What you need to know about commercial safes

Here in Naperville, IL hundreds of local businesses use a commercial safe. Does yours? Maybe it’s time to add one to your list of essential business tools and equipment! No matter what kind of commercial operation you have, a safe can be quite helpful in keeping your cash, documents and other valuables “safe” from harm, crooks and even the weather! Read on and see how working with Naperville Locksmith Pro or your favorite commercial locksmith can provide you with a safe at the best price and with 24-hour service coverage for it, as well.

Safe contents

Many people think that commercial safes are just for cash. That’s not entirely true. Having stack of money around is never a bad thing! You are not necessarily hoarding it. Commercial safes are great for putting money into before it gets delivered to the bank or picked up by a Brinks guard or armored truck. Cash also comes in handy for fast closing business deals, last minute emergencies, bank/ATM unavailability and lots of other good reasons. It’s always smart to empty cash registers so that excess money is not overflowing the drawers and causing temptations for employee theft, pilfering or burglars.

You can also put documents into your safe. Depending on the type of firm you operate, you might find property titles, passports, receipts, warranties, insurance papers, wills, copies of vehicle registrations, employee records, patents, stock certificates, leases, background checks and hundreds of other printed forms of commercial activity.

Some commercial safes contain flash drives, jewelry, art, collectibles, hard drives, deeds of trust, legal documents, and even guns! There are no hard and fast rules as to what to deposit into your commercial safe. The bottom line is that your safe keeps items “safe” and should be used for doing that very thing.

What kind of safe do you want/need?

Naperville Locksmith Pro often gets calls about this. Company owners want to know, what safe is best for their needs? Since all businesses are different, that question is hard to answer. If your business is cash intensive like a restaurant or thrift store, a floor safe might be ideal to drop excess cash into after a shift is over. Some safes open with a combination dial while others use a simple slot to drop cash or paper documents into before being emptied by having a locked drawer or bottom removed. It’s best to discuss your safe needs with an experienced commercial locksmith. In Naperville, IL we have many to choose from. You can also check with local safe shops and discuss your needs with the owners as they sell to other local firms that need safes installed.

Commercial safes can be built into the floor, free standing, inserted into walls, added to panic rooms, hidden behind stairs, under tables or desk tops and placed virtually anywhere the operator feels inspired to put one. One advantage of working with a commercial locksmith like Naperville Locksmith Pro is that often free consultations are included with the service. These are ideal for selecting the right safe and installation location for your particular needs.

Do I really need a safe?

That’s up to you. You have many things to consider. Do you have items that need protection on a part time or full time basis? What are you using now? Is a locking desk drawer enough for you? Can your business afford to purchase a safe at this point or should it wait for “better days?” These are questions you should know ahead of time before you buy one or commit to adding one to your business.

Some firms hide cash, documents or valuables in desk drawers, file cabinets, behind books, in cabinets and other similar places. This can be risky as not only is your place of hiding not secure, but if someone was to see you access it or if word of this hiding place leaked out to customers or staff, you could wind up losing valuable items or money. It’s smart to weigh these risks against the cost of purchasing or leasing a commercial safe.

Places to buy your safe

You can purchase a commercial safe almost anywhere. Brand new ones often come with warranties and generally have no maintenance other than installation costs. You can buy through a safe store, hardware store or gun dealer. Even national retailers like Wal-Mart, Sears, Bass Pro Shops, Ace Hardware and Target often carry safes but keep in mind that their sales people are hardly experts and will offer little more than a price check and a smile. You can buy safes used from estate sales, yard sales, thrift stores, police auctions, flea markets and other second hand places. Keep in mind that while you can save money purchasing a safe this way, you may have to pay extra to have it repaired or opened if it is damaged or sealed shut.

Online is also a good place to locate a safe for your business. Be sure to do a web search using your favorite browser and key words that include “safes for jewelry stores” or “safes for restaurants” (be sure to substitute your particular kind of business).  Check reviews from other buyers and compare models that appeal to you across multiple platforms like Amazon, E-bay, Craigslist and online retailers.

Call a locksmith!

A solidly established commercial locksmith like Naperville Locksmith Pro will be able to answer any of your questions about safes including pricing, installation, maintenance, warranties, upgrades, and more. Our shop offers safes for every business type and budget size from the most basic to electronic safes, biometric safes and more! As stated earlier, we offer the best rates, 24-hour emergency service, free consultations and vast experience!

