Why Small Businesses Attract Burglars?
Small businesses are the major targets of burglars around the globe. Around 8.8% small businesses suffered losses in 2016 due to an attempted burglary. Burglary is extremely harmful for any business. Not only does it cause financial losses, businesses also tend to lose their reputation. Not many customers will be interested in doing shopping from a store that has been the target of intruders.
Why burglars Target Small Businesses?
Burglars tend to find small businesses more attractive than large businesses. It’s because large corporations usually install effective security systems to prevent unauthorized entry in the workplace. Entrepreneurs, on the other hand, lack finances to purchase high quality security systems. Therefore, burglars can quite conveniently enter the premise and steal expensive items without interruption.
In case of a successful burglary, businesses have to bear huge losses. Therefore, they often fail to install a security system to protect the premise from any further burglary attempts down the road. It gives intruders the freedom to target the same business again. Since they’ve already broken into the space once, they’ll know how to grab expensive items the next time as well.
Impacts of Burglary On a Small Business
More than 51% small businesses in the UK have at least once became the target of burglars, due to which they ended up with losses of £25 million. For a small or a medium-sized business, it’s not easy to cope up with monetary losses. As a result, many small businesses shut down after employee theft or burglary by an intruder.
Aside from financial issues, vandalism or burglary also affects goodwill and credibility of a business. Retaining customers is extremely important for a business. However, if business owners fail to take effective actions in order to keep burglars at bay, they’re likely to lose their clients and customer base.
Aside from installing physical security systems, businesses must also ensure that their network is protected. If any unauthorized user gets their hands on confidential information of employees or customers, they’ll pose serious threats for the business.
How to Protect a Small Business?
Now that you know the major reasons why burglars tend to target small businesses, you should take immediate actions to protect your business. You should install an effective security system to monitor the premise in real-time. A complete security system usually consists of access control systems, CCTV cameras and emergency alarms. This way, you can take immediate actions if any burglar attempts to enter your office space.
Aside from protecting office equipment and documents, a business must also guard its intangible assets. You need to install firewall and anti-malware software to reduce the risk of hacking. These security solutions can prevent unauthorized access to important business information and protect your business from potential threats.
Conclusion
Most people believe that large businesses are attractive for burglars, since they can steal expensive goods. However, statistics suggest that small businesses are major targets due to lack of security measures. Entrepreneurs should invest in security systems for prevention of burglary and data theft for long-term benefits.