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Business security
How to Protect Small Businesses by J
Dubo
When you run your own business, there is never
enough time and always too much to do. Being
meticulous and taking care of daily business
is often all you get time to do. The “To Do
Today” list keeps getting longer. So how are
you supposed to think about protecting yourself
against possible business problems?
It could be that while you are working so hard
to develop and grow your business, you haven’t
noticed that your business is already under
attack. Here are some tips for protecting your
business.
Firstly, realize that business is business.
You have something which someone wants. You
have stock, business products, equipment, or
cash. This is the start of protecting your assets.
And this applies equally wherever your office
is located. Even if you have a home office,
make sure you have a door which locks. Monitor
who is allowed in, and when. Be aware of who
has been in there and always keep cash or valuables
under lock and key.
There is no denying this is annoying, but would
you rather take the time to lock that drawer,
or lose the cash? A friend employed a maid,
who was recommended by another friend. The girl
was apparently from a good family, hard worker,
etc. After two weeks of arriving late, doing
a sloppy job, my friend noticed three thousand
euros in cash was missing from her (unlocked)
home office desk drawer. Not a pleasant feeling.
And of course, impossible to prove.
It is easy to be too trusting. And if you are
responsible for taking on part time or full
time help, you will want to trust them. You
will have a hard time accepting the fact that
a trusted employee is stealing money, time,
equipment or products. It has been estimated
that in the USA one third of all employees steal
from their employers. The prevalence in underdeveloped
areas and countries is probably much higher.
Think about installing a simple closed circuit
television system when you are not there. If
you make it public to your employees, it will
act as a deterrent. It is a way to still have
your eyes and ears open, even when you are not
there. The prices of this kind of surveillance
equipment are coming down all the time.
You have probably invested a substantial amount
of cash in business equipment. Take the time
to make sure that it is all marked with a security
marker pen. Pay particular attention to small
removable items, like laptop computers, calculators,
fax machines.
Be aware that locks only slow down a thief.
They don’t keep them out. Quality locks with
substantial deadbolts will help. Pay attention
to adequate lighting. Remember that thieves
don’t like light, noise, dogs or anything which
draws attention to the area in which they are
trying to operate.
Take great care with your business keys. Have
a key register and keep a record of who has
what keys, the dates they were given out, and
by whom. Before you use your key register, ensure
that you have noted how many of each key there
is. Don’t label them with addresses or specific
information as to where they unlock. Instead,
use a code only you know. Such as, O1, O2 –
meaning office keys number one and two. Then
if they are lost, and found by someone unscrupulous,
the key will not lead them to your door.
New businesses tend to be more trusting of accepting
checks because they are trying to build the
business and want to attract customers. Crooks
realize this. They thrive in these situations.
Establish a firm procedure with which you are
comfortable and believe is equable, then no
matter what, stick with it. One exception to
the rule may cost you dearly.
So no matter how busy you are, take some time
to implement just some of these protection ideas.
In the long run, you know it makes sense.
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Article Source: ArticleRich.com
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