Who Has the Keys?

Too many small business owners develop personal relationships with their employees both good and bad. It is easy to place trust in an employee because of that relationship.

I knew a business owner for whom English was a second language. This owner hired a young man primarily because he spoke a language this owner understood and was comfortable with.

The owner used that trust to steel over a month’s profits from the company using the key to access the facility after hours, access to the cash drawer and using the credit card refund system. It is only because of good cross checks on the credit card account and cash drawer that the thefts were caught.

Another business owner showed up at his facility on a Sunday night to pick up files for a meeting with his accountant the next morning to find an underage drinking party in progress in the back room. This was also unauthorized use of company keys.

Find out who has keys – the keys to the front door and other critical access - and do they all need them?  When are employees in the store alone? Where is the cash drawer and is it locked? Are there good checks and balances in place to catch shortages on cash and inventory? Who has your burglar alarm code and can you set it up so you know who goes in and out and when?

Original Material (c) Thomas Robinson