Poor habits that become routine operations can be a huge mistake for small businesses. As a small business, you can’t afford to halt operations to deal with equipment theft or property damage. There are many ways to maintain good business security habits and one of them is to ensure that you have a solid closing practice in place.
Turn on Storefront Overnight and Exterior Lights
Visibility is the primary deterrent to most potential theft. This includes large signage or posters that can be taken down off large windows as you work through the closeout process. Being seen by multiple angles from the street with high visibility will make an impact in a criminals decision to target your business.
This also includes exterior lighting. Ensure you have lighting that covers the entire property, both front and back entrances specifically. As you lock up each evening, ensure that you don’t have burnt out bulbs as well. Keep a stock of spare bulbs near areas that require them so that lighting that isn’t functional can be quickly replaced without a hassle. That will ensure employees can easily solve that problem if they are closing.
Make Sure Everyone Has Left
Do a sweep of all side rooms, stock rooms, changing rooms, storage areas and places that someone could hide while you lock up. Having someone inside the business when you have left negates many precautions you take to ensure the business is secure. They can turn off lights and unlock doors instantly and be away with valuables in minutes, or in a worst case scenario steal a large amount in a coordinated effort.
Turn Off Equipment
Security also means safety. Checking employee areas for items like space heaters, decorative lights, cooking appliances like coffee makers and any other electrical equipment than can cause a fire can save your small business in the event of a malfunction that leads to a devastating fire.
It is probably a good idea also to property store flammables or combustibles away securely.
Lock Away Cash & Valuables
It should go without saying that you should have a safe to store valuables and cash register overnight or throughout the weekend, but there are continually instances where a burglar is able to get quick access to a cash register and get away within seconds with a large amount of cash. Don’t let this very simple fix cause your business thousands.
Ensure You Have a Good Security System
The right security solution is a lot like the right kind of insurance. Take the time to properly set up a system that works for your business needs at the start so that you know you are protected. This includes the right access security, ability to monitor your business, the correct monitoring services and even making sure you have additions like fire protection. The cost of these systems can be surprisingly affordable and are far less expensive than an incident that occurs because they were not in place.
