4 Tips to Prevent Theft in Your Company

4 Tips to Prevent Theft in Your Company

How does one stop theft in business? It is harder to stop than one would think. But it is an issue that occurs time and time again. No business owner wants to be stolen from, especially after you have worked so hard to get where you are. This short guide will explain the top four ways to stop theft in your company.

1. Review accounts often

It is of the utmost importance to keep a close watch on the accounts receivable and payable as well as the petty cash funds and reimbursement receipts that employees are trying to submit. Any employee who has access to the books can be tempted and capable of stealing money. Employees may also try to submit a receipt for reimbursement in which they were not the user of the goods, or it is an item that is not approved for the repayment. Lastly, bookkeepers and accountants are good at what they do. If they were tempted to commit a crime, they could easily make up a fiction vendor who is paid monthly. In actuality, the bookkeeper is paying themselves from your funds, and this is not acceptable. Most times a security camera or other type of monitoring on the accountant or bookkeeper, when they are doing your finances, will keep them from partaking in your hard earned revenue.

2. Install security cameras

One of the largest ways to stop theft in your company is by installing security camera systems. A security camera mounted in the office, warehouse, and break room is an excellent idea to deter disgruntled employees from taking anything from the business. An employee will think twice about taking something that doesn't belong to them when security camera systems are watching their every move. A security camera is also beneficial outside if a criminal happens upon your business and tries to break-in. You will have their profile on film to give to authorities to help capture the burglar.

3. Monitor dwindling supplies of office materials

Not all employees are so brazen to steal cash from the company. But there are other items that employees are likely to take. Warehouse workers and office personnel are tempted and capable of taking items such as envelopes, stamps, paper, ink, tape, staples, and other office goods without the supervisor or owners knowledge. This seems like such a minor amount of money, but added up over the year, it contributes to the financial loss of the company.

4. Monitor unproductive time

Most all employees have some responsibilities on a computer. Whether they are ordering supplies, using email, or some other computer assigned task, they need to use the internet. With this comes a whole host of problems if you do not lock down certain sites and make a public policy regarding unproductive time. When an employee is checking their email or browsing on the internet, this is known as unproductive time. The employee is wasting time, so to speak, when they could be completing other needed tasks. This is a form of theft as your business is not functioning as well as it could be due to unproductive time.

As you can see, theft can be in many forms including supplies, money, and time. Make sure you are not a victim of theft in your company. If you follow our advice on the top four ways to stop theft in your company and invest in security camera systems for both inside and outside the building, you will see your yearly finances grow without any losses to report!

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Tips to Prevent Theft in Your Company

What to do After a Break-in

What to do After a Break-in

If you have ever been the victim of a burglary, you know how frightening and disturbing the break-in can be. Most people are in some form of shock, and it is difficult for them to know what to do after a burglary occurs. This short guide will inform you of the top five things to do after a break-in occurs.

1. Call the Authorities

The most crucial task to perform immediately after a break-in is to call the police. The authorities need to come to your place of residence and document the evidence to help catch the burglar. Make sure you do not touch anything until after the police have been there and given you the all clear. You do not want to tamper with evidence that could potentially cause the cops to miss capturing the suspect.

2. Take pictures, video, & write down everything you can remember

One of the most urgent steps you can take after a break-in is to immediately grab a camera and take pictures of the damage that was done to your property. You can also shoot a video on your phone or mobile device to show different angles of the room and what was taken. Make sure to leave everything as it is until the police have filed their report. Lastly, write down everything that you can think of pertaining to the intruder before you forget it. How tall was he or she? What type of build? Did he have facial hair? Did he or she have any scars or tattoos? What time of the day did it occur? This information is vital to the police to be able to do their job and catch the burglar.

3. Call your insurance company

The next most important thing to do after a burglary is to call your insurance company. You need to call them and file a claim immediately so they can get you the needed money to repair a broken door, broken window, or other means of entrance by the burglar or burglars. Make sure you have your policy number ready as well as any other pertinent information they may need. If you have security camera systems in place at your residence, the insurance company may want a copy of the video from the security cameras to ascertain the damage and come up with a total amount of claim to be paid out to you.

4. Install a security system

It is vital that you install security camera systems throughout your home, including your outside perimeter. Security cameras can protect you by alerting the police that an intruder has entered the premises. Different models have different features, but most all of them can contact the police for you if needed.

5. Upgrade the security of your home

In addition to installing security camera systems throughout the house as well as security cameras outside around your perimeter, make sure to take other precautions and upgrade the security of your home.  Precautions you can take include installing a fence, adopting a large breed dog, and changing your main entrance door locks. One last task you can accomplish is to install motion lights outside your home that are tripped anytime a person or animal moves. These security precautions will keep you safe long into the future.

As you can see, being the victim of a burglary is a frightening and anxiety-ridden experience. Make sure are prepared by having a list of items to do if you have to experience this tragic affair. If you follow our advice on the top five things to do after a break-in occurs, you will be able to catch the criminal who performed the burglary and keep yourself and your family safe from future break-ins.

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