Last week, we wrote a blog about what to do if you get broken into. This week, we share the story of one our vendors who recently experienced their office being broken into. Property was stolen, damage was done, and the feelings of vulnerability are still lingering weeks after the incident.
One of our vendors, The Marketing Squad, is a Digital Marketing Agency in Louisville, Kentucky. Their office is located in an industrial park in a seemingly safe and crime-free area. They have created an inviting open office and collaborative work environment, so it isn’t out of the ordinary to find iPads, cameras, and other equipment in different places every time someone needs it for a project.
The break-in they experienced was strategically subtle. The thieves didn’t leave behind chaos or any obvious signs they had even been there. You’ll find out more below, but it wasn’t until later in the morning when their web developer, Matt, arrived and saw that his Mac desktop computer, an item that isn’t widely shared among the team, was missing that they realized they had been broken into.
Break-Ins Aren’t Always Obvious
All types of break-ins can be subtle if no entry points are obviously tampered with or broken. The Marketing Squad’s office has a front entry, which is the main entrance, and also doors in their basement, which are only used when they need to access the dumpsters in the parking lot behind their building. The basement doors were crowbarred open by the thieves who seemingly knew how to get upstairs and take what they wanted.
While the break-in seemed strategic in that a lot of damage or clues were not left behind, the items stolen seemed very random. A list of stolen items included:
- An iMac computer with keyboard and mouse
- A Canon Digital camera with Zoom lens
- An iPad Air
- Zoom audio recorder
- And perhaps the most random: cleaning supplies including a vacuum, Clorox wipes, and a bulk package of paper towel rolls
If your items seem in a disarray, whether at work or at home, we encourage you to investigate more and see if there are other areas where items seem to be misplaced. Once The Marketing Squad realized their office, and home away from home, had been broken into, they immediately felt violated and vulnerable, which hasn’t completely subsided even though the incident happened months ago.
The Importance Of Keeping Detailed Inventory
Your inventory is a major company asset that allows you to operate efficiently day-in and day-out. Ultimately, keeping a greater control over inventory allows you to have greater control over business operations. If something were to ever happen to your inventory, you can consult the records and replace items that have been broken or stolen and ones that you’re simply running low on.
Inventory control has even been referred to as “internal control” because that’s how vital it can be to your operations. In it’s simplest terms, inventory control is knowing what you have, where it’s located, and when items are running low. The easiest way to track inventory is by creating a spreadsheet with columns for the product name, serial numbers, and quantity.
Sometimes, this process is skipped over because it does take consistent monitoring as inventory in all businesses and industries is constantly changing. Ultimately, tracking inventory is vital to your business and can make all the difference when it comes to your property being stolen.
All break-ins are unexpected and unpredictable. The Marketing Squad’s story could have been prevented with a monitored business security system. The first thing Bryce, CEO and Partner of The Marketing Squad, did after dealing with a local officer, a detective, and insurance companies, was to go to a trusted, local business security provider and to get pricing options for a surveillance system. If you’re a business owner and have an unmonitored office, learn from The Marketing Squad’s story and take action before it’s too late.