Category: Business News

The marketing and business models for B2C and B2B models are different. For the latter category, strategies for nurturing existing customers are significantly more important than for the former.

Related: Balance Your Sales Quotas With Serving Your Customers: 6 Ways How.

For B2B companies, in contrast, the customer pool is significantly smaller, which means that losing just one customer can be catastrophic. Generally, for B2B ventures, it is better for them to focus efforts on keeping their already-existing customers.

According to a research study by Bain & Company, a 5 percent increase in the customer-retention rate can result in a 25 percent-to-95 percent increase in profits for B2B businesses. Another big factor: It is 25 times more expensive to bring on a new customer than to keep an already existing one.

This is why B2B companies dread working on the customer-turnover rate and seemingly will do anything to avoid it. These realities are the reason why B2B loyalty programs are on the rise and why B2B marketers are constantly prioritizing these programs. Here are a few tips to help your B2B company hold on to your buyers.

1. Identify and categorize your buyers.

For every kind of business, numerous customer metrics exist to help entrepreneurs keep on top of their customers’ buying patterns and behavior. Perhaps the best place to start is knowing to what category your customers belong.

In an article on consultative selling, FPX identified two broad categories of buyers: “small-fish” buyers and “big-fish” buyers. The former category is what I like to call the “drive-by” buyers. These buyers are not big on loyalty. They have their eyes on the prize, and by that I mean the best deals they can get, regardless of the seller they get it from. Beyond that, they are not really keen on long-term business relationships.

Related: The Profile of a Modern B2B Customer and What It Means For You

Big-fish buyers, in contrast, are more intentional and less volatile in their approach to business dealings. These guys are in it for the long haul, or at least one longer than that of the small-fish buyers. This is especially true when the B2B business they are dealing with offers products/services that require them to work hand in hand with the seller from the first contact to purchase and installation.

Once you are able to correctly lump your buyers into these categories, you’ll find it easier to develop more targeted marketing campaigns without spending over the top for either.

2. Care for their business as much as for your own

When your buyers notice that you actually care about their business, beyond selling to them, loyalty toward you is almost a certainty. If you intend to consolidate a business relationship, understand that your dealings with your buyers do not end when you close a sale with them; the relationship actually never ends (or never should).

CenterCal, a real estate development company, has grown its business massively over a 13-year period by operating with a strategy that puts its customers first. Its latest project, for instance, called Mountain View Village in Riverton, Utah, is an ongoing 85-acre project that will boast a number of top-shelf amenities and services, such as a luxury theater, hotel and gym, retail outlets, restaurants, etc.

The individual businesses that will occupy this property will actually be reaping the benefits of the CenterCal brand. One of these benefits will be that those businesses will be able to significantly trim their marketing budgets. This is something they would not be able to do separate from the CenterCal name.

Loyalty is a two-way street.You need to be as loyal to your buyers as you need them to be to you. According to research by Kitewheel, 73 percent of customers polled believed that loyalty programs are about brands proving their loyalty to their customers, while 66 percent of marketing executives surveyed believed the reverse to be true.

When your buyers realize that being in business with you is actually good for them, the thought of jumping to the competition becomes a distant memory.

3. Speak with one brand voice.

One of the worst things that can happen to your business is when buyers feel they are getting mixed messages from you.  You cannot effectively communicate with your buyers if your brand voice is not unanimous.

When all the departments across your business are in harmony with one other and are holistically working toward the right objective, this kind of harmony will register positively in your buyers’ perception of your brand. Throughout their relationship with you, these buyers will likely deal with different departments at your company; so you want to ensure that they get a consistently positive experience.

This may mean that the responsibilities of those various departments may have to overlap at some point, to bridge any gaps between the services being given them; the result for your buyers will therefore be a seamless, positive experience.

If any of your buyers have complaints, morever, they should never feel that any employee in any department is trying to pass the buck on to someone else or to another department entirely. The seamless transition from one department to another should be something they barely even notice.

