Crime costs the average small firm £13,500 a year, according to new research.
It might interest business insurance customers to know that the study, conducted by the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) also reveals that more than two-thirds of companies fall victim to nefarious individuals each year.
John Walker, FSB national policy chairman, said: "What we need to see is the local police directly engaging with the business community to encourage people to report crimes."
Police should also set targets to deal with crime against business at a local level, he added.
Such incidents make up 20 per cent of all crime recorded in the UK but not enough is being done to combat it, Mr Walker stated.
Yesterday, the FSB urged the government to do more to encourage small firms to bid for state contracts.
According to the body, recommendations included in the Glover Report, which calls for a fair deal for small businesses, need to be embraced.
