VETBIZ Resource Center - Deployment Planning: Business Security

Sustaining Your Business: Security

Even if your business is to remain open while you are deployed, it is important that you take the proper safety steps to keep your business and yourself protected. Do this through checks and balances and practical security measures.

Powers of attorney: Protect yourself and your corporation by not giving anyone too much power. Assign powers of attorney carefully and only when necessary. Don’t sign the power over until you absolutely need it, and don’t provide more power than the situation call for (e.g., assigning a general power of attorney when a limited power of attorney will suffice).
Checks and balances: Protect your business by instituting simple checks and balances. Split up major responsibilities. For example, by giving one person the keys to the business to open up in the morning and another person the keys to the cash register to start business for the day, this process ensures that there are always two people present watching one another’s actions.
Security: If your business is not open every day, consider a security alarm. It can give you peace of mind to know that your business is protected when it is closed. You can also alert the local police that you will be deployed but your business will remain open in your absence. Having them keep an extra eye on the business while you are gone can also make you feel much more at ease while you are gone.
Communication: If possible, stay on top of your business to protect yourself from any surprises. Try to speak weekly with the person filling your shoes to get updates. Be careful to avoid focusing just on the negative, when there is nothing you can do to change things. Balance things out by asking which employees are taking on extra responsibilities and what good things customers have had
to say recently. If you have access to Internet while you are deployed, a remote access program can allow you to log on to your work computer from anywhere in the world to review financials, calendars, email and more.