I was shocked to see a couple of my trash disposal company’s employees pawing through an open bag of papers from my neighbors trash as I left my house the other day. I stopped to talk to them — just so they knew someone was paying attention to what they were doing. And I wonder if these guys were really employees. They had no gloves. I aksed about that. Their answer? None at the shop. Hmmm… 

So this is a good reminder for you, especially if your business is home-based. Everything that hits your curb is fair game. Once it’s there it’s public property and anyone can go through it and take what they want.

What might they be interested in? Customer credit card numbers for one. Mailing lists for another. Research you’ve been doing for a super secret marketing campaign. It’s none of their business and it’s your responsibility to protect it.

And the best way to do that is to make a shredder your small businesses best friend.

What do you think? How do you protect sensitive information in your business? Tell me about it by leaving a comment.

More on this topic:

1. Small Business Security a Big Deal
2. Don’t Let Your Business Become A Fraud Victim
3. Small Business Security Critical To Your Business
4. Don’t Let Your Small Business Die Alone
5. Seven Ways to Make Sure Your Customers Trust You