What you need to know about commercial safes

The perception is that safes are for protecting lots of cash, jewels or art. Banks, savings and loans, credit unions and pawn shops come to mind, but did you know that everything from battery stores and fabric shops to hot dog stands and computer repair locations can greatly benefit from having an on location commercial safe? You can easily and readily find commercial safes in bakeries, car dealerships, private schools, medical clinics, nursing homes, apartment rentals, storage facilities, art studios, fine dining, realtor offices, attorney firms, fast food outlets, home improvement stores, hospitals, hotels, sports facilities, construction firms and hundreds more. Each firm can “deposit” in their safe whatever is most valuable and in need of protection. These items can include coins, cash money, flash drives, software, key codes, legal documents, award letters, rare stamps, prized letters, appraisals, combinations, insurance policies, medical records, pharmaceutical items, and many more.

Will it make me a target for robbery?

That depends; do you plan on boasting to others about your commercial safe’s contents? Are you discreet about what you are adding to your safe and what you do with its contents?  The purpose of your safe is to keep your firm’s valuables protected and not to be a status symbol. Nowadays, having a commercial safe is not an oddity; in fact, not having one is more strange at this point!

Locking desks and cabinets instead of a safe?

Nope; not the same! Just because something locks doesn’t mean that the security afforded is comparable. Sure, desks and file cabinets have locks on them and they do offer protection but these locks are somewhat easy to bypass and they offer only basic protection. Most of these locks can be picked open, smashed or pried open in mere seconds by anyone with a crow bar or screw driver. We recommend that you keep low security items in your desk and file cabinet and use them mainly for filing and for handy items like pens, papers, folders and sack lunches and not for items that demand a better level of protection. Put high value items inside your commercial safe.

Safe contents

Are all businesses alike? Of course not! They vary in their customer base, location, product lines, methods of advertising, hours of operation and dozens of other ways. The same is true for safe contents. A bowling alley or local bar might be cash intensive and keep lots of bills and change on hand. Fast food locations and car washes leave money on site until they can make a bank run and deposit it. Cash on hand is good for purchases, tips, and for making correct change. Pawn shops and jewelry stores often put gems, cash, jewels, rare coins, diamonds and even guns inside their safes. Other items can include purchase orders, IOUs, receipts, gift cards, rare stamps, flash drives, key codes and safe combinations, keys to storage units and to desks and cabinets, tax records, passports, real estate titles, insurance papers, stock certificates, rolled coins, credit files and lots more.

Out of my league!

You may think that buying a commercial safe is an extravagant expense and not justified with the volume of business you are doing right now. While you may be right, chances are that you can afford a commercial safe – think of it more as an investment in your firm and not as an expense. Shop around and do some number crunching. You may be able to write it off on your company taxes so be sure to check with your tax professional about that. You may also qualify for an insurance premium reduction as some insurers like the fact that you added better locks and security items like safes and alarms. Safes can be purchased over time and by using corporate credit lines. Even if they are bought with cash outright, they will justify themselves over time in enhanced security and extra peace of mind.