Business based crime is a serious problem in the UK. On average, 69.2 crimes affect businesses every hour domestically. Perhaps more worrying; 58% of all business crime cases go unresolved, with no suspects identified in subsequent investigations.
With that in mind, protecting your organisation’s property and data should be a major priority for any business owner, whether that’s from the likes of shoplifting, burglary, data theft or internal theft. The good news is you can establish some very solid protective foundations to protect your business assets from theft in just a few simple steps – here are five fundamentals to look into straight away.
Tickets only please
Walk around most business centres these days and you’ll struggle to find someone who isn’t wearing a lanyard. They’re not just for show, indeed lanyards – or more specifically the ID cards attached to them – have become a key part of everyday security for businesses across the country.
A simple way to keep the people you know in and the people you don’t out, ID passes are an essential for any medium to large scale business.
Smile, you’re on camera
CCTV remains a solid deterrent to any would be thieves planning to cause problems on your property. The visual presence of cameras is often enough to put criminals off doing anything silly in the first place, but if they do carry on, you have timestamped footage of the incident to help with the investigation, which vastly increases your chances of catching the people who were involved.
Everyone likes a tell tale
One of the most difficult criminal elements to manage efficiently for a business is preventing crimes committed by employees. Because their status often gets them past a number of the external barriers you can put in place as a business, it can be both incredibly tough and hugely upsetting to deal with theft or fraud committed by a supposedly loyal member of the team.
One of the best ways to manage internal issues is through staff communication. Train your staff to understand the implications of criminal activity both for the business and for them, and encourage people to come forward if they believe something is wrong. That should help deter people from considering doing something wrong in the first place, but also talk to you if someone else is causing a problem.
Lock up outside
Don’t forget the basics when it comes to assets situated outside like containers and machinery. CCTV is a start, but make sure you’re using quality padlocks to lock up doors and key property, too. Additionally, a quality set of external lights is worth its weight in gold as another strong deterrent to criminals surveying the business.
Get up to date with GDPR
Data theft can cause catastrophic damage to a business, particularly in the wake of stringent GDPR regulations that have been installed in the last few years. GDPR training is now an essential facet of your broader staff development programme, so make sure your staff are clued in on the latest GDPR rules and understand how to safely carry and send data within and outside of the business.
With theft still a major problem in UK commerce and industry, business owners face a considerable task in securing their premises and property efficiently to avoid trouble. If you’re a business owner, don’t be afraid to invest in your security – you could find it’s one of the best financial decisions you’ve ever made. It is essential to protect your business assets from theft.