If your business isn’t your baby, then it’s at least an expensive investment, and seeing it stolen from is not an option. Theft is always a concern for places of commerce, no matter how small and insignificant you may seem. Thieves may be looking to steal your merchandise, your equipment, your funds, or maybe just vandalize the premise for the fun of it – taking what they want, not what’s even useful.
But in the end, the details are irrelevant, because the result is the same. You are out of money, a tangible object, or are suffering from the damages. It’s time for you to take a stand or preemptively put your place on lockdown – without having to look like a prison and scare away customers.
How do you do this? Here are three easy ways:
1. Physical Security
- Locks on Windows, Doors, and Display Cases
Of course the best approach is the simplest, and you can prevent against theft by placing high powered locks on your valuables. By locking up the door and windows, entry will be more difficult, and by strengthening your display cases as well, should criminals get in, they won’t get far.
- Anti-Burglar Glass Treatment
Security businesses can apply anti-burglar glass treatment to your windows, designed to leave all the value and beauty of a window while actually strengthening the glass itself. This means that when a burglar sends a brick sailing towards your window, they’ll find it bouncing back and injuring them over the glass.
2. Digital Security
- Alarm System
No one can doubt the value of a good ol’ alarm system, and in the modern day, they come more and more advanced. By having a professional company come and suit up your business with a security system – either one you prefer or one they recommend – you’ll have a strong defense against thieves – in catching them, in documenting them, and in preventing them.
- Cameras
Cameras make a great addition to a standard security system or a line of defense on their own. By keeping a solid eye on the store, they can catch bad behavior by your customers, your employees, and especially those sticky fingers picking up a product they didn’t pay for here and there.
- Constant Lighting
Thieves don’t want to get caught, and this means they’re going to choose the path of least resistance – and least notice. By setting up a light system that keeps your business constantly illuminated – even dully inside, with a few lights on the outside – it will be more difficult for criminals to sneak around, breaking, stealing, or loitering without being noticed by someone passing by. This will encourage them to move on.
3. Psychological Security
Most wars are fought in the mission room, and most thief-prevention methods are purely psychological. Their need for cash, excitement, or just something to do can be hugely dissuaded if they think they’ll be caught. So the key is to show them you’re ready and waiting to catch them in the act.
- Visible Cameras and TV Monitor
There are several businesses that do not invest in real cameras at all. Instead, they install dummy cameras – just regular plastic, as if it was a child’s toy – to sit in the corner of the room and look at customers. This doesn’t prove effective against thieves that actually rob your business, but it can intimidate those who are scoping out your place for a hit, making them decide to go rob somewhere less risky. In addition to this, if you decide to have a real camera, you can wage some serious psychological war by having a TV monitor share the view of your cameras with the customers. Even if it’s one screen, it’s a very real and pressing reminder to potential criminals that they’re being watched.
- Security Signs
You may have noticed several homes post signs in their front yard indicating that they have a security system installed and are monitored by a special alarm company. This isn’t because they couldn’t find a fashionable flamingo to put there instead; it’s because they’re sending a message to burglars, and you should too. By posting the sign of your security company somewhere in your building, or a similar sign indicating you’re suited with cameras, alarms, or a team of Navy SEALS, thieves will decide you’re not so worth in it comparison to a business that has none of this.
- Empty Cash Register Regularly
Most robberies happen for money rather than goods, and after watching just a few videos on YouTube, you can clearly see what thieves head for first – the cash register. You can eliminate problems before they start by simply removing this temptation – and with almost no effort. By taking the cash from your register and placing it either in the bank or a lockbox, you are sending a very clear message: a mid-day robbery won’t yield much for the offender. Instead, they’ll have a few bucks and nothing else, with a high chance of being caught.
- Leave Cash Register in the Open
Many robbers attack a business because they believe it offers more than it actually does. Their overestimation may be a problem for them, but it’s also a problem for you – you’ve still been robbed. There’s a simple way to fix this. In addition to emptying your cash register regularly, be sure to place it in a place that is obvious and open for customers to see. By doing so, you’re allowing customers to see how often you empty it and that the prize for robbing it is rather small. Why should they bother when they can realistically see there’s little chance for a big win?
Theft happens to the best of businesses, but you can fight back. By applying three simple approaches, a little extra work, and a little extra funds, you can ensure that your business is safe for yourself, your cash, and even your customers.
Are you looking to protect your New York bases business? Get in touch with New York Gates. We provide a whole range of gate and security products.