Using Social Media To Capture a Shoplifter

January 27, 2016 by Leave a Comment

law-3Using Facebook, their own websites and other social media outlets, many retailers have for years posted  pictures of shoplifters on line in hopes of catching the shoplifter.  Posting images and descriptions of suspected shoplifters can be helpful in apprehending them, but it can also be legally harmful to you and to the business if you don’t know the laws in your state regarding shoplifting laws, and you post the wrong images and descriptions of the suspected shoplifter. If your store has an LP program or department, you need to check with them before any pictures are posted on social media.   And do you have insurance that will cover you in a potential law suit? Are the shoplifters juveniles? From the time you apprehend a shoplifter till the time you charge them with shoplifting, there are rules you must follow.  Check the laws in your state, a lawyer, or the legal department in your store before posting any images on line.

For more about this and other stories, follow the links below.

Local business uses Facebook to catch shoplifting suspect

A small business in Olive Branch is fighting back against shoplifters by using social media.

If the Pink Coconut Boutique catches you stealing, they will post you picture on Facebook. It’s a tactic they’ve always used, and it seems to be working well.

Store manager Debbie Ham recently posted a picture of an alleged shoplifter on the businesses page. She called for the 1.1 million Facebook followers to help identify the suspect.

And in less than 24 hours, 25-year-old Christian Tatum was identified.

“The fans were very upset (because) we do keep our prices down at the Pink Coconut,” Ham told FOX13.

This is not the first time the store has done it. They use the practice to help keep prices low.

Police would not comment on the matter. They only said it was the Facebook post that led to Tatum being identified.

“We do have 30 cameras in our store that we are very quick (to use). If there is an incident, we take our camera and review our video and burn a CD and we also post it to social media,” Ham said.

With millions of Facebook fans, the post led the Pink Coconut getting swamped with people reporting the accused criminal.

Shoplifting Laws by State

Alabama Shoplifting Laws

Detention and arrest of person suspected of larceny of goods held for sale.

(a) A peace officer, a merchant or a merchant’s employee who has probable cause for believing that goods held for sale by the merchant have been unlawfully taken by a person and that he can recover them by taking the person into custody may, for the purpose of attempting to effect such recovery, take the person into custody and detain him in a reasonable manner for a reasonable length of time. Such taking into custody and detention by a peace officer, merchant or merchant’s employee shall not render such police officer, merchant or merchant’s employee criminally or civilly liable for false arrest, false imprisonment or unlawful detention.

(b) Any peace officer may arrest without warrant any person he has probable cause for believing has committed larceny in retail or wholesale establishments.

Kohl’s shoplifters identified after public’s response to released photos

​D’IBERVILLE — A surveillance picture released to the media has helped lead to the identity of two women accused of shoplifting and assaulting a Kohl’s employee, police said.

Police obtained arrest warrants for Michelle Quin and Tykeshia Barnes, both 18, and released their names Monday.

Deputy Police Chief Clay Jones said a third woman who appeared in the surveillance picture was not arrested.

Quin and Barnes each face charges of shoplifting and simple assault.

Police said the store on Promenade Parkway had reported the women stole merchandise Jan. 8 and said two of the them assaulted a loss-prevention officer who tried to get them to return inside the store.

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Let’s Make 2016 a More Profitable Year

January 18, 2016 by Leave a Comment

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Let’s make 2016 a more profitable year by stopping losses before they occur. Think of it, as a retailer you run your operation, purchase and then sell the products you offer and try to hold your expenses down. But when you have employees that cause inventory theft, cash theft or any other loss it comes right off your bottom line and out of your pocket. The key is to keep theft from occurring before it happens!

Do you really know who is working for you? It is inexpensive and easy to find out. You should screen EVERY person you hire. Even after 20 years of running pre-employment background checks on people for our clients we are still amazed and what we see. It is not unusual to see drunk driving, theft, assault, shoplifting and even some very violent criminal records. Do you really want people like that working for you? That is like pointing a gun at yourself and hoping it is not loaded. People who are not responsible in life are not going to become magically better because they work for you.

Most states allow a statewide criminal records check. If not then we look in the counties they have lived in.

Another check that should be run is a credit history. This can be done on people that will be handling your cash and other assets. My wife was once the Branch Manager for a large chain of banks. The banks policy was to look at the credit history of the people that they were considering for employment. Their thought process was “If you cannot handle your own money why would we want you to handle the banks or the customers?”

