Don’t let theft put a strain on your business

Consider retractable grilles and cages for your security

Your business is your livelihood. You’ll have invested lots of time, effort and money into making it work. Small businesses especially face new struggles every day to get their brand name known. This means it can be frustrating when a thief breaks into your premises and causes havoc overnight – stolen cash and valuables, loss of valuable time dealing with insurance companies, and emotional stress and unease for you and your employees.

Small shops are popular targets for crime due to often keeping cash on site. There are many ways thieves gain access such as windows, doorways, and also the roof area. We would recommend security grilles to secure any of these access points – even sky lights have been successfully protected by Cross-Guard’s retractable security grilles.

So, how can you keep your business secure? We previously released an article on top tips for securing your home, now here’s a follow-up article on top tips for securing your business.

1. Avoid keeping excessive amounts of cash in the till

Reducing the amount of cash you have available in the till helps ensure that if you are broken into, you don’t lose as much. Also, if you can remove all cash from the till, simply leaving open the till drawer can be a good way to deter thieves. It’s all about increasing the risk the burglar must take and reducing the anticipated reward.

2. Invest in high-security doors

Doors are a very popular target. A thief will enter through a door one of two ways: by hammering the door down/using tools, or by picking the lock itself. Make sure you use a high-security door and a strong lock. If you’re interested in high-security doors, get in touch and we can advise and point you in the right direction.

3. Invest in security grilles or security bars for window and door protection

Retractable security grilles come in a wide range of sizes to suit you. They can be placed over windows and doorways to help prevent and deter thieves.

Cross-Guard offers a wide range of security grilles from entry level grilles to security grilles that are certified by the LPCB to be resistant against a wide variety of tools. The Extendor Eclipse is our highest-rated security grille at LPS 1175 Security Rating 3 (SR3).

4. Implement a good alarm system

As with domestic security, implementing a good alarm system can make a difference. Thieves generally don’t like to draw any attention and burglar alarms can alert others in the neighbourhood to their presence.

5. Implement a CCTV system

Ensure you invest in a CCTV system that offers good visibility and quality during night-time hours. If you have implemented a security system with CCTV and alarm, you could also include an Operation Identification sticker on your storefront, in order to make burglars aware that you have security and recordings in place. This will provide an effective deterrent.

6. Think about where you place your most valuable shop items

Placing your most valuable items in easy line of sight near the windows can encourage more thieves to target your store. However, by removing these high-value or highly sought-after items from the shop window, you risk not capturing the attention of people walking by your store who are window shopping with more honest intentions.

To help you achieve a balance between showcasing your products, and keeping burglars at bay, you may wish to consider investing in security grilles. Security grilles provide an extra level of security when installed behind windows, deterring potential thieves, while also allowing shoppers to browse through the window. This is why they are a better alternative to roller shutters.

7. Use reinforced glass for windows

Reinforcing glass on your windows makes it difficult for thieves to gain access by simply smashing a window. Laminated glass is a good option, as the window will stay in-tact even after the glass has broken.

8. Put in place exterior lighting for your business

Having outside lighting will deter potential thieves as it means there is more risk of someone seeing them or catching them in the act. It also means they can be identified more easily by witnesses or CCTV cameras.

9. Reduce stock levels in your business and consider ‘just in time’ deliveries

Even if you re-arrange your store so high-value items are out of sight of burglars, it’s easy for a thief to scope out your store beforehand to see whether it’s worth breaking into. Therefore, if you can, it’s worthwhile keeping reduced levels of stock and operating a ‘just in time’ delivery policy.

10. Use secure cages in your stock room

For extra security in your stock room, you can always consider installing secure cages for protection of high-value stock. Cross-Guard offers a variety of caging products, including certified Extendor cages, which help protect high-value items. These provide proven resistance against a wide variety of popular attack tools.

11. Use bollards around the front of your store

Ram raiding is a popular method used by thieves to gain access to a store, particularly for large department stores or those which contain a cash machine. By implementing bollards strategically in front of your store, you can help prevent thieves from opting to use this method of attack, which can be extremely destructive and costly for your business.

In conclusion, there are a variety of ways that can help you stop your business from becoming a target for theft. If you’d like to get in touch to discuss any of Cross-Guard’s security solutions, give us a call on +44 (0)20 8108 9328 or email sales@cross-guard.com.