Keep your receipt

In many cases your newly purchased safe can be written off on your taxes. We are not accountants but if you are in business you most likely have one. Be sure to check with your tax professional and let them know how you plan on using your safe at your Naperville, IL business. It just may wind up costing you less than you thought!

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Naperville, IL is sure to be looked after by our expert team

Want to discuss some options? We are here to help. Naperville Locksmith Pro prides itself in delivering stellar customer service, and our team is ready to help you get everything you are looking for. Schedule a time for a free consultation to talk about the different ways we can help you protect your property. We also offer complimentary price quotes for all of our services. Just get in touch with our certified experts, and we will help you out. We look forward to answering all of your questions.

And other major centers can benefit too!

 

Our services are so easily attainable, that we are able to cater for all nearing locations as well. Residents of Chicago, Barrington, Glenview, Glendale Heights and other surrounding areas can get in touch with Naperville Locksmith Pro 24/7. We are here to serve all your lock and key needs, and to provide lockout and other emergency assistance. Getting to all locations is a breeze, so help is guaranteed arrive to you promptly.

HOW BEST TO PROTECT YOUR RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY

Whenever we talk about optimal home security, what we usually think of is an alarm system. For sure, this is an effective way to protect your home. But there are numerous other effective ways to protect your place of residence, which you can do yourself, or hire a locksmith professional to do it, without spending very much money. Of course, no building is completely impervious, so your main goal is to discourage a burglar, to make it more difficult for someone to break in.

First, establish these general rules:

• Whenever you go out, and before going to bed, lock all your doors and windows.
• Unless you know the person knocking, don’t answer the door. (If you don’t have a peephole already, it’s time to get one installed.)
• Keep your garage door shut and locked when you’re not around.

Here are some additional lines of defense:

Don’t keep a “hidden” house key. Most professional robbers will easily find your key inside your mailbox or under the welcome mat. Even if you have one of those keyholders disguised as a rock, an expert criminal will probably recognize it. Instead, make an extra house key for a trusted neighbor to keep on hand for you.

Don’t keep any keys and remotes near your door, or otherwise visible to anyone outside. It’s best to keep them hidden inside a drawer or cupboard.

Make it difficult for an intruder to hide anywhere. Avoid having any tall and thick shrubs around your doors and windows, and also avoid having any tall fences.

Reinforce the doors. A hollow door is of lower quality, which makes it a cinch for an intruder to penetrate. Replace any poor-quality doors with solid-core doors made of metal or wood.

Replace weak locks. Deadbolts will provide you with extra security. Heavy-duty is always more reliable. Be sure to get a grade 2 deadbolt lock, which penetrates the doorframe.

Do you have an air conditioner? Prevent a thief from getting through an unsecured window: Use an air-conditioner bracket, corner braces, or a sliding window lock.

Don’t leave a ladder outside. A housebreaker can pretend to be a contractor or handyman, and use your ladder to get through a window on an upper floor or balcony.

Install superior exterior lighting. You can also put your lights on a timer. Put them at the front door and/or any porches, your back door, garage entrance, and basement door. Motion sensor floodlights are best, because anytime anyone passes by, the lights will illuminate, so the trespasser can’t hide. Some lights respond to changes in temperature, sound, or light. There are also lights that you can connect to your smart device that allow you to detect any undesirable activity and respond immediately from anywhere.

Keep a few indoor lights on, too, whenever you’re gone. When you’re away for the day, or for a long time, you can make it look like people are home by putting timers on your lights, radios, and TVs. There’s also a smart app you can use while you’re not there, to make it look like your home is occupied the whole time.

Avoid windows on or near your doors. Windows can be easily broken for quick entry by a prowler. Do you have any sliding-glass doors? Even if they’re locked with a latch, they are relatively easy to open. Make them more secure by putting an adjustable safety bar, or a wooden dowel, cut to size, in the floor track. You can add a floor bolt, too.

Don’t be too obvious. Professional criminals will case the neighborhood, observing people’s comings and goings. If they see that you’re home during the day, they’ll move on to the next house. Compare your house to the others in your neighborhood, and modify your appearance accordingly. Create a look of responsible upkeep, but don’t stand out.

Inside, keep valuables out of sight. Keep your blinds closed if you have exceptionally valuable possessions. Stash your cash, jewelry, and other treasures in uncommon locations.

Outside, keep any valuables hidden, so there isn’t obvious evidence that you have anything attractive to a robber. For instance, keep your luxury car safe inside the garage.

