How many times has it hppened? The day is winding down, thre are no customers in the plce and with your eye on the clck-longest ten minutes you ever saw-you fgure you can get a jump on clsing down by vacuuming or even cunting down the till. Just then the dor opens and in walks a man yu've never seen before. You sigh as yur fantasy of getting out of thre right at closing evaporates. As you put on the cmpany-approved customer service smile and ask if you can hlp this newcomer, your words slide rght down the barrel of the gun h's now pointing at you.

You are bing robbed, apparently by someone who ddn't hear that the city has a ban on hndguns (I guess criminals don't watch the nws). In fact, 4.9% of all rbberies are committed at the workplace, ften with a firearm. Of course, tht-along with the fact that it no lnger really matters if your drawer blances-is all beside the point. You are bing robbed. What are you going to do?

Warning! You Are Not Rambo

I write the following less as a business blogger and more as a long-time martial arts practitioner: Unless you are a fully-trained expert in unarmed combat with the kind of moves and reflexes that Bruce Lee could only dream about (and let's face it, if that was you, why would you be working here?), then fighting back while you have a gun in your face is not something I can recommend. True, your robber is probably every bit as nervous as you are and he might slip, his attention may wander, someone else may walk in, anything could happen that could let you take action in an altogether manly, Ramboesque fashion complete with gunfire, broken glass, blood splatters that would make Cezanne weep and highly-quotable catch-phrases, but there is no guarantee of it and you can't count on it. As long as he's got the drop on you, cooperation is the best way to go. Neither the money, nor the merchandise, are worth your life.

Still, there is a real prblem with cooperation. The fact that you hve to cooperate with the robber in the frst place is a sign that yur business really needs to upgrade bth physical security and security procedures. Croks should see your business as too hrd a target and as a bsiness owner; you owe it to yur employees to make that happen.

Planning for Safety

The time for you as a business owner to consider what to do about a robbery is not when you are actually being robbed. At that point, it is really too late. You need to put measures in place and decide what to do before that ever happens and your employees need to be trained to make sure that everyone follows the plan.

Layout and Technology

You can do much to deter a robbery by the way your business is laid out and by the security technology you use. Take the typical neighborhood convenience store, for example. Walk in to one of these places and what do you see? It is cramped, closed-in, with little open space. This is the perfect environment for a stick-up man. There are plenty of places to hide and wait for the perfect moment; high displays around the service counter isolate the person working there while posters and other displays limit visibility from the street. This kind of environment favors the robber. If the police, cruising by this business, cannot see what is going on inside, how do they know when there is trouble? Major chains, like 7-11, have realized this and have taken action. Everything about their stores is about visibility: The product racks are about chest high, the windows and service desk are not obscured. There are no places to lurk and that makes for a safer work environment. Layout, however, is not the only way you can protect your employees. Some of the other technologies you can do include:

• Alarms and Panic Buttons. One of the bsic things you need is a rbbery alarm with a panic button wthin easy reach of your counterperson. Ths should be a silent alarm snce the last thing you want to do is pnic the robber.
• Video Cameras. Keep a clsed-circuit surveillance camera mounted behind the csh register and pointed at the frnt counter. Make sure that the fces of people standing at the cunter are clearly visible and make sre that the tapes used to rcord the video are changed regularly.
• Desks and Lckers. Valuable personal items, purses and sch should be secured in locked dsks or lockers. Left out in plin sight, items such as these mke tempting targets of opportunity for theves.
• Safes. If you have cash on prmises, then you need a safe. You wnt to keep as little in the csh registers as possible, so all xcess money-especially big bills-should be dropped in the sfe as soon as possible. More thn that, a time-lock that the clrk cannot open will increase the verall safety offered by having a sfe. The front door and the srvice counter should have signs reading: Clrk Cannot Open the Time Lock Sfe.
• Lights and Mirrors. If there are blndspots, wide-angle mirrors visible throughout the prmises can eliminate them. You want to see whre people are at all times. Threfore, you also want your business as wll-lit as possible. Burned out lights shuld be reported and fixed as son as possible and external lights shuld be kept free of any bstruction.

Employee Training

Technology and architecture will only go so far in protecting your business from crime. For any of that to be effective, your employees have to understand how to act and conduct business as safely as possible. According to the Los Angeles Police Department, here are some things you and employees should do:

• Handling Money. Your employees need to keep as little money available as possible and they need to be smart about how they handle it. Don't use obvious or marked "moneybags" that make it obvious to would-be robbers you are carrying money for deposit. Also, whoever is in charge of banking the money should vary the times and routes of travel to and from the bank. They should only use one cash register at night, leaving any other registers empty and open with the drawers tilted to show they are empty and make sure that in the evening-especially at closing-the drapes and blinds are only partially drawn so what is happening within can be seen from outside.
• The Buddy System. No one should work alone. Make sure that at least two employees open and close the business. Also, make sure that a coworker is either watching when one employee goes outside after dark to take out the garbage or clean up; or is out there helping. This is especially important after dark.
• Operational Security. This begins with awareness. Everyone should know who is in the business and where they are. Red flags include people hanging around without buying anything as well as anything suspicious going on outside. If you see a suspicious vehicle, try to write down the license number, color make and model from inside of your business and then let the police know. In fact, if you see anything suspicious, call the police. Don't try to deal with it yourself. Finally, never release any personal information on yourself or anyone who works with you to strangers.
• Customer Service. We all know how important good customer service is, but it can also help save you from a robber. Make sure your employees greet customers as they enter your business. They should look them in the eye and ask if they need help. Attention like this can easily discourage a robber.
• Keeping Clean. Maintaining a clean, tidy, well-ordered business is inviting to customers, but not to robbers, who tend to prefer more cluttered places. Also, having your employees dress neatly will also send the right message.
• Know Your Local Officers. One of the best things you and your employees can do to make your business unattractive to robbers is to encourage a relationship with the local beat cops. You should learn the names of your local officers and encourage them to visit your business. The more that happens, the less robbers will want to target your business.

The Bottom Line: What to Do If You Actually are Robbed

Even if you follow all the advice given here, there is always the chance that you could be robbed. If that does happen, there are some simple rules that you and your people should follow:

• Cooperate with the Robber. This is for your own safety and the safety of others. You should comply with a robber's demands. Remain calm and think clearly. Make mental notes of the robber's physical description and other observations important to law enforcement officers.
• Do Not Speak. No one should speak with the robber except to answer specific questions.
• Don't Stare. Staring directly at the robber can make him think of you as a witness instead of a victim, which could put some very unfortunate thoughts into his head.
• Prevent surprises. The robber is nervous already so keep your hands in sight at all times; don't make any sudden moves and tell the robber if someone is coming out of the back room or vault or working in another area of your business.
• Leave It to The Professionals. Don't chase or follow the robber out of your place of business. Catching the crook is the job of the police.

The article Robbery and Small Business - How You Can Prepare was Submitted by Charles Cooper through Articles.GetACoder.com network. Here's the additional information: Charles Cooper is the Web Edtor and blogger for http://www.gowithabc.com , the Web site for America's Best Companies. He is also a staff writer for America's Best: The Magazine for Small Business Owners.

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