The past few months have seen a number of craft companies fall victim to acts of crime, with vandalism, burglaries and fraud presently the biggest areas of concerns. Recent reports suggest a third of all small businesses in the UK now believe attacks are on the rise – a view supported by Home Office criminologists earlier this year, who predicted the worsening economy would see levels of offences rise significantly over the next year.

The most common type of crime against small businesses is currently theft, accounting for 54% of all offences. Fraud and malicious damage are also on the rise, amounting for 19% and 16% of attacks respectively. Other areas to have experienced a sharp growth include online fraud and theft from staff. Worryingly, there are also a number of businesses which have been targetted more than once, with 35% being attacked more than three times. We spoke to Chris Little, managing director of business insurance specialist Premierline Direct, to find out how retailers can protect themselves against the rising levels of crime.

“The general consensus among small business owners is that crime against them is on the rise,” he explains. “However, there are a number of ways you can protect your property. Firstly, it's essential to review your external security. Look at the exterior of your premises and analyse the areas where it might be at risk. Consider the physical aspects of the building as these act as the first line of defence against an incident and pay particular attention to the windows, doors, locks and CCTV. It's also important to investigate any external influences that might be a cause for concern, such as anti-social behaviour outside your building.

“Your internal security is just as important,” he continues. “Opportunities for crime include insecure cash tills, visible stock, contents left on display after closing, and items which aren’t security tagged. Make sure expensive products and valuables are stored in a secure room after hours, use lock down plates on computers to secure them to a fixed location and ensure CCTV is working and focussed on entrances and exits. A good alarm system is also vital and it’s worth installing one which is linked to a central monitoring station, as this will alert the key holder and police as soon as an attack occurs.

“It's crucial to make a plan,” he continues. “Remember, you may not be able to make all the changes you would like at once, so prioritise what you can do in the short term as this will make the biggest difference.

“Finally, make sure you know your staff,” he advises. “Sadly, theft by employees does happen, but you can help reduce the risk by making sure you thoroughly check their background when recruiting them. Ensure you obtain references and ask questions about their previous employer to find out more about their history.”

For further information on beating business crime and protecting your business, visit http://www.beatbusinesscrime.co.uk