A barking dog can be a good deterrent. While you’re away, you might even play a recording of a dog barking, and post a sign saying, “BEWARE OF DOG”!

Putting up any sign at your front door discourages visitors. “NO TRESPASSING” works, but if you’re audacious, you could post a message to instill fear, such as “Owner Has Gun, Will Shoot Trespassers.”

You can purchase a home safe. You can buy the type that’s anchored to the floor, for valuables, emergency cash, and crucial documents. The best safes are fireproof and waterproof.

Consider adding gate entry. Depending upon your locale, you can add a security gate, so you can monitor each person who enters. It can have a basic intercom system and keypad, too. Some gates are more sophisticated, so you can give certain individuals security clearance based on your established list of criteria.

Put in surveillance cameras. Choose the kind that will fit your budget and requirements. Consider image resolution, and other technical aspects of the setup. Do you want to record and keep 24/7 video footage? Do you desire sophisticated software with specific capture capabilities ~ such as time-and-date stamp code, facial recognition, and vehicle number plate recognition? What about high-security monitoring and access control functions? It all depends on your area, your property, and your pocketbook. When individuals with criminal intentions, arsonists, or vandals notice the extensive level of your building’s access control system, they’ll think twice and move on.

There are additional ways to augment your home’s security. Most are easy to do, and relatively affordable. To learn more about your options, if you’re located any place in Naperville, Illinois, you ought to request a free consultation from a reputable locksmith company. For example, the staff mobile locksmith professionals of Naperville Locksmith Pro are available 24/7 to assist you.

Tips for Vehicle Lockout Emergencies

You’ve got a lot on your mind while driving. Let’s face it, 21st century society has placed a lot of demands upon those behind the wheel. You’ve got dozens of channels on your satellite radio and surely one of them is playing something good right. You’ve got e-mail and text message alerts going off like crazy and, being the safe driver you are, you wait until you park the car and get out to read them. Then there’s the kids! Oh, the kids that can you drive you crazy. With all those other things going on…is it any wonder you only notice your keys are still securely in place inside the ignition switch in that final agonizing second before the locked door slams shut.

Like thousands of people every day, you are now facing one of those situations known as emergency auto lockouts. Your options are not as limited as you might think and here’s the great part: those options do NOT include calling AAA or a locksmith. These options are for auto lockouts where you simply don’t have the luxury of waiting around for an hour or more while help gets to you.

A Good Reason for Wearing Laced Shoes

Note: this method only works on cars with locking mechanisms on the door that pop up. Unlace one of your shoes and then create a loop in the middle so that you have two long stretches on either side. Next, stretch the lace out so that you can work it into the opening around the corner of one of the doors until you have gotten it through the seal and actually inside the car. It may take awhile, but the idea is to get the loop around the locking mechanism securely enough that you can pull the ends of the lace to tighten around the lock, thus allowing you to pull it up and open.

A Rod and a Wedge

A small piece of wood or even hard plastic shaped like a doorstop and a thin metal rod can get you back into some locked cars. Use the wedge to…well..wedge an opening in the door just large enough to allow you to work the rod into the car. From that point it’s just a matter of making sure the rod you have is long and thin enough that you can use it to press one of those buttons that unlocks the car from inside.

Hanger

The old wire coat hanger trick is dependable for cars where you slide a hanger into the small bit of wiggle room between window and the door seal so that the hanger can hook around a locking button. The problem with this time-honored method is that it’s pretty much useless if your auto lockout doesn’t occur near easy access to hangers.

Paper Clips

If you can dig up a couple of paper clips, straighten them out and insert one directly into your car’s door lock and start gently pushing it in and out while you keep the other clip fully inside the lock and start wiggling and turning it until you’ve successfully picked the lock open.

Removable Antenna

Older cars with the kind of antenna that can be unscrewed and removed have a built-in tool for getting into the car when locked. Just unscrew the antenna and work into the into as a way to press down on a button that works the lock.

Through the Trunk

If you just can’t seem to unlock the car door, try picking the lock of the trunk. Some vehicles allow for entry into the car through the trunk by pulling on a cord that unlocks the rear passenger seats, thus allowing access into the car.

Borrow a Remote Control

If your car has a remote control that unlocks it, try to find someone with a similar model and see if you can borrow their remote. Give it a try and you just might get lucky enough to find a remote that works on your car.

Article Source: Tips for Vehicle Lockout Emergencies

Related Article: 8 Tips for Preventing Car Lockout Situations