Related: Here’s How ‘Boring’ B2B Businesses Can Get Customers Emotionally Connected to Their Content Marketing

Gallup has said that only 29 percent of B2B customers are actively engaged with the companies they have business dealings with; that’s a whopping 71 percent of customers ready to jump ship at a moment’s notice. If this one statistic alone doesn’t reveal to you the urgency of continuous positive customer experience, nothing else will.

One of the most talked about marketing trends over the past few years has been influencer marketing, and rightfully so, as it provides brands with an incredible opportunity to be seen by extremely engaged audiences.

The majority of buzz surrounding influencers is the money they are able to make from sponsored posts and brand endorsements. It’s a very lucrative time to be an influencer with a large, engaged following — I speak with brands of all sizes daily through my agency that aren’t even sure what influencer marketing even entails — they just think they need to jump on the train.

While many are leveraging their social influence to land big paychecks, many millennials are focused on leveraging their influencer for social good — the media just doesn’t like to focus on it. A story about a social influencer being paid six-figues for a single post is going to pull more attention, clicks and social shares than one about social good — like The Santa Clause Affect — but these stories do exist.

Related: 10 Laws of Social Media Marketing

1. Providing valuable education and knowledge.

There are so many benefits of building a personal brand, and the recent surge of social media stars is a prime example of how powerful your own brand can become. There are some social media influencers who have larger followings than some of the most popular actors and entertainers in the world.

Social media provides the perfect platform to establish, grow and then leverage a personal brand. Millennial initiatives like The Santa Clause Affect, are providing education, based on knowledge of the social media ecosystem. Understanding how to create content and build a following can be used for more than just become a social media superstar — it can lead to successful career opportunities in virtually any industry or setting. They are teaching a skillset that can be used for enormous personal and professional growth opportunities.

Related: 4 Ways to Market Your Business for Free

2. Building positive social awareness.

Social media is the ultimate platform to raise social awareness — Harambe is the perfect example of how the millennial generation is taking causes they feel strongly about, and turning them into viral stories.

In today’s social setting, when something goes viral, it is often turned into a meme. Millennials understand that they can use a twist of humor to garner social media tractions.

While many social influencers are leveraging their reach for personal and financial gain, a large percentage also use it to make positive impacts in society.  

Related: Use These 5 Steps to Create a Marketing Plan

3. Teaching how to use social media as a platform to achieve your dreams.

Social media stardom has created several self-made millionaires. It’s opened the doors to paid endorsement deals, movies, TV, merchandise and more. While the odds of becoming rich and famous on social media are extremely slim, it’s a great example of how working hard can help you achieve your dreams.

Being a social media star is an actual career these days, as crazy as that might sound to those older than the millennial generation. Social media can be the breeding ground for new opportunities, and millennials have no problem teaching others how to best use it as a launching platform to create social good.

When people talk about entrepreneurs, they immediately think about the Mark Zuckerbergs or Elon Musks of the world. And, they’re not wrong to think about those giant tech disruptors, who impact millions of lives daily.

Related: Should You Structure Your Business as a Nonprofit?

However, not all entrepreneurs are created the same. And not all have the same motivation. While some feel a passion for technology and disruption, others want to use their entrepreneurial skills to make the world a better place. In an era where more companies like Patagonia, Ben & Jerry’s and others are putting a big emphasis on corporate social responsibility, more and more entrepreneurs want to join the fray.

Many of the latter aren’t just leaving corporate America or the “corporate” part of CSR behind; they seek to become entrepreneurs who go the social responsibility route by launching non-profit enterprises.

According to the National Center for Charitable Statistics, there are more than 1.5 million registered non-profits in the United States. In 2014, the non-profit share of the GDP was 5.3 percent, according to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. There are reasons behind this growth: Non-profits give entrepreneurs the opportunity to directly give back to the community, and offer more immediate, tangible results.

