Business Checklist

• Cheques to suppliers or people you don't know.

• Cheques made out to cash.

• Signatures that look forged.

• Missing or out of sequence cheques.

• Cheques in which the payee does not match the name in your register.

• Cheques made to a third party but endorsed by someone in your company.

• Periodically review your cheque register to ensure that cheques are in numerical order and that there are no cheques missing.

• Keep blank cheques locked away in a secure location, account for missing numbers, and periodically inventory your remaining supply. Have a "voided cheque procedure" requiring validation of all voided items.

• Never sign a blank cheque.

Some questions to consider:

• Are they living a lifestyle not commensurate with their wage income?

• Are they the first to arrive at work and the last to leave? Are they taking vacations?

• Are they adequately supervised?

• Are they highly territorial over their accounting function, especially if the employee is solely responsible for accounting?

• Have you performed background checks on employees, including temporary ones?

• Keep duties separate. No single employee should be responsible for financial transactions from beginning to end.

• If you are placing online orders, ensure that you are doing so on secure internet sites (with URL that begins with “https:/” and a lock symbol that will show in your browser), or place your order by telephone or mail.

• Ensure that you keep your login access codes confidential, especially to your internet banking sites. Do not share these with anyone.

• When your computer is not in use, shut it down or disconnect it from the internet.

• Do not respond to unsolicited e-mails from companies requesting you to validate or verify personal information. Change your passwords often.

Paperwork

• Shred/destroy any paperwork that you no longer require including bank records, credit card statements, credit card/loan solicitation letters, receipts, etc.