Another check should be to verify that they are not on a sex offender list. Imagine this. You hire someone. They sexually assault a customer or another employee. Even if it is simply alleged and then investigation shows they are on a list. Your liability just skyrocketed.

In the past we could simply say we did not know that they were a sexual predator, criminal, thief…. But that is not the case anymore. The courts have leaned towards the position that it is easy and inexpensive to screen someone so if you do not you may be left in a terrible position both criminally and civilly.

So attack loss in 2016 up front. Get your employees background checked, screen any new employees and then follow up with an annual check. It may just make your year more profitable and one with less headaches.

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FISCAL INVENTORIES FROM AN LP POINT OF VIEW

January 18, 2016 by Leave a Comment

theft (11)With January the last month fiscal month for plenty of retailers, we can all look forward to *drum roll* INVENTORIES!! Wait, am I the only one excited to count millions of pieces of merchandise in a single night? I’ve always been the odd-ball in my department I guess. Inventory is a great way to start a new fiscal year off. Clean inventory counts, accurate pricing and getting back in stock is the key to making sales in the 1st quarter. Remember, customer service starts with being in stock!

I am responsible for nearly 30 stores, so it’s practically impossible for me to get out each store’s annual inventory, however I do manage to see a few. I’ve also built up quite a few pointers, from an LP perspective that is aimed at helping managers and making the counting process that much easier. As my Christmas gift to you, I’ll share my top 5 best practices.

Do you have basedecks?

Those are the bottom shelves of your gondolas. They make great hiding spots for employees to stash product. About one week prior to inventory night, it would be a wise idea to assign someone to go aisle by aisle, lifting up every single basedeck in the store. I normally find the equivalent to 5-7 shopping baskets of product hidden underneath. This equates to thousands of dollars that would have otherwise been written off as shrink.

What about warehouses, common areas and offices?

I find these ripe with stashed product and it drives me up the wall. Again, look in all areas that are common “hiding places” to pull all of that product out so it can either be sold… or counted.

You don’t have time to look for SKUs on inventory night!

This one is aimed at soft goods and apparel mainly. I’ve seen stores write off hundreds of apparel items because a sku could not be located 13 hours into the count. Go rack to rack, at least a few days prior and make sure everything is tagged with a scannable bar-code. Trust me, this will save you time, energy and money on inventory night.

Do you have storage containers?

You would not believe how many times I’ve seen stores post losses of $10k+ on inventory night, only to realize 3 days later that they failed to scan an entire storage trailer of product x. Don’t be this store. I find that pre-counting these areas is much more effective than counting on inventory night. Just don’t forget about them!

Don’t let just any associate scan/count!

This is for you retailers out there that scan your own inventory and who don’t rely on an outside agency. I see it year, after year. Managers try to get as many people scheduled to work that night, and now your trusting some of your worst employees with your greatest financial investment (your inventory). Choose quality over quantity. Please, believe me when I say this; 1 person can completely ruin an inventory. One lazy employee who is 1 tardy away from being terminated does not care one bit about your shrink and how it affects the store’s bottom line, or your pockets. I beg you, please only let those that have a vested interest in your store conduct your inventory. I’ve seen cases where one employee had single-handedly scanned an entire stock of baseball bats as one single sku. This mistake wasn’t caught until replenishment on every single bat started hitting the stores. It was a complete disaster. Don’t let this happen to you!

I hope you all had a safe and enjoyable New Years. I hope 2016 is profitable, prosperous and full of (good) surprises. I hope your 2015 inventory is just the same.

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COMBATTING RETURN FRAUD WITH CUSTOMER SERVICE

January 18, 2016 by Leave a Comment

theft (13)I’m seeing a huge spike in return fraud, so I’m betting you are too. For my particular stores, it is a huge problem. I will venture to say that it is the biggest and most financially impactful fraud scheme that is affecting my stores; and it’s only getting bigger. I’m fortunate enough to have a small team within our LP department that do nothing but review returns data. When they see something that is indicative of fraud, we actually cancel the store credits unless proof of purchase can be verified. We are poised to break 5 million dollars in suspended store credits this year. Insane.

My company only operates a little over two hundred stores, so that number is quite high. That is 5 million dollars in external theft that we recovered. I have my own theories on why this is a growing problem and a few solutions that any retailer can adopt to help limit your exposure to this madness. Would you believe me if I told you that most return fraud can be prevented with a simple “hello”?