However, starting a charity or any non-profit endeavor requires that it still be run like any other for-profit business: Non-profits need to generate enough revenue to cover all of their expenses, identify their target markets and work a plan that will deliver their services to the market.

If you’re looking to start a non-profit yourself, but don’t know where to begin, here are five pointers that will help you at the start:

Related: 5 Tips for Launching a Non-Profit Campaign on Kickstarter

What’s your plan?

You wouldn’t launch a venture without a solid business plan in place, why would a non-profit be any different? Your plan needs to have answers to these questions:

• What’s your objective, you mission and your purpose?
• Who will your audience be?
• Do you have the resources to launch your enterprise?
• Why are you doing this?

The last question is perhaps the most important of them all. Every entrepreneur dreams up an idea, but the act of dreaming, alone, won’t get you far. You need to put pen to paper, and that starts when you calculate your potential costs, define your goals and objectives and answer the above questions as truthfully as possible. Writing everything down gives your idea a more tangible feel and a solid foundation to start making your dream reality.

Sure, writing a detailed business plan can seem like a hassle, but the time you invest up-front will save you a lot of time (and headaches) later in the process. Most important: A detailed plan will help with the IRS when you apply for tax-exempt status (Form 1023) and for your future fund-raising efforts. It will also help you streamline start-up costs, office space, supplies, any infrastructure costs or licensing fees and other small details which, if forgotten, could derail your plan.

Normally, people say, “Don’t sweat the small stuff,” but this time, sweat the small stuff. And, remember, saying “I want to help people” sounds great in a beauty pageant, but it’s neither a strong enough reason nor the mission you need, at the start.

Do you qualify for non-profit status?

This is the $64,000 question. According to the U.S. Internal Revenue Code, there are several types of non-profits that are eligible to receive exemptions from federal income taxes. The most common type of non-profit is a 501(c)3, which is also known as a “charitable organization.”

The IRS says that in order to qualify for 501(c)3 status, an organization must be “organized and operated exclusively for exempt purposes” and its earnings may not benefit a private shareholder or individual. The organization, further, should be created or operated to benefit anty private interests, and it needs to limit how much political or legislative activities it conducts.

Non-profits fall into two categories: public charity and a private foundation. Public charities receive most of their income from the general public or the government. Public support here needs to be broad, rather than focused on a small number of people. Private foundations receive income from investments and endowments, not necessarily the general public.

Who’s on your board?

Once you have a clear mission, vision and purpose, and you’ve established what kind of non-profit you want to run, next comes the question of who will fill the seats in your board of directors. These people will need to be fully committed to your cause, as they will be accountable to help the organization meet its goals; they’ll be the non-profit’s governing body and heavily involved in all fund-raising efforts.

I personally serve on a number of boards, including the Board of Governors at the We Are Family Foundation, which empowers youth by changing the game globally, with ideas, innovations and good social solutions. I have also worked with Simon Says Give and its CEO Dina Simon, a kid-founded and operated non-profit in which “kids celebrate kids”; and Phaware, an organization that aims to raise awareness for pulmonary hypertension — which for me is personal.

Your board members will help write the bylaws of the organization, which will eventually serve as your operator’s manual. Board members don’t have to be rich, but they need to be influential in their communities and have the right connections. Those with a large network, those who are long-time members of the community and those who might have a personal stake in the non-profit will be staunchest supporters. Use every resource at your disposal and your board will definitely be a place to pull resources from.

What’s your organization’s name?

I know this seems obvious, but the name of your charity should be a no-brainer; meaning that if people don’t get the name (or branding) of your organization, chances are they won’t give you money. Your name, logo and brand message is your calling card to the world. If you have to explain it, you’ve lost your audience.

But, before you go looking for printers and start designing marketing collaterals, make sure no one else has the same name as you, or the same logo. A quick search with your state secretary of state will help you determine that.

Develop a legal structure.

