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CRIME IS A REALITY that businesses face everyday. Even right here in Central Washington, business owners must be aware of the threats and how to address them, before their employees get the better of them.

Check out the 99 Tips to Securing Your Business and contact us for a personalized security consultation. Our security experts will help you to identify security concerns and safety hazards as well as prepare a detailed security assessment of your business.

For more information, visit our website at http://www.genext.net/security or speak with a professional today at 884.7791 or dial us toll-free 1.866.588.6329.

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Burglary

65% of nonresidential burglaries occur during the nighttime.

• Light all exterior points of entry with permanent fixtures that are difficult to reach or be tampered with.
• Light the interior of your business enough that someone outside the building could see someone inside.
• Install a fence or hedge - it's your first line of defense.
  • You should be able to see through the fence.
  • Hedges should be wide, rather than high, and of a prickly, thorny variety.
• Install window locks designed and positioned so they cannot be reached and unlocked after breaking the glass.
• Install safety glass (glazing). It is highly effective at deterring break-ins.
• Install motion detectors to sense movement inside the building.
• Install entry protecting alarms to detect the breaking of windows and the opening of doors.
• Install point protectors (such as pressure-switch mats) to detect when someone enters a restricted area, such as by a cash register.
• Install a deadbolt lock/latch in each exterior door.
• Lock overhead and receiving doors with high-quality padlocks.

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Internal Theft

Your employees are 15 times more likely to steal from you than your customers.

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• Screen all employees before hiring them - it's the best defense against internal theft.
• Never have fewer than two people close up at night.
• Have all keys distributed to employees engraved with the words "Do Not Duplicate."
• Watch for warning signs - employees who:
  • Are living beyond their means
  • Habitually violate company policies
  • Have a substance abuse problem
  • Are chronic liars
  • Seem immature or troubled
  • May have cause to feel wronged
• Never rule anyone out - anyone could be a thief.
• Use a card access system rather than traditional keys - access cards can't easily be duplicated.
• Install a closed-circuit television system. It allows you to monitor employees and serves as a very strong deterrent when employees know one is in place.

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Shoplifting

35.8% of annual losses due to shrinkage are attributed to shoplifting. The #1 reason for shoplifting is that it's easy and there's little or no risk involved.

• Install convex mirrors that allow employees to easily observe all corners and aisles.
• Have only one entrance and one exit to your business.
• Keep expensive merchandise inside locked cases.
• Use electronic tags that can't be removed by a non-employee without damaging the merchandise.
• Install security cameras in plain view.

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Robbery

In the U.S. alone, a commercial robbery is committed every four minutes. That's more than 100,000 robberies each year.

• Be sure you have adequate lighting both inside and outside your business.
• Exterior lighting should illuminate dark areas around your building and parking lots.
• Interior lighting should be adequate enough to allow people outside your business to see people inside.
• Place a fence or hedge around your building to discourage robbers by presenting a significant hindrance to getting away.
• Place security signs and stickers on points of entry to serve as deterrents.
• Install silent alarms to notify police and give them a better chance to catch perpetrators.
• Install some form of cash register protection.
• Install security cameras, which not only serve as a strong deterrent, but help with identifying a robber after the crime has been committed.
• Utilize a safe with a drop mechanism that allows you to make periodic drops during the day to minimize the amount of cash in your registers.
• Always drop large bills immediately and publicize this to discourage potential robbers.

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Other Threats

Liability - More and more, businesses need to protect against lawsuits and false insurance claims brought by customers as well as employees.

Vendor Theft - Delivery shortages are very common. Have your employees count every item delivered.

Employee Productivity - Otherwise honest employees stole $160 billion last year by wasting time on the job.

Poor Customer Service - The average customer service incident results in the loss of a minimum of 10 customers.

Fraud - Customers are less likely to commit credit card and merchandise return fraud when there is an obvious video surveillance system in place.

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Additional Information...

To help you learn about specific types of loss, Genext also offers on-site risk assessments to all of its small business customers. If you're interested in an on-site risk assessment, contact your local Genext representative toll free at 1.866.588.6329, in the Greater Wenatchee Area dial 884.7791 or visit our commercial security web site at http://www.genext.net/security

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Information provided by The Peter Berlin Report on Shrinkage Control – Store Managers Edition. The Peter Berlin Retail Consulting Group, Inc.