My uncle retired last year and decided to build his dream home. I asked him how it was going, and he said I should ask his general contractor because he was the one building his home. My uncle went on to say, “Why would I trust my prize possession to anyone other than a professional who does this for a living?”

The same is true for any cannabis business owner who wants to be successful. Why would you not use a professional when it comes to designing a security program to protect your prized possessions – your employees and your customers?

In an effort to save money, or because they are not aware of a cost-responsible alternative, many business owners attempt to design their own security system or ask local law enforcement for a security assessment. Unfortunately, most business owners are not able to provide in-depth analysis or follow through with specific alternatives, costs, and proven vendors. Working with local law enforcement may seem like a rational step, but unfortunately most law enforcement officers focus on solving crimes rather than preventing them. Their reviews can leave a false sense of security even when there are still important issues which need to be addressed.

Conversely, a licensed security consultant will provide a specific and customized plan of action which gives full consideration to the upside and downside of all options. An experienced security professional can also foresee potential scenarios and knows pragmatic solutions to a wide variety of financial, external and internal theft issues that can crop up when solving security problems.

If a business owner properly anticipates the costs of repair and replacement due to crime, implementing security measures, and thus preventing losses, can often save money. It makes sense to contract with a licensed security consultant when losses from criminal attacks exceed the costs of a planned, proposed, or budgeted security program. As an example, assume that someone breaks a store window. This is the only thing that has happened and it costs $500 to replace the window. Should the owner spend $1,000 for a security assessment? Probably not, unless it is a sign of further breakage to come. Owners usually don’t need to spend money to deal with infrequent minor problems such as covering graffiti or a few broken windows.

But, on the other hand, what if someone broke into the store or there is an armed robbery? Is it worthwhile to call in a security consultant? Most would agree that it is indeed worthwhile if only for the psychological well-being of the employees to know that measures have been taken to prevent recurrence and that the future impact losses are kept to a minimum.

It is human nature that no one wants to pay for assistance until after a problem shows up. But waiting for a problem to happen could have horrific consequences. Cannabis business owners need to keep in mind possible liability if they do not respond quickly enough to reported risks or suspected criminal activities. If there is a crime and it is reasonably obvious that such a crime was foreseeable, the owner may be liable for not taking preventative measures. Inadequate security can seriously impact your business. A direct relationship links poor security to profitability.

The typical cost of a professional written security assessment for a cannabis business ranges from $600 – $5,000 plus travel expenses for the consultant. This assessment should give you a good idea of what to do, how to do it, and why to do it.

Bottom line, the decision point is whether you should spend money to better understand your potential security risk, problems and solutions … or wait until it is too late. A written assessment by an expert cannabis security consultant is one of the most effective tools available to a business owner and thus should be the only choice.

Be safe and be profitable.

Tony Gallo is the Senior Director of Sapphire Protection (www.sapphireprotection.com) with over 30 years in the Loss Prevention, Audit, Safety, and Risk/Emergency Management fields. Tony has a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice from New Jersey City University and is a member of Americans for Safe Access and National Cannabis Industry Association. Tony is considered one of the leading authorities in cannabis and financial loan service retail loss prevention and security. Contact Tony at [email protected] and follow him on Twitter at @SapphireProtect.