Many people, including me, Google their symptoms when they’re sick. Sometimes, a trip to the doctor’s turns into the patient telling the doctor what he or she read online. But reading medical articles online makes you as much of a doctor as watching Law & Order makes you a lawyer. Don’t think you know what your non-profit will require from a legal standpoint by just researching online.

While there are definite benefits to being prepared, and researching what you don’t know, you must hire someone who has been down that road before. Someone who can put a solid legal structure in place. Do you want to establish a non-profit corporation? A B-corporation or an LLC? Also, non-profits vary by state, so be sure to find out what your state requires — the names of initial directors, names of incorporators, statement membership, etc.

For tax purposes, you’ll need to obtain your EIN (employee identification number) by filling out IRS Form SS_4.

Legal talk can be overwhelming and confusing, but regulation is needed to protect everyone involved — whether that means shielding donors from fraud or ensuring the non-profit continues to serve the public good.

Related: When It Makes Sense to Turn a Passion Project Into a Nonprofit

Just like any business, your non-profit is accountable to state and federal agencies and must comply with all the laws currently in place. You must be transparent with your money disclosures and consistent in your methodology, to ensure that everything is on the up and up. Remember, “non-profit” is merely a tax status, not a business model.

If you’re a doctor or a dentist or have some other profession where you need to be certified by the state where you work, there’s a good chance you need to know about professional corporations. In this video, Entrepreneur Network partner Mark J. Kohler walks you through the importance of professional corporations and how they can help you keep your finances in order.

Click play to learn more.

Related: This Simple Difference Could Cost You Thousands in Taxes

Entrepreneur Network is a premium video network providing entertainment, education and inspiration from successful entrepreneurs and thought leaders. We provide expertise and opportunities to accelerate brand growth and effectively monetize video and audio content distributed across all digital platforms for the business genre.

EN is partnered with hundreds of top YouTube channels in the business vertical. Watch video from our network partners on demand on Amazon Fire, Roku, Apple TV and the Entrepreneur App available on iOS and Android devices.

Click here to become a part of this growing video network.

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The UK has set out the “ambitious new customs arrangement” it wants to secure with the EU after Brexit.

Ministers said the plans would mean the “freest and most frictionless possible trade” with the rest of Europe.

This could include a “temporary customs union” after Brexit to prevent border problems as the UK leaves the EU.

Businesses have called for clarity since the UK said it was leaving the customs union – the EU’s tariff-free trading area – as part of Brexit.

Countries in the customs union don’t impose tariffs (taxes on imports) on each other’s goods.

Members also agree to impose the same external tariffs on goods from other countries.

So, for example, a 10% tariff is imposed on some cars imported from outside the customs union, while 7.5% is imposed on roasted coffee.

Other goods – such as soap or slate – have no tariffs.

The UK’s departure from the EU’s customs union was confirmed at the weekend in a joint article by Chancellor Philip Hammond and Trade Secretary Liam Fox.

‘Streamlined’ border

According to the newly-published government paper, the UK could ask Brussels to establish a “temporary customs union” after it leaves the EU in March 2019.

But during this period, it would also expect to be able to negotiate its own international trade deals – something it cannot do as an EU customs union member.

Once this period expires, the UK will look to agree either a “highly streamlined” border with the EU, or a new “partnership” with no customs border at all.

The government said the interim arrangements would mean businesses would only have to adjust once to the new arrangements.

All of this will have to be negotiated with the EU – and the two sides have not yet even started discussing trade matters.

Other obstacles – including the size of the UK’s “divorce bill” – need to be agreed first.

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Reuters

BBC political correspondent Ben Wright said the UK government was “straining to show that it does have a route-map for Brexit”.

He said ministers were also attempting to “subtly” put the issue onto the negotiating table sooner than Brussels wants.

EU negotiators have previously said they want to settle the UK “divorce bill” with the EU and the issue of the movement of people before discussing trade.