Customer service is the most proven and effective way at deterring criminal activity in your store. A simple greeting, acknowledgment and/or engaged employees can, and will stop most would-be thieves. If your employees are engaging with all of your customers, this will prevent the theft from ever happening. If there is no theft of product, then there can be no refund of stolen goods. See where I’m going with this?

Every store that I visit and audit that I conduct, it seems as if I’m noting some challenges in the customer service department. Do you really think that your product is that great and your prices that low, that the customer absolutely must purchase their item at your store? If you think this, then I hate to be the one to tell you this, but you’re wrong. Customer’s come to your stores for more than just an item; they want to feel as if they are appreciated. It’s your job to make that happen. Likewise, by providing exceptional service, you are not only increasing your sales, you are reducing shrink.

Here’s a case study to help drive home my point:

Susie G is a thief. She’s only hooked on heroin and needs a daily fix. She’s unemployed so she resorts to stealing to fuel her drug addiction. She’s learned from some of her buddies that “Store X” doesn’t have strong controls and it’s super easy to steal from them. Even better, you can come back later and return the stolen merchandise and they’ll give you a gift card. (How nice!) She learns that she can easily sell that gift card for quick cash in the parking lot, or at a local pawn shop. Thus, a small criminal enterprise is born. Susie then tells all of her heroin addicted brethren and before long, groups of 5 and 6 are targeting your store and committing return fraud on a daily basis.

Why did Susie and her friends find it so easy to steal from you and not the store down the road?

I’m not going to put an answer here. I want you, managers and owners to stop for 10 minutes and really think about this question. What can you do to prevent this in your store? Can you up your customer service game? The answers may surprise you.

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Retail Burnout Matters

January 15, 2016 by Leave a Comment

meetingpic.The holidays are over and all over the country retail personnel are saying, “I can’t do that again.  I’ve got to get out of retail.”  Some of them are, understandably, experiencing a momentary stress or anxiety reaction.  After they’ve had some time to de-stress they’ll bounce back and want to stay in the field.

Others, however, may be experiencing burnout, which is a more serious condition.  Instead of being a temporary reaction to a specific situation (the demands the holidays make on retail staffs) burnout is a state of chronic stress.  People won’t “just get over it” now that the holiday have passed, because it’s more than “having a couple of bad months”. 

Over time constant stress can alter a person’s mental, emotional and physical well being.  Some of the symptoms include: a lack of or loss of enthusiasm for the job and personal interests, physical and emotional exhaustion, depersonalization of others, cynicism, detachment from surroundings and people, feelings of ineffectiveness and a low sense of personal accomplishment.

On a professional level this affects their day to day work performance, as well as their relationships with co-workers and customers.  By the time people become burnt-out they usually have developed new – and escalated already existing – undesirable attitudes and behaviors. 

In many cases their work ethic and moral compass slips.  This directly affects the store’s bottom line, as they no longer function effectively.  This results in: theft of time, money, product and supplies, sloppy paperwork, inattention to security issues and procedures, indifferent or rude customer service, poor inventory control and no vendor oversight. 

In addition to the financial consequences, they often create a problematic work atmosphere.  Burned out people are dissatisfied people, and those with limited awareness of their condition will blame other people, places and circumstances for their difficulties.  They become the complainers, pot stirrers and nay-sayers.

Their changes in behavior and attitude can be difficult to see at first because burnout “sneaks up”.  People don’t all of a sudden wake up one morning and have burnout, nor does it abruptly go away.  It’s developed over time and will only get better if it’s acknowledged and dealt with.  The sooner co-workers and supervisors confront their actions the better for all concerned.

Nicole Abbott is a professional writer who’s had over 100 articles published.  She’s a business consultant and former psycho-therapist with over 20 years of experience in mental health, business and addiction.  She’s a coach, lecturer, trainer and facilitator.  She has conducted over 200 workshops, trainings, presentations, seminars and college classes. 

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Merchandise Return Fraud

December 30, 2015 by Leave a Comment

shoplifting2

Shoplifting during the holidays is a big problem for retailers in the United States.  The holiday season brings more customers into their stores, but shoplifters know this and they take advantage of this fact to go into the stores and walk out with hundreds of dollars in stolen merchandise.  But after the holidays, you are dealing with another kind of fraud. Merchandise return fraud has seen an increase over the previous year, and retailers now have to deal with this problem after the holidays are over.

For more about this and other topics, follow the links below.

Post-Holiday Merchandise Return Fraud

Retail theft statistics show that the vast majority of returns are legitimate and part of doing business as a retailer.

