Protecting Your Business Against Embezzlement

This article was written by Pam Newman of Entrepreneur.com

Ever read those stories about embezzlement and think to yourself, "Wow! What fools. How could they not have known their employee was stealing money from them?" Unfortunately, situations like this happen all too often, and most of the time, the crime's committed by someone you'd never suspect. While we all like to think the best of our employees, it's critical that you be very savvy about the way you handle your money. Don't be unnecessarily irresponsible; if you don't have proper controls in place, you're just inviting trouble.

So what should you do to ensure that you have controls in place to minimize the opportunity for embezzlement at your company? Here are some tips:

1. Don't leave cash lying around in an unprotected spot. It can easily disappear, and you don't want to tempt people by being careless. ...