Has theft left its stain on your business?

A lot of us have been there, experiencing the dreadful repercussions of theft. This is exactly why you may wish to consider retractable security grilles and secure cages. Your business is your livelihood – your bread and butter – and you’ll no doubt have invested lots of time, effort and money into making it a success.

Theft can have a devastating impact on all size businesses, but especially small businesses, which face new challenges every day to push out their brand name and grow their customer base. So, when a thief gains access to your premises and wreaks havoc, stealing high amounts of cash and high-value items, this can cause a lot of frustration and anxiety with loss of valuable time talking to insurers, and unease for you and your staff.

As smaller shops often keep a certain amount of cash on site with less security in place than ie. a bank, they can be popular targets for crime. Intruders gain access through a variety of openings, from windows and doors, to less common entry points such as roof skylights. For any of these access points, our security grilles will work well as a robust physical barrier and deterrent. Even skylights have previously been protected by our secure retractable grilles.

This entire article is dedicated to methods, including security grilles, of keeping your business secure. Our previous article was on top tips for home security, so this follow-up is dedicated to good advice for business security.

TIP 1: KEEP EXCESS CASH AWAY FROM THE TILL

The till is an obvious target for thieves, as they anticipate a good reward. By reducing what cash you have to hand in the till, you are mitigating any losses if you are unfortunate enough to be broken into. If you have managed to remove all excess cash from the till, you can always leave the till drawer open too, which indicates to thieves there is nothing in there to steal and may deter them from breaking in. If the risk of breaking in doesn’t offer a substantial reward, it’s not worth it for the burglar.

TIP 2: USE HIGH-SECURITY DOORS

The most popular point of entry is doors, especially if unlocked. If you’ve locked up securely, a thief can still hammer down the door with tools or pick the door lock. By using a high-security door and strong locking mechanism, you can avoid this scenario. If you do want to invest in a high-security door, please feel free to get in touch, as we can advise and arrange for a door to suit you through our partner supplier.

TIP 3: SECURITY GRILLES AND BARS DELIVER DOOR AND WINDOW PROTECTION

Retractable security grilles are available in a broad range of custom sizes that will fit your business needs. You can place them over windows and doorways to secure the access points, thus preventing and deterring potential thieves.

From entry level security grilles to LPCB certified secure grilles that have proven tooling resistance, we can offer a security grille to suit your needs. Our Extendor Eclipse is the maximum level security grille that we offer, which is world-renowned and awarded the highest rating of LPS 1175 Security Rating 3 (SR3).

TIP 4: INSTALL A GOOD ALARM SYSTEM

A good alarm system is a great idea for both domestic and commercial security. Since burglars like to avoid the limelight and any attention, burglar alarms are something they are not fond of. The alarm can alert neighbours or passers-by that your shop is being invaded, so police response can be quicker.

Thieves generally don’t like to draw any attention and burglar alarms can alert others in the neighbourhood to their presence.

TIP 5: INSTALL A CCTV SYSTEM

A good CCTV system should offer maximum visibility and quality, even during low light hours. If you combine a CCTV system with an alarm system, you may also want to use a sticker on your storefront to indicate the security you have in place. This makes burglars more wary about breaking into your shop as they will be aware they will cause unwanted noise and may be caught on camera.

TIP 6: CONSIDER THE PLACEMENT OF HIGH-VALUE ITEMS IN YOUR SHOP

It’s tempting to place high-value items in the shop window to attract potential customers, but this can be risky as it can also attract would-be thieves. By removing these sought-after high-value items from your shop window, you may not capture the attention of those innocent window shoppers that want to come in and buy your products.

We can help you achieve a balance between window sales and window security. You can keep burglars at bay while showcasing products if you implement window security grilles, since burglars can see the high-value items, but realise the risk and effort is increased to gain access to your property. Security grilles offer an additional window security layer that will deter burglars while allowing your customers to browse the offerings in your window. This makes security grilles a superior choice to roller shutters.

TIP 7: TRY REINFORCED WINDOW GLASS

Reinforcing window glass means it’s more difficult for burglars to simply smash a window to gain access to your business premises. You may want to consider laminated glass, as the window stays in-tact even if the glass is broken.

TIP 8: KEEP YOUR BUSINESS AND GROUNDS VISIBLE WITH EXTERIOR LIGHTING

Outside lighting is a good burglar deterrent as it can make it more likely the thief will be seen or caught out due to the increased visibility. In addition, it also means they can be identified and found easier, if the light reveals something distinctive about that person.

TIP 9: OPT FOR ‘JUST IN TIME’ DELIVERIES TO REDUCE STOCK LEVELS AT YOUR BUSINESS PREMISES

Even if your valuables are hidden from sight of burglars, your store could be scoped out by a burglar before the crime takes place. This allows the burglar to decide on if it’s worth the risk to break into your business. If possible, choosing a ‘just in time’ delivery option where you reduce levels of stock can make you a less likely target.

TIP 10: SECURE YOUR STOCK ROOM WITH SECURE CAGES

For extra stock room security, you may want to install security caging to protect your most high-value items. We can provide you with a broad range of cage products to suit your needs, including certified secure cages, which will help protect your stock. Secure cages deliver proven resistance to stand the test against a variety of attack tools.

TIP 11: SECURITY BOLLARDS CAN PROTECT YOUR STORE FRONT

Large department stores especially can be popular targets for ram raiding, especially if they have a cash machine installed. This method to gain access to a store can be prevented by using bollards at strategic locations along your store front. These security bollards keep you secure from this attack method which can be highly destructive and can incur even more cost for your business.

To conclude, there are lots of ways you can avoid your business being the next target of theft. If you would like to discuss any of our security solutions in more detail, please do get in touch. You can call us on +44 (0)808 301 9807 or email grillesales@cross-guard.com.