(Akiit.com) Any business owner will tell you that a business can’t survive without healthy finances. If they’re able to make profits, they’re on the road to success. It doesn’t take a whole lot to go wrong for things to change, though. Suddenly, they’re in the red, and it’s not always clear why that is. You might not think it, but in some circumstances, it’s as a result of business theft. People can steal from your business in all sorts of ways, and the consequences can be lethal to your bank account. If you’ve never taken the time to think about this, it’s time to do so.
Install CCTV Cameras
A great way to ensure that customers, visitors, and employees aren’t stealing from you is to install CCTV cameras. In all honesty, every business should be doing this in some form. It’s a very cost-effective way of making sure that you can keep your eye on everything you need to see. If a theft does take place, you’ll have the footage to fall back on. It also acts as a deterrent to potential thieves if they can clearly see the cameras in place. You don’t have to spend a lot to make this work.
Don’t Trust Your Finances To One Person
Trusting your financial obligations to one single person is never a good idea. That doesn’t mean that you can’t have a dedicated accountant, of course! But, do you know what’s happening with your money? Could you turn around tomorrow and explain exactly what your accounts look like? If that isn’t the case, you’re playing a risky game. What if your accountant has malicious intentions? You won’t even know about it! If you don’t have the time to deal with it, get one or two trusted colleagues to oversee the accounts, too.
Enlist The Help Of IT Support Services
Theft isn’t just a physical thing that happens right in front of your very eyes. Nowadays, it’s incredibly common for thefts to take place via the internet. You probably keep a massive amount of confidential data on various IT systems, right? That’s what internet thieves are going to be targeting, as well as your bank account details and identify theft opportunities. To ensure this doesn’t happen, you need to be protected. IT support services will do their best to make sure that nothing can get through.
Implement Procedures To Deal With Visitors
From time to time, you’ll probably get visitors coming to visit your premises. Some businesses aren’t well set up for this sort of thing. The receptionist will let them in the building, and they could go anywhere they wanted without being easily spotted. That’s dangerous, to say the least! Instead, you want to have a visitor policy in place to ensure that they don’t go wandering off on their own. Something like a twic card reader and a logging in/out book will help others to determine whether they’re allowed on site.
Insure Your Business
If you’ve got valuable items on your premises (and let’s be honest, who doesn’t?), you’ll want to insure them. Without proper business insurance, you’ll be in trouble if theft takes place. Suddenly, the theft of fifty business laptops could leave you in a dire financial state. The only way to get around this is to spend some money on insuring those valuable pieces of equipment. Obviously, you want to make sure you choose a provider that is reputable and cost-effective.
Do Regular Stock Checks
This is especially important for retail businesses, where large amounts of stock are constantly on display. It doesn’t take much for thefts to take place, and you won’t even know about it at the time. A busy retail store is going to force your time to be spent on the customers who want assistance. A thief could sneak through the door, grab a small item, and make their way out undetected. If you don’t stock check, it could be months before you notice something is missing. Regular checking means you’ve got a better chance of catching whoever did it.
Monitor Strange Employee Behaviors
If you’re concerned about employee theft in your business, you’ve got to walk a careful line. As a business owner, you don’t want to confront them if they’ve done nothing wrong. This will lead to disgruntled employees, and your reputation as a manager will be seriously damaged. Instead, you want to carefully monitor their behaviors. If you notice that they’re turning up late or waiting until everyone else leaves the building, you’ve got a reason to be suspicious. You can hold a private meeting to raise your concerns, but don’t mention theft unless you’re 100% sure it’s taking place.
Protect Confidential Data
In the wrong hands, confidential data can do all sorts of damage. Thieves can leak it to the rest of the world, putting your business in massive danger. It can allow people to get access to your accounts and drain them entirely in some circumstances! As we keep most of this data in digital format, don’t let it out of your hands. It’s better to keep it stored securely and password protected than placed on a USB stick that could easily fall out of your pocket. Make sure you’re shredding important documents once you’re finished with them, too.
Install Customer Scanners In Retail Store
You know those big scanners that you have to walk through before you leave a retail store? You want some of them. We’ve already talked about how difficult it can be to stay vigilant when your store is busy. It just isn’t possible sometimes! The best way to deal with this is to install scanners that can detect when something has been stolen. They’re not cheap, but they’re a necessary purchase in some cases.
Be Vigilant
All-in-all, you want to be as vigilant as possible. If you’ve got a gut feeling that something is wrong, you’re probably not going crazy! Keep a watchful eye on everything, and put measures in place to ensure that you’re protected from potential dangers. Avoiding business theft isn’t always possible, but there’s a lot you can do to try and avoid it. Follow the tips we’ve outlined for you today, and you’ll have the best chance of deterring business theft!
Staff Writer; Paul Jenkins