Are you gingerly opening the door to your high street store for the first time? This may have been a long time in coming, and you had to work very hard to achieve your goal. But you're somewhat apprehensive, even so. You may wonder if you are prepared and have fully understood the risks, but also want to take steps to protect yourself so that you don't fail before you get going. What are some of the biggest threats you can face in this situation and how can you address them, so you can sleep comfortably at night?

Building a Moat

Whenever you set up a facility like this, "the bad guys" may rub their hands together with glee. They see your place as an opportunity to enrich themselves, or to cause their own brand of mayhem during the hours of darkness. Hopefully, you've installed a state-of-the-art security system to protect your building, together with CCTV cameras to record any incidents. You should keep your interior lighting on overnight even though it is an additional cost, as this will deter any intruders.

Smart Hiring

Make sure that you avoid any threats from within, as well, by conducting proper background checks on all employees. This will help you avoid any fraud or theft that may be more difficult to spot.

Reducing Your Costs

If you are happy with security, what about long-term maintenance plans to look after your significant investment? You will have a number of items of equipment and various appliances to maintain and should always conform to manufacturer-recommended maintenance schedules. If you are proactive and make sure that you train any operators correctly, you will be able to predict any failures and avoid expensive downtime. The more attention to detail here, the lower your plant and machinery costs.

Avoiding Liability

Next, you need to address your liability and understand that the buck stops with you if anyone is unfortunately injured on your premises. You need to make sure that walkways are always kept clear and that any hazardous materials, if you need them, are stored under lock and key. Once again, engage your staff to be proactive and help you avoid any disasters.

Insurance First

While you do your best to address these issues with an action plan, you must always prepare for the worst-case scenario. Above all else, therefore, talk with insurance brokers to make sure you are covered for all the aforementioned risks and any other unexpected liabilities.