I watch and read the news every single day. I like to stay abreast of things that are happening in my communication, as well as issues affecting the nation. Recently, I’m a bit fed up with what I see. It’s not what’s being reported that gets me so red hot, but the reactions of called “protesters” to perceived injustices. I will never understand how a protest against something can turn into a riot and spur mass looting.

Look at the recent cases of civil unrest in cities across the country and you’ll see one commonality. “Peaceful” protestors, that almost always evolve into gangs of thugs who choose to loot and destroy businesses. You see the cities on the nightly lights. You watch in horror as lawless bandits bust out shop windows and even see those walking down the street with big screen televisions sets, and even some cases, setting stores ablaze, for no practical reason at all. More disturbing to me is that the majority of these stores affected are small businesses, like yours.
So is there anything you can do to prevent your business from falling victim to this? Yes, Absolutely there is. Take a look at some ways to harden your building and make it difficult for not only looters, but the average burglar, or robber, to damage your store.
First and foremost, if you don’t already have a CCTV system installed, get one. I’m serious. Unfortunately, this is no longer a luxury, or a good idea. This is a necessity. A good system will only run you a few hundred bucks and I will personally guarantee that it will pay for itself over, and over and over again. There is not greater piece of evidence in a court of law than video of a crime being committed. Eyewitnesses get details wrong; a camera doesn’t lie.
Second, take a look at the exterior of your building. Do you have glass windows or doors? If you really want to protect your store, you should invest in a good roll-down type door. Not only are some of these virtually impenetrable to a person, they can be great for when Mother Nature rears her ugly head. At the first sign of trouble, a flip of a switch can all but guarantee the safety of your store. Additionally, lots of stores have concrete bollards in the front to prevent an automobile from driving through the front doors. Whether it be an accident, a “smash and grab robbery,” or during a looting incident, a good bollard can stop a car dead in its tracks.
Now those are some great ideas to the more common ways our businesses are impacted. Lots of store owners often overlook one very simple, but very important piece. Data. Chance are, in your store, you have an office. In that office is a computer with all sorts of proprietary information. Whether it be salary information, employee records, sales and financial data, or your customer’s information, you have an obligation to keep that secure. If I walked into your store right now and stole every computer and every hard-drive in sight, what would happen? If you aren’t backing up your data somewhere off-site, you could be in a world of trouble should this happen to you. I recommend to anyone, to always back up any data to a place that isn’t in your store. There are several hundreds of reputable and safe companies that can handle this for a very small fee. Trust me, it’s worth every penny.
While the very likelihood of your business falling victim to looting is slim, it can happen. You should be prepared for anything that may come your way. In the blink of an eye, your city and your street could be playing host to violence and destruction. You should always be prepared to protect yourself, your employees and the future of your business. Don’t let some gang of bandits bankrupt your business.