For many business owners, burglary is a very real fear. Maybe you’ve been the victim of a burglary in the past, or maybe you fear one happening in the future. At any rate, a burglary can be devastating to your business. Yes, your business insurance might help you, but the effects might not only be financial – a break-in robs you and your employees of your peace of mind. Fortunately, there are a few things you can do to lower the chances of a burglary happening at your place of business.
1. Let there be light.
Having plenty of lighting outside your premises serves as a major deterrent for potential burglars, who prefer to skulk around in the dark. So shine some spotlight on your entryways and exterior of your building. The idea is to eliminate burglar-friendly shadows.
2. Bolster the locks.
All locks need to be good at their jobs, as do the doors. Might as well not make the burglar’s job any easier by having easy-to-break locks. Make sure your windows are locked tight, and don’t forget to check those doors when you close for the night. Also, have deadbolts on your exterior doors.
3. Maintain your trees and bushes.
Keeping the building and your premises well-manicured and cared for is important. Make sure to keep your trees and shrubs trimmed away from the windows so as to eliminate potential hiding spots.
4. Consider security cameras.
Security cameras inside and outside the building are a major deterrent for burglars. Burglars prefer not to be caught in the spotlight. Plus, if you have camera footage you’ll be able to help the police if you do have a burglary.
5. Have an alarm system installed.
Do some research and consider having a commercial security system installed. Having a monitored alarm system will make burglars think twice before targeting your building. Make sure it’s properly maintained. Foil the burglar’s plans by showing that they won’t escape undetected.
6. Make sure your safes do their job.
Your employees should be in the habit of depositing cash into the safe frequently throughout the day. Ideally, the safe would be bolted to the ground.
7. Complicate burglary.
Have glass that’s shatterproof in the windows so people can’t just smash the glass and let themselves in.
8. Have interior emergency lights at night.
Having a little bit of light in the building itself after close helps deter burglars – it makes it easier for passersby to see movement and increases the chances of the burglar being caught.
9. Protect the outside of the building.
To protect the perimeter of the business, you can consider installing a sturdy fence. That can help keep your business safe. Make sure that you’ve taken steps to protect all possible entry points for burglars.
10. Keep track of who has keys.
When you issue keys to those who need them. Have records of who has keys, and make sure to collect keys of employees who will no longer be with your business. You can even consider changing the locks every so often.
11. Have a “more the merrier” philosophy.
Make sure that you have enough staff to mind the premises properly – it will keep both your business and your employees safer. Also, make sure that the closing people do a sweep of the building so that no one hides inside after close.
12. Change up your banking routine.
Make sure that your money-related tasks and routines, like making bank deposits, have varied schedules. You don’t want to be predictable. Would-be burglars pay attention to these things.
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Burglary is a very real threat for business owners. It’s important to keep your premises safe and sound and to tighten up your security, even if you feel like your business is in a safe place and that burglary would never happen to you. You can even consider including burglary when you do disaster planning for your business. Don’t invite the burglars to come in and help themselves to your merchandise and business equipment.
Are you looking for business insurance quotes? Great – we would love to help you out with that! We can help you identify the risks that your business faces, and from there we’ll work with you to create a customized insurance plan just for your business. All you have to do to get started with your free business insurance quotes is fill out our quote form or give us a call today.
Source:
https://www.troopers.ny.gov/Crime_Prevention/Business_Safety/Guide_To_Business_Security/