EVERY festive season most businesses close down and reopen again in the new year.
SunMoney spoke to expert insurer Malesela Maupa to learn about securing business premises during this period.
There’s always a huge jump in burglaries over December and January.
What business owners need to know
Maupa said having a short-term insurance cover in place will help business owners have peace of mind knowing their valuable assets are covered in the event of an unfortunate incident.
He also offered businesses tips to owners, should they want to close their businesses over the festive season:
- Keep valuables safe: Valuable items such as computers, laptops and stock should be locked away in a secure room or safe.
- Secure the building: Test your alarm system and ensure it is in good working order.
Request that your security service providers do random check-ins and to monitor any suspicious activity at your premises.
- Car remote jamming: Always check that your business cars are locked before walking away. Should there be any valuables in the cars, make sure they are placed in a lockable compartment or in the boot out of sight from spying eyes.
- Burglar bars: Install quality burglar bars and place them on all opening windows and doors as this slows the burglary process down.
- Cash: It is always advisable to store cash in a bank account. However, should there be cash on the premises, always make sure that you have a safe which complies to the minimum safety requirements in terms of your policy.
Banking procedures and the frequency of banking for the festive season should also be reviewed to keep the level of cash on premises to a minimum.
- Disclose valuables left in the open: Goods left in the open during the holidays such as compressors and generators should be disclosed to your broker or insurer.
You should also discuss cover for items housed outside of the main building, such as a component from a generator housed outside or CCTV cameras mounted to the outside of a building.
Lastly, always keep records of all movable assets in case of theft. Taking inventory of computers, stock, keys and gate remotes – including serial numbers – can help speed up the insurance process in case of an unfortunate incident.
