Small businesses need to handle cash safely

The recent Soweto looting is a case in point, and small businesses need to protect themselves and their ability to function after an incident such as a robbery or looting.

Most of these attacks are aimed at relieving businesses of their cash on hand. For cash-handling micro, small or medium businesses, a robbery can easily bring these companies to their knees.

“Criminals are working really hard to find more and more ingenious ways to rob hard-working, honest businesses but there are a number of small steps that businesses can take to protect their cash and valuables,” said Grant Dunnington, the CEO of cash in transit company SBV Services.

According to Dunnington, basic cash-handling security measures should include these measures:

• Use licensed cash-collection security companies to move and bank large amounts of cash, as opposed to sending out vulnerable, untrained and ill-equipped employees to do what is a fundamentally a dangerous job.
• Keep minimal cash on your premises. If you’ve been robbed once, don’t think that ‘lightning doesn’t strike the same place twice’ – after your first robbery you’re even more vulnerable than you were before.
• After hours, store valuable items that are normally on display in a safe or vault.
• Make sure that your insurance provider is up to date with your regular risk audits, upgrades or changes to your premises.
• Don’t let employees carrying cash, wear uniforms or badges that can identify them with your business.
• If your staff have to move cash to the bank, keep educating them on the importance of being vigilant, even suspicious at all times. Give them the resources that will save your cash – and even their lives – such as full tanks of petrol, cellphones and emergency numbers. Never let them take public transport or walk to the bank.
• Use secure containers that disguise what your people are carrying, as opposed to the obvious canvas money bags.
• Continually vary the routes and times used to move cash from the business to the bank.