can offer to clients on a low budget.

The tools act as a decoy and may misguide a burglar from attempting to intrude on your property.

• Hardwired vs. wireless intrusion systems

Hardwired office building intrusion alarm systems provide a higher security level than their wireless counterparts.

The latest wireless intrusion systems are also reliable and have many advantages over their hardwired partners.

It would be best to take additional factors for the office building to determine which intrusion system suits you best.

• Monitored and Unmonitored access control tools

These alarm systems can have both hardwired and wireless systems. Unmonitored systems usually offer siren or noisy intrusion alerts.

Unmonitored alarm systems are best suited for remote properties and real estate in rural areas.

On the other hand, these systems are well connected to third parties, with triggers sending alerts to monitoring agents.

You can also connect these alarm systems to your smartphone, get alerts, and access control capabilities from anywhere.

Points to consider when choosing intrusion tools

You need to offer intrusion alarms for office buildings that have features that secure the office building and properties.

These include a hidden control panel with an uninterrupted power source connected to all devices.

You must also offer secure keypad arming and disarming tools for office buildings housing several offices or one large establishment.

Mounting sirens outside the office building is also important, and please include heat and smoke sensors.

7. Glass Door Sensors

These sensors detect the vibration of the glass surface on doors or windows. The device triggers an alarm once the glass gets shattered.

And in an office building setup, you definitely need to offer these sensors to the client.

How does a glass breaker sensor work?

It provides an additional layer of security for offices in the building. Today’s technology allows glass door sensors to come in hardwired and wireless forms.

We find hardwired sensors a bit more reliable and don’t require maintenance, unlike the wireless glass door sensors.

You must inform clients of the two advantages and determine which is best for the office building.

Glass break doors vs. Motion sensors

These two pieces of hardware enhance security in the office environment. Both can be used together to offer the best quality alarm systems service.

The difference between the two is huge, with motion sensors working with infrared, microwave, and ultrasonic features.

Glassdoor sensors, as we indicated above, work with acoustic waves. With glass door sensors, you arm them all the time, unlike motion sensors.

Security experts recommend getting motion sensors first before glass door sensors. It would be best to secure the office building before fully securing the offices.

8. Water alarm systems for office buildings

Water detectors are electronic devices that set off an alarm once they detect the presence of water in an office environment.

These detectors help offices find any water leaks that may damage the structural integrity of the office building.

With floods causing havoc, your water alarm sensors can notify you of the activity, helping you make radical steps to protect office property.

Why should an office building have water alarm systems?

Having water alarm systems helps office buildings avoid extensive damage that would otherwise turn into floodwater.

Property damage in an office building can be in the millions, and it’s best to avoid such scenarios from happening.

If the situation is not grave, you can move quickly to drain the water and dry the walls.

Modern office building water alarm systems have signal alerts that warn owners of possible water leaks.

An alarm is immediately set off and immediately moves to shut off the main supply point. Alerts are sent to valves to help minimize leaks.

How to start an alarm systems business for rendering services to Office Buildings

With office buildings ever wanting to secure people and property, starting targeting office buildings is a winning formula.

Here are the 6 steps on how to start an alarm systems business for office buildings

• Research the market

When you’re an alarm systems provider, office buildings become your lifeblood. You need to know how and what alarm systems to give them.

As a beginner, you must know what other such businesses or your competitors offer.

With commercial and residential construction skyrocketing, someone has to offer access control services to these buildings.

Get a target market search, discover the challenges you will likely encounter, and predict where the market will be in the next ten years.

• Get a business license

Ensure you have all the licenses and permits required by federal, local, and state governments. You also need to adhere to the fire protocols set.

Have a proper accounting feature that helps track expenses and incomes for your business. You also must vet employees.

Some states require that alarm systems businesses conduct a criminal check to ensure the employees don’t have a record.

Check your state for local business licensing requirements and ensure you meet all the protocols. Get to know the provisions required to offer such businesses.

Decide on the business entity you want to establish or plan to establish. Is it a limited liability or sole proprietorship?

• Decide on the services to provide to office buildings

It’s no secret that offering alarm systems services to office buildings has never been better. There’s a growing need for security in office buildings.

You don’t need to spend much on business tools or take every job that comes your way. You must decide the niche to target for office buildings and create a rapport for it.

Office buildings are commercial, and you may decide to offer access control services to financial institutions only.

You can also offer alarm systems for office buildings hosting public institutions such as libraries.

• Invest in vehicles and equipment

There’s nothing worse than when a client wants a certain tool, and you don’t have it. It shows a lack of planning for the job or failure to have the right tools.

Get a reliable company vehicle with your brand logo that helps your business stand out and look professional.

Having a vehicle allows you to travel to jobs around your local area and helps establish brand credibility.

• Get your business insured

Once you have your business for office buildings operational and running, remember to insure it.

Threats are real and can come at any moment, and it’s best to protect your business, including lawsuits that may ruin your reputation.

Most startups often overlook business insurance and can sometimes prove a costly mistake that one could avoid.

General liability insurance is critical for every business, especially those dealing with crime. And thus, your alarm systems business for office buildings fits the profile.

• Market your business

Promoting your business ensures clients know about it and will return once they find your services are of quality.

Getting early customers may become a problem for startups, so we recommend a formidable hyper-local ads campaign.

Get your business known out there by hiring professionals who also market security firms just like yours.

These professional marketers know the demographic to target and the right channels to use to market your business.

Problems faced while running an alarm systems business for office buildings

Every business faces challenges, especially when starting up or attempting to scale up. You could also face the challenges of retaining customers from competitors.

Having a solid plan and effectively following these plans is what will make your business weather the storm.

You have to face customer retention problems at some point. And this means having to devise ways to keep clients, such as offering gifts and discounts.

We strongly believe that a scheduled marketing campaign once every six months is ideal to help keep clients related to your business.

Let those who haven’t used your business service know you exist. Once they get to need the services, your business will be the first call they make.

FAQs on Alarm Systems Businesses in Office Building

1. Are Alarm systems businesses for office buildings profitable?

Having an alarm systems business can help you net over $4,000 daily by just maintenance services alone.

New technologies also push for higher profit margins, with up-and-coming office buildings requiring the best in safety measures.

2. What tools are needed to start a business for office buildings?

You need to find the right alarm and monitoring systems mentioned above. These include alarms, CCTVs, Motion detectors, etc.

3. Where can I make the most money with office building services?

Office buildings are one of the most promising businesses. It all depends on the state and the number of tools used to monitor the office building.

4. Any words of wisdom to share?

Have an accurate plan of action and regularly market your alarm systems business.

Conclusion on Alarm systems business for office buildings

Despite facing challenges, this is one of the best businesses to consider and fully concentrate on. If you haven’t done the research and found out the results yourself.

Do you need help in the alarm and monitoring systems world and don’t know where to start or how to market your business?

Let us know today.