Buyer Checklist
Small business camera buyer checklist.
Use this checklist if you want a simpler way to compare priorities, hardware, and trade-offs before opening product links or committing to a full setup.
Before you buy
Confirm the highest-priority zones: entry, checkout, stock room, rear door, lot, or loading dock.
Decide whether you want local recording, cloud access, or a hybrid path before comparing brands.
Set a real retention target so storage size does not get guessed too low.
Hardware checklist
Camera kit or recorder plus separate cameras.
Hard drives, PoE switch, or cloud plan cost assumptions.
Mounts, cables, junction boxes, and surge protection.
Decision checks
Leave spare channels if expansion within 12 months is likely.
Do not let a low sticker price hide monthly cloud storage fees.
Use a 30-day retention goal for theft review or HR documentation unless you already know you can go shorter.
Ready for a personalized setup?
The checklist helps you avoid obvious misses, but the planner is still the fastest path to the right architecture, channel size, and starter shopping list.