Whether we like it or not, theft happens. While the majority of consumers are honest, hard-working people, there is always somebody who feels the need to lie, cheat, and steal. Whether you're a retailer, a manufacturer, or even an agency, there are a few essential items that you absolutely must have to protect yourself from theft.
Lighting
One of the simplest ways to protect your business from theft is to make sure the area is well lit. Thieves will not try to pocket any merchandise unless they think that they can get away unseen. If your store is well illuminated, it will be hard for the thieves to get the privacy they want to hide your merchandise. But lighting doesn't just apply to the inside of your store. Your yard should also be well illuminated. Large, high capacity flood lights will prevent people from sneaking into your yard, whether they're trying to break into your building or steal a vehicle.
Counterfeit Detection Machine
If your business handles cash, it's important to make sure that you only accept authentic bills. Some consumers will use counterfeit bills unknowingly, having been given the bill by another business. Other unscrupulous individuals may try to pass off bills they made themselves. Modern currency has plenty of advanced features like holograms, micro tape, and raised ink. But most of these features can't be tested just by eye, you'll need a counterfeit detection machine to make it easy for your employees to separate real cash from funny money. Counterfeit detection machines come in many different styles, each of them suited for different volumes and types of currency.
Automated Clock In / Clock Out Systems
If you have employees, wages just might be one of your largest expenses. Some employees might attempt to steal from your company by having their friends clock them in, or by lying about the number of hours worked on their time sheets. There are many ways to reduce or prevent this type of fraud. You can have employees sign in through a computer or key card machine. This will ensure that it's the actual employee who is clocking in, and not one of their friends. This system can also drastically reduce your employment expenses by ensuring that employees who show up late do not get paid for the time they were not actually at work.
Controlled Keys
While you may have secured many areas of your business, employees often need access to these areas during working hours. Ensure that your keys are different for each area and that employees do not have keys that allow access to areas they shouldn't be in. Controlled keys allow you more control over these areas. For example, managers can have a key that will open every door in the building. Associates, on the other hand, could have keys that only allow access to the stock room or anywhere else they need to access to perform their duties.
Safe or Strongbox
Likely, you'll have valuables such as cash or merchandise that you'll want to lock up outside of regular working hours. A safe provides you the opportunity to store these items in a secure area that is resistant to theft. A high-quality safe will be impossible to cut or drill through, meaning that only employees with the correct code can access its contents. Even if somebody manages to break into your building, just the mere sight of the safe will force them to focus their attentions elsewhere. Remember, for a safe to be effective you must make sure that it's secured to the floor, and large enough for you to store all of your valuables.