Field service businesses have lots of very valuable assets. For landscape management companies, it’s lawn mowers, blowers, trimmers, trucks, etc. For plumbing businesses, it’s trucks, copper, PVC, etc. Whatever the business, you’re storing a lot of valuable assets.
That’s why it’s so vitally important that you secure those valuables. I was recently talking to a customer who owned a landscaping business who had his yard broken into one weekend and he lost 15 pieces of valuable equipment. He called the police, but, honestly, tracking down thieves is low on their list of priorities.
So here are 7 things you can do to secure your business assets that you keep in your yard or office:
- Upgrade your fence - A simple chain link fence can be pretty easy to get through. If you find thieves are easily bypassing your fence, it’s time to beef it up.
Electric Guard Dog is a reputable brand of electric fence. Though up-front costs can be a bit pricey, once installed there is very little cost because the Electric Guard Dog fence uses solar technology to power the fence. I’ve heard of contractors who have installed these after multiple break-ins and they experienced no further thefts. - Tag and photograph your equipment – If you do have your stuff stolen, you want to make sure that you get reimbursed by your insurance company. So photograph and document every piece of equipment you have. Be sure to include serial numbers in your documentation.
I’ve heard of contractors who have taken this a step further and tagged their equipment with their own unique tag. If their equipment turns up, they’ll be able to identify it and reclaim it. You can etch numbers into your equipment, put on small decals or in some other way mark that it is yours. - Light it up – No, we’re not talking about going all Cheech and Chong. We’re talking about getting big, bad, bright lights for your yard. Motion detecting lights and video cameras are a great, relatively cost-effective, deterrent for thieves. If you do have video cameras, be sure that you have signage everywhere indicating that your yard is being monitored. Also, make sure some (not all) of your video cameras are in plain sight. If a thief knows he’s running the risk of being caught on tape, he’s more likely to find an easier target.
- A dog is your yard’s best friend – It’s amazing. Some thieves may not be concerned about an electric fence, lights or video, but once a large Doberman charges at them, they’ll exit immediately.
Guard dogs have a number of advantages: They’re relatively cheap, their bark works as good as an alarm system, and most thieves won’t trade a dog bite for $100 in copper. Obviously, there’s the dog food and care you need to provide for your dog, but a little love can go a long way to securing your yard. - Monitor your new hires – Sadly, most thefts are inside jobs. That’s why it’s so important you do at least a cursory background check on everyone you hire. If things start disappearing after you hired the new guy, you might want to start watching him. He may not be taking your equipment, but he may be telling the thief what to take and where it is.
Also, keep in mind that you may have a long-time employee who falls on hard times. They may be tempted to start stealing. So watch for any changes in demeanor that may indicate a long-time employee is to blame. - Track your equipment when it walks away - I heard from a contractor up here in Minnesota who had someone break into their garage and steal a snow plow. That’s right, an entire snow plow was lifted.
For larger equipment, placing tracking devices on your machinery may help you recover it if it gets stolen. It’s not really a deterrent like the other things we’ve discussed, but there are companies that sell GPS tracking devices that you can place on your equipment.
Providers like Senal Geo Tracking will sell you a device for around $100, and then charge you a monthly fee for under $5/month/device to track it anywhere. If you’ve got an expensive piece of equipment that’s vital to your operation, a GPS tracker would be a good investment. - Back up your data – Not every theft is a piece of machinery. If someone breaks into your office, the most valuable thing there is probably your computer. If you use field service software, landscape management software, HVAC service software, dispatch software, or work order management software, the data you have in your system is vital to your day-to-day operations. Be sure you backup your data frequently, preferably offsite. For more information about your business’ technology, download our free Quick N’ Dirty Technology Checklist.
Have you been robbed? What did you do to recover your business assets and improve your security? Leave a comment below and let us know.