Small Business CCTV Setup: Complete Guide to Protecting Your Business in 2026
Complete guide to small business CCTV setup in 2025. Learn costs, camera types, storage solutions & compliance requirements. Make informed security decisions.
system for your small business—from determining coverage requirements and selecting appropriate cameras to understanding legal compliance and ongoing maintenance. Whether you're protecting a retail store, warehouse, office, or multi-location operation, you'll discover the exact steps to implement security infrastructure that safeguards your assets, employees, and peace of mind.
(4-16 cameras depending on business size and layout)
(NVR) or Digital Video Recorder (DVR) for footage storage
(minimum 2TB, recommended 4-8TB for 30-day retention)
(PoE switch for IP cameras or individual power adapters)
(Cat6 cabling for wired systems or reliable WiFi for wireless)
(brackets, junction boxes, and weatherproof housings for outdoor cameras)
), cloud storage subscriptions, mobile viewing apps, and advanced analytics software.
- This is where 73% of break-ins happen
- Registers, safes, anywhere money changes hands
- High-value stock, especially stuff that's easy to resell
- Those corners where employees think nobody's watching
are those long cylindrical ones you see pointed at parking lots. They're highly visible, which is actually the point. They're weatherproof, handle outdoor conditions well, and typically have good night vision range.
are the half-sphere ones you see in shopping centers. They're way more discreet, and here's the clever bit—it's really hard to tell exactly where they're pointing. They come in vandal-resistant housings, which matters if they're within reach of people.
(Pan-Tilt-Zoom) are the fancy ones that can move and zoom. For covering large open areas like warehouse floors or parking lots, one PTZ can sometimes replace three or four fixed cameras. The catch? They can only look at one spot at a time.
use coax cables and connect to a DVR. They're older technology, but the image quality maxes out around 1080p and they're harder to expand later.
cables) and connect to an NVR. Better image quality (up to 4K), easier to add more cameras later, and you can access them remotely more easily. This is what I recommend for pretty much every new installation now.
All entry/exit points, cash registers, main inventory areas
Customer areas, employee spaces, parking lots
Perimeter coverage, secondary storage, additional overview angles
5-8 feet mounting height, 15-30 degree downward angle.
8-12 feet for wider coverage.
policies in employee handbooks, mentioning it during hiring, and having visible signage.
.
(NVR) or Digital Video Recorder (DVR) for footage storage
(minimum 2TB, recommended 4-8TB for 30-day retention)
(PoE switch for IP cameras or individual power adapters)
(Cat6 cabling for wired systems or reliable WiFi for wireless)
(brackets, junction boxes, and weatherproof housings for outdoor cameras)
- This is where 73% of break-ins happen
- Registers, safes, anywhere money changes hands
- High-value stock, especially stuff that's easy to resell
- Those corners where employees think nobody's watching
are those long cylindrical ones you see pointed at parking lots. They're highly visible, which is actually the point. They're weatherproof, handle outdoor conditions well, and typically have good night vision range. are the half-sphere ones you see in shopping centers. They're way more discreet, and here's the clever bit—it's really hard to tell exactly where they're pointing. They come in vandal-resistant housings, which matters if they're within reach of people. (Pan-Tilt-Zoom) are the fancy ones that can move and zoom. For covering large open areas like warehouse floors or parking lots, one PTZ can sometimes replace three or four fixed cameras. The catch? They can only look at one spot at a time. use coax cables and connect to a DVR. They're older technology, but the image quality maxes out around 1080p and they're harder to expand later. cables) and connect to an NVR. Better image quality (up to 4K), easier to add more cameras later, and you can access them remotely more easily. This is what I recommend for pretty much every new installation now. All entry/exit points, cash registers, main inventory areas Customer areas, employee spaces, parking lots Perimeter coverage, secondary storage, additional overview angles 8-12 feet for wider coverage. . 5-8 feet mounting height, 15-30 degree downward angle.
policies in employee handbooks, mentioning it during hiring, and having visible signage.
Map this to your own property.
A free SCKA assessment turns this advice into a tailored plan for your Brisbane or Gold Coast property. Start remotely by sending us photos.
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