Steps to Loss Prevention for Melbourne Businesses
The statistics are frightening. In 2011-12 in Victoria there were 77,676 crimes recorded against small businesses, such as petrol stations, convenience stores, hotels, restaurants and supermarkets, a 4% increase over the previous year. This number increased in 2013. Proportionally, more crimes are committed against Australian businesses than households, with the most common being burglary followed by shoplifting. Protecting your small business is just as important as running the daily numbers. Security is an investment in your company, not an expense.
Taking a few precautions and being proactive can help reduce your risk of being a victim of small business crime:
- Reduce or eliminate any open opportunities, such as unlocked back doors, merchandise on the front walk, lack of staffing etc.
- Prevent burglaries by adding security measures to detect criminal activity, intervene if necessary, and have easy communication to police.
- Report crimes you see in the neighbourhood, including suspicious activities.
- Mark all of your equipment with traceable identification numbers so that it can be tracked if stolen.
- Learn to protect yourself and avoid potentially dangerous situations and know how to respond if they do occur.
Finding a security company that will fit well with your business is an important first step in loss prevention in Melbourne. The company should start with well qualified and background checked individuals, and should train them thoroughly in security operations, patrol and defensive tactics techniques and customer service. The goal is to follow the five-steps above with little effort on your behalf, everything is guarded and taken care of for you so that you can focus on the business at hand. Safe Protection Security (SPS) also reduces the cost of security by allowing you to share the cost of a security officer with your business neighbours! It is impossible to eliminate the risks completely, but with a little time and investment you can reduce the risk of your Melbourne business becoming a statistic