Returns and return fraud are a big issue—and getting bigger. In 2014, $284 billion worth of retail merchandise was returned in the United States,according to the Retail Equation. That represented a 6.2% increase over the prior year, and 2015’s numbers are expected to grow even higher. Brick-and-mortar stores report returns in the 5-10 percent range. E-commerce retailers report numbers averaging 10-15 percent, with returns of apparel running as high as 20-30 percent. The research firm IHL Group estimates that, overall, returns cost retailers 4.4 percent in revenue that is lost on items that can’t be resold or must be discarded.

Within the retail loss prevention community, when returns are mentioned, most focus on return fraud. To be sure, it is a huge issue with volume estimated at $9.1 billion, again according to The Retail Equation. When return abuse is added in, that number jumps to an estimated $15.9 billion. But, as large as these numbers are, it is estimated that return fraud and abuse only make up about 6.1 percent of returns. So 94 percent of all return transactions (equating to $245 billion) are legitimate.

Retailers Estimate Holiday Return Fraud Will Cost Them $3.8 Billion, According to NRF Survey

WASHINGTON, December 19, 2014 – Techniques and processes put in place to thwart criminal activity around retailers’ return policies continue to be put to the test, and with steadily improving retail sales, even more is on the line when it comes to losses from return fraud.

According to the National Retail Federation’s 2014 Return Fraud Survey* completed by loss prevention executives at 60 retail companies representing grocery, department, discount, specialty and small retailers, the industry will lose an estimated $10.9 billion to return fraud this year. Additionally, of those surveyed, retailers estimate $3.8 billion will be lost to return fraud this holiday season alone, up slightly from last year’s $3.4 billion. Overall, retailers polled estimate 5.5 percent of holiday returns are fraudulent, similar to last year’s 5.8 percent.

“Today’s sophisticated technology does well keeping criminals at arm’s length but often isn’t enough to completely stop the unethical practices of organized and individual retail fraud occurrences,” said NRF Vice President of Loss Prevention Bob Moraca. “Return fraud has become an unfortunate trend in retail thanks to thieves taking advantage of retailers’ return policies to benefit from the cash or store credit they don’t deserve. Additionally, many of these return fraud instances are a direct result of larger, more experienced crime rings that continue to pose serious threats to retailers’ operations and their bottom lines.”

Reflects on How a Shoplifting Charge Changed Her Life

Shoplifting consequences that ended a 35-year career in journalism.

On February 11, 2012, officers of the Tucson Police Department cited former Tucson KVOA news anchor Martha Vazquez on a shoplifting charge. According to the report that was filed, Vazquez was cited for shoplifting at the Dillard’s in the Tucson Mall after a loss prevention officer observed her conceal an Eileen Fisher jacket value at $338.00. After she was detained, a search of her belongings also yielded a pair of Kenneth Cole sunglasses valued at $30 that had also been shoplifted.

Vazquez said that after the shoplifting charges ended her 35-year career in broadcast journalism, her life hit “rock bottom.” She resigned her prominent position, sank into a deep depression and left Tucson for Washington State. Now, Vazquez says the time that she spent out of the public eye in Washington after her incident in 2012, was “a healing journey.” She is now back in Tucson; is being treated for depression and says that she wants to help others.

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HOW TO SPOT A SHOPLIFTER

December 11, 2015 by Leave a Comment

theft (8)What does a shoplifter look like? How do you know if someone is going to steal from you? I get asked these questions all the time by store associates and mangers. The real answer is, a shoplifter doesn’t fit any specific demographic. There is no common appearance to a thief. I’ve personally apprehended 12 year old kids, soccer moms, grandmothers, lawyers, doctors, truck drivers, college professors in addition to the professional thieves. There are a few tips to look out for that you should share with your teams.

Looking around/up for associates and/or cameras

Most people shop by looking at the product in front of them. I always get suspicious when I see someone looking everywhere but in front of them. Subjects that are constantly looking up (for cameras) are pretty easy to spot; when’s the last time you looked at the ceiling at the supermarket? These people usually catch my attention rather quickly.

Grabbing items without regard to size, color or size

If I’m shopping for a pair of pants, I am looking for a specific style and size. Thieves who are looking to steal to resell usually will just take whatever they can get their hands on. If you see someone walk by a display of clothing and just start randomly selecting product, they may be planning on stealing that product from you.

Clearing pegs/shelves

If I’m buying *electronic item x*, chances are, I’m only going to buy one. If you notice someone clear an entire peg or shelf, especially if it’s a high risk product, which is another great indicator that their intentions may be less than honest.