“They want to hustle EU negotiators into talking about trade much sooner than Brussels intends,” our correspondent said.

Cabinet divisions

The customs union document is the first of a series of papers to be published by the UK government on key negotiation issues.

On Wednesday it is expected to set out proposals for the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

The government, which has faced accusations that cabinet divisions are hampering its negotiations, said the publications reflected the “huge body of work” done since the UK voted to leave the EU in June 2016.

As well as collecting duties, customs checks include enforcing environmental and health and safety rules, cracking down on counterfeit goods, and checking “certificates of origin” saying where items have come from.

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Pry-mark or Pree-mark?

How to pronounce the budget retailer’s name has caused a basket-load of debate.

Some claim “Pry-mark” is an upmarket affectation. Others say “Pree-mark” is a northern thing.

But Primark have tried to settle the matter once and for all, writing on their website: “We like to use Pr-Eye-Mark.”

But Primark isn’t the only brand that people mispronounce…

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Adidas/EPA/Nike/Reuters

• IKEA: if you follow the Swedes, it’s “ee-kay-uh” not “eye-kee-ah”. The word is made up of the initials of the founder’s name and the village he grew up in

• Does Nike rhyme with like? Apparently not. Chairman Philip Knight confirmed the pronunciation in 2014 was in fact Ni-key, after the Greek goddess of victory

• Another sports brand getting our tongues in a twist is Adidas. Named after its founder Adi Dassler (Adolf Dassler), it’s A-di-das not a-DEE-das.

• Luxury car brand Porsche also takes it name from its founder, Ferdinand Porsche. His family name has two syllables: ‘Por-shuh’

• And if you’re after a pint of Hoegaarden – hailing from the Flemish region of Belgium – make sure to ask for a ‘Who-gar-den’. Anything else would sound daft.

Welcome to the future. Virtual reality (VR) is the hot topic that’s got everyone talking. It’s been hailed as the way of the future, and looking at the capabilities of some of the latest technology, I’m starting to agree.

Related: 8 Industries Being Disrupted by Virtual Reality

Virtual reality has been in the works for some time, but it’s only slowly been making its way into the minds of big business and marketing. We still have a long way to go before virtual reality is adopted ubiquitously, but it’s never too early to start planning for the future.

While headsets like Samsung Gear VR and Oculus Rift have gone to market and changed the gaming world, we’re just beginning to see VR make its way into the world of ecommerce. But that trend has certainly begun: Over the past 12 months, investors have put more than $1.7 billion into VR technologies.

Virtual reality provides consumers with an experience as close to real life as it gets. And, with the majority of goods still purchased in-store versus online, as noted by the Walker Sands Future of Retail report, it’s clear that consumers are looking for that authentic in-store experience even when they’re sitting in their own living room.

We may not know what the future of virtual reality will look like, but by observing the major players shaping VR technology, we can imagine it. Here are three VR startups to watch:

1. Improbable

In an interview with Arkenea, Nonny de la Pena, the “godmother of virtual reality,” explained virtual reality’s draw. “Because VR offers the audience the sensation of ‘being there,’” she said, “it creates a visceral connection to the events unfolding in front of the viewer.”

Related: Virtual Reality Is About to Change Your Business

In short, the connection de la Pena described is what brands want their customers to feel when interacting with them and buying their products.

To create a connection the technology has to build an immersive experience. Enter Improbable, a U.K. startup that recently raised $502 million in funding, TechCrunch reports. Improbable allows third parties to build massive virtual worlds through cloud-based technology. These large-scale simulations have so far been used mainly for gaming, but have the potential to break into ecommerce, too.

In a press release, Improbable’s chief executive Herman Narula said, “We believe that the next major phase in computing will be the emergence of large-scale virtual worlds which enrich human experience and change how we understand the real world.”

This world-building technology has huge potential to create an immersive buying experience for consumers. Given VR’s capability to be so detailed, virtual reality is feeling more like reality than ever.

