SmallBusinessNewz

Crime may not pay, but according to the results of a new survey, it sure as hell costs.  The Federation of Small Businesses believes that small businesses in the UK lose an average 13,500 (or $20,200) every year due to criminal activity.

We'll try to just get the nastiest stats out of the way.  The FSB claimed in an official release, "[T]wo thirds of businesses were victims of crime over the past year - a figure that has risen by seven per cent to 64 per cent over the past two years."  Which might be enough to make owners look into hiding tanks, instead of shotguns, under counters.

Here's a tiny bit of encouraging news, though.  Vandalism is the biggest issue small businesses face, with vehicle damage placing second.  Threatening behavior, graffiti, shoplifting, and finally burglary follow.  So it's not quite as if everyone's getting robbed at gunpoint six times a week.

Moreover, John Walker, the FSB National Policy Chairman, may have nudged things in the right direction by stating, "What we need to see is the local police directly engaging with the business community to encourage people to report crimes.  Police authorities should also set local targets and strategies to deal with these problems on a local level."

Failing that, the U.S. Army could be having money problems what with the new president and economic recession, so buying tanks can act as Plan B.