Wearing unseasonal clothing

This one is my favorite. Every time I’ve seen someone wearing a coat in the summertime, I’ve ended up throwing them in jail for stealing from me. If it’s 90 degrees outside, someone wearing a thick coat should send up some major red flags.

Staging merchandise

Maybe you walk by a quiet corner of the store and see a subject place a few pairs of headphones on a back aisle. Perhaps they decided not to purchase them; or perhaps they’ve staged them to steal after they’re convinced that the area is clear. I’m always suspicious of buggies of product near fire exits. Often times, a thief will stage product prior to committing the theft. If you find product out of place, it’s best to simply return it to its home location

Removing/attempting to remove EAS devices

No brainer, right? If you walk by someone and they are really struggling to remove an EAS device, they probably don’t have intentions on buying the item. If you, or your team see this, the customer should immediately be given customer service. I usually ask if I can help them with the security device… it gets the point across that I am aware of their actions, without me actually having to say anything accusatory.

While not every shoplifter will demonstrate the same overt acts, if store personnel are attentive and engaging with all customers, these behaviors can be picked up on and properly relayed to store managers. Remember, there is no better anti-theft tool than a well-trained, attentive employee. By looking out for these subtle cues, your team can better protect your #1 financial investment, store inventory.

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HOLIDAY SAFETY TIPS FOR YOU CUSTOMERS AND YOUR EMPLOYEES

December 11, 2015 by Leave a Comment

theft (12)It seems like the months of November and December are just ripe for criminal activity in our stores. These are the months that we see a spike in not only internal and external, but other, more serious crimes like burglary, armed robberies, car theft, and purse snatchings. Over the last decade, I’ve put together some holiday safety tips for my stores and I’d like to also share them with you.

One of the most common crimes that occur in our parking lots during the holiday season are vehicle burglaries. Busy shoppers are running from store to store and packing their cars full of goodies. Valuables left in plain sight attract criminals like a moth to a flame. What’s worse is that with all the hustle and bustle, often times, shoppers inadvertently leave their car doors unlocked. This one is simple to solve. First, leave all valuables and gifts in your trunk, out of sight. Second, LOCK your doors. I once partnered with local law enforcement in a store I had significant issues in and printed up some small reminders. We gave these out to every customer during checkout all season long. The customer’s appreciated the tips and we saw a reduction in parking lot incidents.

Another common theft for criminals this time of year is stealing from your customers while they shop. A busy mom sets her purse, or cell phone on the top of her buggy. In a split-second, she turns around to wrangle the kids, or to grab a hot deal. When she turns back, her purse or phone is gone. I’ve seen this happen so many times, and each time it could simply be prevented. Don’t leave your personal belongings out of sight, ever. I make it a point when I’m walking my stores, or even when I’m out shopping, to educate people on how to best protect their belongings. The last thing someone needs is to have their purse full of their hard earned money stolen right before Christmas.

We can talk about customer safety all day long, but what about your teams? We all have an obligation to keep them safe as well. Our early morning and closing teams are usually the most vulnerable. Remember that there is safety in numbers. When closing, it’s best that the entire team leave at once, with the manager, as opposed to allowing them to leave individually. This will help reduce the risk of personal crimes late at night, in addition to an after-hours robbery. The same should go with your opening team. Once the manager arrives, all employees should then get out of their vehicles, instead of waiting outside the doors. Closing and opening managers should also make it a point to drive around the perimeter of the store to look for signs of forced entry and any suspicious persons and/or activity.

Armed robbery. I dread this time of year because for my stores, every robbery we’ve ever had occurred during this time of the year. We’ve had a handful of robberies during business hours and about the same number after-hours. While it’s very hard to prevent a robbery, there are a few steps you can train your team to do in order to get out alive and unharmed. Thankfully, we’ve never had an injury as our teams followed the steps below each time. I’ll close out my holiday safety tips with these quick tips on how to stay safe during a robbery.

  1. Stay calm.
  2. Comply with all demands
  3. Give them whatever they want, as quickly as possible
  4. Get them out of the store as quickly as possible
  5. Do not call the police with the gunman still in the store. If police arrive quickly, there could be a shoot-out, or a potential hostage situation
  6. Try to remember as much descriptive information as possible (hair color, race, eye color, tattoos)
  7. Do not touch anything after a robbery. You don’t want to contaminate the crime scene, as police may be able to obtain DNA or fingerprints from the safe, doors, or countertops                                    
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How to Find a Good Security Consultant

December 11, 2015 by Leave a Comment

meetingpic.In today’s business climate it’s impossible for an owner or manager to have all the knowledge and experience needed to run a successful company.  There’s too much new and changing information (i.e., technology, taxes, healthcare, government regulations, legal liability) for any one person to keep up, let alone have a working understanding.