2. Leap Motion

What if technology did away with buttons, mouse clicks and typing altogether? That’s the kind of world Leap Motion imagines, with its hand-tracking technology.

As the company has recently raised $50 million in funding, according to TechCrunch, there’s no doubt that Leap Motion has the potential to change how we interact with computers and technology.

CEO and founder Michael Buckwald, thinks so. He told Arkenea, “In much the same way as the touchscreen sparked the mobile revolution, Leap Motion is playing a transformative role in the development of human interface technology for VR/AR (augmented reality). As a result, the industry as a whole is on the verge of a similar moment of exponential growth.”

Leap Motion’s technology allows VR headsets to register and understand hand movements. That means people can make selections and interact in the virtual world using their hands. Imagine what this will do for the buying experience. With just a wave of the hand, customers will swipe through selections of items, physically place those items into a cart and purchase them effortlessly.

3. Avametric

According to the Walker Sands retail report, 35 percent of consumers surveyed said they would shop more online if they were able to try on products virtually. Avametric has set out to solve this problem with its clothing-fit technology.

The San Francisco-based startup’s technology allows companies to build virtual dressing rooms and let customers try on clothing within the platform. As Ari Bloom, CEO of Avametric, told Business of Fashion, “The obvious first step in the apparel industry is designing and development tools, and we are working with a lot of brands, and a lot of supply chain companies behind the scene on this.”

In fact, Avametric, in collaboration with Google, has already helped Gap create a virtual dressing room, reports EnGadget. With the app, consumers enter their body measurements, and a 3D model is placed in front of them, allowing them to see how clothes would look on their own bodies without their having to leave the comfort of their homes.

That’s an exciting leap forward. As Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg wrote in a post back in 2014, “One day, we believe this kind of immersive, augmented reality will become a part of daily life for billions of people.”

Related: Real Estate, Movies, Retail: VR Is Exploding. The Opportunities for Entrepreneurs Are Huge.

Well, the technology to bring virtual reality into the world of ecommerce is here. It’s ready to be implemented. We entrepreneurs just have to be ready for it.

In an ideal world, all your customers would be loyal to your brand. Loyalty means a customer is willing to come back to your brand for multiple purchases and experiences, forgoing your competitors’ — even if those competitors are offering lower prices or similar incentives.

Related: 4 Strategies That Drive Brand Loyalty

Some studies (and opinions) suggest that brand loyalty is a concept that’s dying; for example, 79 percent of the millennials polled in one survey ranked quality as their most important purchasing decision, rather than the name brand involved. In this current “Information Age,” where information on thousands of competitor products is instantly available, it’s no wonder that so many people believe brand loyalty is on its way out.

But that’s not the final word, apparently, because other evidence suggests that brand loyalty is as strong as it’s ever been: Fully 77 percent of consumers in one survey, for instance, said they return to the same brands over and over again, with 37 percent of them qualifying as “brand loyalists” — the segment of customers who will stay true to a brand even if offered a superior product from a competitor.

Related: 5 Strategies to Instill Brand Loyalty in Today’s Young Customers

So, if you go with the latter research, what are the psychological factors that might be responsible for this overwhelming manifestation of loyalty?

Novelty

First, there needs to be some degree of novelty to catch consumer attention. The world is full of different brands similar to yours; therefore, if you want a shot at winning a new customer, you either have to offer a product that’s never been offered before, or make a compelling, persuasive pitch that can potentially attract loyalists from other existing brands.

On top of that, novelty is linked to stronger memories, which, upon repeated customer exposure, can instill familiarity and positive feelings. 

Brand loyalty doesn’t depend on novelty to sustain itself, but it is a necessary first ingredient.

Associations and positive reinforcement

Much of human psychology is built around the concept of associations; when we eat something sweet, we experience a release of feel-good chemicalsm like dopamine; that way, we learn to associate sweet foods with a pleasant experience. When we touch a hot stove burner, we associate pain with the stove and subsequently avoid a repeat of our mistake.

