Business security is a new concept for Ukrainian entrepreneurs and even somewhat textbook, which is also considered the prerogative of corporations and giant enterprises. But at the same time, it is small and medium-sized businesses concentrated in the regions of our country that are exposed to a number of risks and threats. High vulnerability due to the lack of its own security service, compliance, low awareness of modern threats, as well as the actual lack of GR and PR directions, anti-crisis policies and business continuity systems make it impossible to quickly and painlessly recover from transferred attacks from, say, competitors. However, GDP growth in the share of small and medium-sized businesses continues to grow, speaking about the ability of businessmen to hold a blow.
Serhii Danylyuk, director of the security firm “Dobra Sprava”, Kryvyi Rih, told about what the real model of security for small and medium-sized businesses looks like today.
Business security in the regions is mainly provided by security companies like us. They can be called completely differently: agencies or security centers. I think this is done to evoke some serious and large-scale associations for the client: the kind that people imagine when they hear the words “nuclear energy agency” or “air traffic control center”. And so, their documents and capabilities are the same as ours, which are regulated by the licensing of security activities.
Everything is calm in the security market. Niches are divided. It happens, of course, that we take new objects, but this is a rarity for our region. In most cases, word of mouth works for existing facilities, where there has been a recent change of owners or the existing security has stopped working. As a rule, one-off orders come in from the outside – someone has a conflict with someone and needs to be guarded “on the face of it”. The increase in the minimum wage has had a big impact on price growth. Yes, over the past 2-3 years, the price of security services has risen sharply.
Our oldest client has worked with us for 16 years. We are parting with him very badly, unfortunately… Right now, court proceedings are ongoing regarding his bankruptcy and payment of debts. We have already won two courts. Funds are currently being collected by the relevant services. The reason for our winning position is simple – competent conclusion of contracts, availability of documentation compiled individually for this object (guardian’s instructions, routes, log of transfer of goods and material values). Although six months ago, I myself suggested to this client to terminate the contract and hire security guards instead of security guards. Because I saw that things are getting worse and worse and security for them is already expensive. And so our contracts are mostly long: from 6 to 13 years…
Purely for personal protection, we do not have any long-term contracts. As a rule, these are short-term contracts. For example, you come to me and say: I had a quarrel with someone there and I need personal protection. By the way, we guarded the Palestinian businessman, whose life at Boryspil airport in 2011 was covered by many Ukrainian mass media, during court proceedings with business partners and relatives. A whole plan of his escort, movement routes and security measures during court hearings was developed. Former business partners were so angry that they threw bricks right at the entrance to the courthouse in the presence of police officers.
And in general, we have a pure “lychka” – this is such a rare case… This direction is more developed in Kyiv, in the same Dnipro… There, this service is in demand because there is public activity: concerts, politics, business meetings, social events… Kryvyi Riga is another city. We have security for houses, families, private property and industrial facilities. Of course, our bodyguards can act as an escort driver if needed. But this is discussed individually with the client.
For the most part, a regional security firm protects objects in the region where it is located. But there are exceptions. For example, “Good Deed” has been protecting residential complexes in Kyiv for more than 10 years. We ensure access control and facility security. Kyiv security is similar to ours in terms of the quality of work, but is much more expensive. In Kyiv companies, the management is from Kyiv – requests are appropriate. And this is their misfortune. And we have discipline, plus the price is interesting for us, for the customer, and for the staff of the facility: with a shift salary a little more than in Kryvbas, we occupy a niche lower than Kyiv companies, but also higher than our Kryvyi Rih companies.
Security is many times more expensive than a concierge, but it is more effective and prestigious. What is a concierge? This is, as a rule, a grandmother who sits and asks: where are you going and to whom? A concierge is not an obstacle for professional robbers. After all, how do robberies happen? The standard legend is the delivery of pizza, sushi, and anything else allegedly ordered by one of the residents. That is, an “empty” and stranger will not just pass by, and if there is a legend, then the concierge will let this person into the apartment.
If any situation arises, say in one of the front rooms, the concierge will not help the concierge. In general, the concierge does not make rounds, and after the start of the shift sits on the first floor without going up. Concierges each for himself – the building has several main ones, each with a concierge. Above them stands the head of the condominium, who has enough other problems, and therefore his hands do not even manage the work of the concierges. So the situation turns out that there are concierges, but there are no people responsible for the security of the object.
The situation with the guards is completely different: a young man in uniform sits at the post, a mother comes out with a cart – he will open the door, help, help carry the bags, you need to call the elevator – he will call. He helps. In all modern buildings, as a rule, there are underground parking lots, access control, which can be ensured only by security: a barrier, video surveillance, recording of arrivals and departures, etc. . In the event of an unauthorized intrusion into the facility, our guards are able to join forces and neutralize the threat point by point long before the arrival of the mobile team.