That’s why even very small businesses are using temporary specialists more often than ever before.  Outside experts fill the many gaps which any business has: lawyer, marketer, accountant, consultant, business analyst or web designer.  Increasingly, one of the requirements for many companies is security consulting.

The growing need for risk assessments and security measures is an area of concern most companies have never had to face.  It’s an area which requires expertise beyond what the average manager or owner can be expected to have.  It just makes sense to outsource it. 

But, how do you find a good security consultant?  As any good security consultant will tell you — due diligence is the key.  To get you started here are a few tasks to do and questions to answer for each candidate.

* Interview more than 1 person, 3 is usually enough to find the right one.

* Do they welcome or hinder your due diligence?  A viable candidate will endorse your actions.   

* Check their references and credentials.  Also, depending on the project you have in mind, consider doing a background check.

* Evaluate and validate their work experience.  Do they have the expertise they claim to have?  There are many types of security issues.  Does their knowledge fit your problems? 

* Are they listening to you and your people?  Are they offering solutions before they understand the problems?  Are they trying to up-sell you?

* Do they demonstrate responsibility by following up when they say they will (i.e., bids, phone calls, appointments, texts, emails)?  If they’re not responsible when they’re trying to sell you, it usually gets worse during the project.

* Is there a contract?  There should be one that’s clear and easy to understand.

Security issues — workplace violence, cyber attacks and breaches, employee theft, shoplifting — are continuing to grow.  It’s time to think about how they affect your business and take steps to address them.  These are concerns that aren’t going to go away. 

Nicole Abbott is a professional writer who’s had over 100 articles published.  She’s a business consultant and former psycho-therapist with over 20 years of experience in mental health, business and addiction.  She’s a coach, lecturer, trainer and facilitator.  She has conducted over 200 workshops, trainings, presentations, seminars and college classes. 

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Do you have a Business “Go Kit”?

November 11, 2015 by Leave a Comment

shopliftingMany folks have go kits set up so that in the event of a storm, natural disaster or civil disturbance, they can grab their family and the Go Kit and be covered. Personal Go Kits tend to have copies of documents such as drivers licenses, birth certificates, passports, deeds…. But Go Kits can also include items to survive such as water, food, medicines, flashlights, a weapon…. These concepts used to be confined to those among us that are expecting a doom’s day interruption or ending to our society.

However, with the complexity of our society come other issues. How would you easily prove that a house belongs to you, if the area was damaged beyond recognition? Say a hurricane, flood, wild fire or earthquake? What happens if the official records are also lost? Are you going to depend on others to put your life back together again?

The same applies to your business. How will you prove to your insurance company that your inventory is valued at $XXXX if your records all disappear in a fire? The same applies to payroll records and the like. You need to have a BUSINESS Go Kit!

Thankfully this is simpler than you may think. Consider keeping your data files in a cloud environment that has multiple backups on servers that are located in multiple locations around the US. If they are on one server located in New Orleans or Miami, I would re-think that strategy. We use Google’s cloud. It costs us $5/month per employee and the redundant backups are on five separate servers in five different geographical locations in the United States.

Scan in important documents such as business licenses, insurance documents, titles, vendor documents, etc. Put them in your cloud. That way you have access wherever you are. It might be a good idea to put photos of your business, inventory, equipment and more on there, every six months or annually. Have your backups of accounting data such as Quick Books reside their also. All of this plus payroll records, taxes and more could be rebuilt but why would you want to take the time to do this when it is simply a matter of changing your habits?

Oh but “it will never happen to me” or “I will get to that tomorrow” are favorite phrases we all like to use to put something off that we know should be done. It will happen to you and it will happen “tomorrow”. An earthquake may never threaten your business but then again a data loss, PC crash probably will.

Unless you are wealthy beyond belief, then like the rest of us that are not, we depend on our business to provide for our families and life style. We will need to restore that cash flow in the quickest manner possible and with the least amount of effort to get there. Your business Go Kit will help make that happen.

It is also a good idea to keep a few extra cases of water, blankets, candles and canned soup on hand. I may be miserable but being warm, having a full stomach and a little light to read by will make it a little less miserable.

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