Maintaining a safe practice

Every member of your practice team can help increase security. Discuss these seven steps to get started:

1. Lock up anything valuable, including money, purses, wallets, and important papers, and control the key. Theft occurs night or day, and you never know who might walk off with something.

2. Stagger breaks so you always have team members working during open hours. If you must leave the office vacant during the day, lock it. And, of course, lock all windows and exits securely at night.

3. Place office furniture so team members can easily see people entering and exiting. And make sure you could easily see a strange parcel left behind.

4. Enforce a clean-desk policy. Keep important papers, confidential files, and appointment books safely out of sight.

5. Don't keep any extra keys under flowerpots, rocks, or other commonly used hiding places. Thieves know about these hiding spots better than any of us.

6. Don't label any keys with names or numbers. If someone finds the key, you don't want him or her to know what it opens.

7. When a vendor or service person arrives, note his or her company and name, and verify that you ordered the work. And be sure no one removes property without authorization.

Stephenie Slahor, Ph.D., JD, is a management educator and writer based in Palm Springs, Calif.