By The internet is a rich resource of information for homeowners looking to keep burglars away. You can find all sorts of tips and tricks for protecting your own home. Similar advice for business owners is out there, but it is much harder to come by. Does that mean there aren’t things business owners can do to prevent break-ins?
Fortunately, the answer is no. While every burglar is a distinct individual free to make their own choices, burglars tend to do things in similar ways. You can make life harder on them by understanding what they do, why they do it, and what will motivate them to move on rather than hitting your business.
1. Install a Security System
The number one thing any business owner can do to prevent break-ins is install a security system. It sounds like a pat answer to what can be a complicated question, but the fact remains that security systems act as a deterrent. A monitored security system makes it harder for a burglar to do what they do. That is exactly the point.
Vivint Smart Home, a nationwide provider of home and business security systems, explains that criminals tend to take the path of least resistance. A monitored security system with video surveillance cameras immediately makes a business more resistant to break in. So given the opportunity, the average burglar will pass by a business protected by a security system in favor of one that isn’t.
2. Protect That Passcode
A security system is only as secure as the business owner who uses it. That being the case, it is a good idea to protect the system’s passcode by not giving it unnecessarily to other people. Unfortunately, plenty of business owners use a single passcode and give it to every employee who might need to access the building. That is not wise.
Multiple employees in need of permanent access should all be given their own passcodes. If an employee needs a code only temporarily, it should be an individual code that is immediately removed from the system when access is no longer needed.
3. Check and Double-Check Doors
Burglars check for unlocked doors when targeting businesses just as they do when targeting homes. Vivint recommends that owners and managers get in the habit of checking and double-checking all doors when closing for the day. At the end of the day, when everyone is tired and just wants to go home, it is easy to mistakenly leave a door unlocked.
4. Install Security Lighting
Unlike residential burglaries, which mainly occur during the daylight hours, businesses are more likely to be broken into during the overnight hours. Installing security lighting that illuminates the entire perimeter of the building can be a tremendous help. Burglars would rather work under the cover of darkness.
5. Maintain Your Property
Finally, it’s well known that burglars are more likely to break into homes that offer easy access. The same is true for business break-ins. If you are not maintaining your property, you are giving burglars the impression that you are not making the effort to make your property secure.
Whether or not it’s true is less important than the fact that you are giving that impression. So why do it? Maintain your property to the highest possible standards and burglars will think twice.
Preventing business break-ins is all about not giving burglars any reason to think they might succeed by hitting your property. Make it more difficult for them to operate with efficiency and confidence and you’ll increase the chances that burglars will leave your property alone.
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