Security is order and responsibility. One senior inspector stands above the security guards – a responsible person who can be asked for miscalculations and violations, as well as positive motivation from the company for impeccable service.
Usually, the owners of the objects themselves look for security. It used to be that the security was looking for: inspectors, gasoline, business cards, commercial offers. Now some of the businessmen have a precedent, and they are starting to search and analyze who and what kind of security firm they will say. Then it works like this: I receive an order with an offer to take such an object. Then I do the math and answer. And if we agree on the price – we went, looked, analyzed, took.
I think that under the current economic situation in the country, sales departments can afford nothing more than DSO… And when private individuals in our field talk about entire sales, personnel, etc. departments. It really looks like this: one lawyer is already a legal department, an inspector acts as the head of the contract department as needed, an office manager is also a secretary, a personal assistant, and a leading document management specialist… Wow! Such a structure! These are all big names. I am not a fan of such arrogance.
I rarely turn down clients. I do not want to work with people in cases where, for example, they have an unscrupulous business reputation or the nature of their business conduct is contrary to the laws of Ukraine and human morality.
Most often, they come to order fasting physical therapy. According to the idea, “physics” should be one of the components of business security. But this statement is true if we talk about such industrial giants in our city as Metinvest, ArcelorMittal and the like. This is how it should be: at the head is the head of security, behind whom are the departments of economic, information, personnel security, physical protection, etc. When a facility has a complete security structure, then “physics” is relevant to security. It doesn’t work like that in our country and for the most part “physics” is just “physics”. And it has nothing to do with security in the modern sense. That is, we work without access to the client’s business problems.
At many facilities, there is no security service specialist at all, let alone departments and departments. In such cases, if there are threats and risks, I go myself, find out the details and resolve the situation, if necessary, I involve a relevant competent specialist. He did that many times. I do not take additional money for this. I simply ask not to abuse this function and emphasize that the client must establish his “security” to prevent such cases from occurring, including. And most simply save money on it. After all, it is easier to take some services once, for example, the same economic intelligence… And staff security must be constantly maintained, because these are expenses not only for wages…
Trying to lure security guards is an interesting story that usually never ends well for the client. Now I will explain why. Initially, the client has excessive requirements for any guard, and the guard does not always understand his role and mission at the facility. The security company, in turn, acts as an intermediary: it teaches the security guard to follow work instructions, and the client – to want the right thing. Without such an intermediary, healthy communication between the client and security is very soon lost and the client remains without protection at all. From personal experience, I can say that this trick works with those “experienced” security guards who have not been working for a long time in the “Good cause” and in the security field in general.
Our company has security guards who have been working for 10 years. They are the backbone of our company. Of course, 60 percent are temporary workers. But thanks to the fact that the personnel work at the company was set correctly from the beginning, the quality of service provision does not decrease due to some staff turnover and the threats are minimal.
Continuous training of personnel is the desire of any experienced client. The fact is that the Law on Security Activities does not say anything about the need to confirm the qualifications of a security guard who has received a discharge certificate. And if it is not written down, then it is logical that it is not mandatory. I recommend that clients periodically refresh the guards’ memory of skills and abilities, the daily practice of which is absent: medicine, shooting, handgun, emergency driving, canine basics… Training at the expense of the company under the normal economy of the object – why not? For several years in a row, teams were prepared for the championships of Ukraine and the world in all-around bodyguards. There is a separate story about this in the BFDR magazine, published in honor of the organization’s 10th anniversary.
The problem of protection is also that we do not have a law on weapons. This issue is especially relevant in the protection of private property – houses. The unarmed security guard is located on the client’s property, which very often contains his personal weapon. The apartment starts from the threshold, and the private house – from the gate. The client has the right to store a safe with weapons in the security room located in his yard; and the guard, in the event of a threat, has the right to defend himself and protect the people next to him with all available improvised means, including using weapons available to him. By the way, the use of weapons for the purpose of protection is relevant not only for protection, but also for all family members staying at the facility. We always take this factor into account and develop a strategy for using the owner’s weapons and protective special equipment not only for security, but for all family members. We are talking about instructions, access procedures and, of course, practice shooting.
From the press center
While this material was being prepared, new tests appeared for our city, country and the world as a whole – this is a pandemic. Today, many experts and workers in the media industry offer a wide range of possible scenarios for the development of the local and global business environment. But whatever the thoughts on this matter, we can say for sure that the new formats of relationships and values will lead to changes in the security services market and in the requests and needs of customers. In connection with the foregoing, we see no reason to distort or embellish the thoughts of current employees of the security business.
The Federation of Bodyguards of the Dnepropetrovsk region cannot predict what a deep scar this test will leave on the security business, the economy and the country as a whole. We know one thing – we should fight for quality and the market with conscientious and civilized methods. That is why our organization is open to dialogue with security workers, their clients, and those who are interested in the security market of the region and the country. Peace and health to all of us!