Background Check: How They Can Protect Your Business Against Crime

Background check: How they can protect your business against crime

If you are running a small business, then you know that on top of all the normal worries of pricing, competition, position, customer service etc... Security and the need to protect your business from theft, fraud, scam etc... has become increasingly important.

You could be up against suppliers who deliver dodgy goods, customers who get out of paying for their order or even employees who rob you from supplies to cash and services!

The British business group "The Federation of small Business" reported that 58% of small businesses suffered a crime within the last two year period.

They wrote:

"Crime and the fear thereof can directly impact on the businesses day-to-day activities. It can easily damage the business image - resulting in a loss of existing customers and deterioration in the quality and range of services and products offered by the business. All this in turn will limit turnover and restrict future business development"

But how do you protect your business from these kinds of activities?

Background search, and people search engines on the web provide and economical answer

You can easily use 21st century technology to get the information that you need to deter the activities of criminals and scam artists.  You need to be aware of the tools available to you and your business, or else you will not know how to use a good back ground checking service to help your business avoid unfortunate and possibly fatal losses.

Long gone are the days where a business had to make use of an expensive private investigator or investigative agency to get a background check on someone to find out if they are hiding anything. Some of these services are free, but a business would most definitely benefit from paying a small fee for a more in depth and accurate set of information. These paid services cost significantly less that one would expect, especially considering the volume and quality of information they bring in - A year of service will cost less than bringing in lunch for a staff meeting!

The companies offering paid services can also afford to keep their databases up-to-date. So if it's accurate information you are after, this is the route for you. These sites are sometimes referred to as People Finder sites or people search engines

The types of things you can, and should be looking into to protect your business...

Background Check for recruiting Employees

You should include a pre-screening of each potential employee as part of your businesses recruitment policy. There are various stories about how new bookkeepers or employees stole thousands of dollars from their employers before they got caught out. In almost all these cases the employee had a history of embezzlement and fraud. This is something a quick background check would have revealed.

Background Check Existing Employees - Make it a Condition of Employment

You might need legal advice before enforcing this one, but if it's a condition of employment and given to your employee in writing you don't invade their privacy. Some existing employees may change over time and become involved in criminal activity outside the workplace that you don't even know about. You should do a full background check on all existing employees - maybe once a year especially if they are dealing with cash or have negotiating power which can be abused to the determent of your business

Criminal Background Checks

So anytime your business deals with a stranger do a quick check to see if they have any kind of hidden past. A criminal background check will give you instant access to things like their, criminal record, FBI & Police records, Prison records, sex offender status etc...

You will have instant access to their entire criminal history if there is one. This can be a very effective way of stopping a problem before it even occurs - especially with the rising violence in the workplace.

Do a check on each company or individual you do business with

Check every supplier or contractor you do business with. You can easily find the entire history of the managers, owners or even the business as a whole. Have these guys been involved in criminal activities in the past? - Find out!

If you are dealing with large orders from customers, do a check on them as well! Your customer's history will give you clear direction on the terms of sale you want to provide them with. Don't get stuck with customers that owe you large sums of money for products or services you have rendered when a quick check on People Finder 101 can resolve any questions.

Real Estate transactions are easy targets for crime

Real estate normally involves large investment, initially and over time. Whether you are a landlord or a tenant, you can check out those you do business with. You can easily check if social security numbers provided are valid. You could check if potential tenants have a past of problem or criminal activity. If you are a tenant you can easily check if your potential Landlord has any tenant or legal actions against him.

Charity organizations

Often business are expected to participate in community support programs, and donations to charitable organizations. Before giving money to anyone, do a full background check on them and their organization to ensure your money is being used for the principle you were told.

Conclusion

Running a business can be very demanding, especially when it comes to the security of your assets. Use reputable online database search engines to help protect your business. You can easily provide a more secure environment for you, your business, your employees, customers and suppliers for less than the cost of lunch for your next staff meeting!