Common Sense Security Tips for Your Small Business
Small Businesses may not have big budgets for security but there are still some practical, low cost things you can do to improve your security.
It’s surprising that it just takes a little deterrent to make a thief go elsewhere. Make sure your business does not appear to be an easy target.
Here’s a list to get you started:
1. Leave cash registers EMPTY and OPEN after hours.
Make it obvious there is no cash for them to take.
2. Make sure all exterior doors have adequate locking mechanisms or install a secondary lock or deadbolt lock. A good lock is the proverbial ounce of prevention.
3. Leave an interior light on all night. Make it obvious to cruising officers that there is no one in your business who should not be there. Also, arrange shelves perpendicular to windows, to increase visibility.
4. Check exterior for possible access points to the roof. Buglers like roofs since they can gain access via skylights, etc. They are usually not visible from the ground.
5. Move valuable merchandise away from windows and doors to avoid smash and grab thefts. Rolling display carts are a handy way to entice customers by day but not thieves by night. They can be easily locked in a storage room after hours.
6. Install a safe or security cabinet for valuable documents and keys. Bolting the safe or cabinet to the floor will make thieves take extra time to move it, giving police extra time to catch them in the act.
7. Install an annunciator to entrances to alert you when a customer enters. This small precaution allows you to monitor who enters your business and alerts thieves that you are watching.
8. Don’t tag keys with your business name. Change locks if keys are lost are not turned in by a former employee. Access control systems eliminate the need for keys and employee names can be easily removed.
9. Don’t open the door until you are fully ready to do business. Don’t count receipts until you are ready to close for the day. Security systems often have an occupied mode that allows you to have the system set while you are in the building counting receipts or doing inventory.
10. NEVER resist a robber! A panic button can be very useful in these situations, even if you wait for the robber to leave before you press it.
Consider these common sense measure to make sure your business is as secure as possible.