So, the marketing lesson from these real-world experiences is simple: Once you’ve captured someone’s attention, the next step to securing his or her loyalty is to ensure your brand is associated with positive feelings.

This goes beyond giving your customers a good experience, mind you: You have to somehow associate that experience with your brand. This could mean adding more overtly branded materials to your physical location, or using slogans and imagery at opportune times during the customer experience (whether that involves serving food or delivering a package) to reinforce the connection to the brand.

All this takes time, of course, but with every positive experience, your customers will become more loyal to you.

Identity and tribalism

Humans are a social species, and we’ve learned to engage with one another by forging an identity, sticking to it as stubbornly as possible and participating in tribalism (sticking close to people like ourselves and vilifying or avoiding people unlike us). This is the main reason politics are so divisive, and a contributing factor to the thrill of sports rivalries.

Tapping into this identity and tribalism, then, can be a good strategy to try, to secure brand loyalty. Apple is a notorious example here: It uses imagery of cool, laid-back, colorful people to showcase its brand, and stuffy, unlikable characters to portray its rivals’. Instilling a sense of community identity (and in this case, elitism) is the key to making your customers feel that they’re a part of your brand.

Once they have that feeling, they’ll become virtually inseparable from you.

The key takeaways

What can you learn from these psychological factors? What can you do to make people more loyal to your brand? Five things:

1. Stand out by being different. You have to start with a notable brand, that you can differentiate from the competition. Without this step, loyalists of other brands will have no reason to switch to yours.

2. Know your target market, and cater to those people. If you want to give more positive experiences and memories to your target market, you need to understand exactly how they think –and what they’re looking for. Find out what that is, and give it to them.

3. Incorporate a series of positive, branded experiences. Always keep your brand present, consistent and top of mind. If customers lose sight of your brand, it won’t matter if they have a good experience — they won’t remember you.

4. Allow your customers to interact with one other. The best way to build a community is to nurture an organic one. Foster a sense of tribalism by allowing your customers to engage with one another.

5. Make your brand a component of personal identity. Find a way to make customers feel your brand is a part of their personal identity. Once it’s there, this identity factor going to become virtually impossible to get rid of.

Related: 5 Cues on Brand Loyalty You Can Take From Chick-fil-A

So, my conclusion? Brand loyalty isn’t dead, and it’s not especially mysterious as a concept. With the right strategies, you can earn more brand loyalty from your most interested customers, and grow to even greater heights.

Media company Clevver started in a garage. Now, it has its own studio in Hollywood. How did it make the transition and grow to where it is today? Through hard work, creativity and listening to good ideas — no matter the source — Clevver has gone far beyond its humble beginnings.

In this video, Entrepreneur Network partner Venturer takes a tour of the Clevver office and meets with some of the people who made the company what it is today.

Related: Why Netflix Chose This Company for Its First-Ever Acquisition

Entrepreneur Network is a premium video network providing entertainment, education and inspiration from successful entrepreneurs and thought leaders. We provide expertise and opportunities to accelerate brand growth and effectively monetize video and audio content distributed across all digital platforms for the business genre.

EN is partnered with hundreds of top YouTube channels in the business vertical. Watch video from our network partners on demand on Amazon Fire, Roku, Apple TV and the Entrepreneur App available on iOS and Android devices.

Click here to become a part of this growing video network.

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Rural crime has been estimated to cost the UK £39m, with many farmers feeling “under siege” from thieves.

Lincolnshire was the worst-hit English county with a cost of £2.5m, according to a report by NFU Mutual.

Transport links also mean thieves can steal machinery and move it into mainland Europe in “a matter of hours”, said Rural Crime Now.

Although the cost has reduced from £41m in 2015, the NFU report said farmyards were becoming “fortresses”.

Tim Price from the insurers said: “Countryside criminals are becoming more brazen and our annual survey of attitudes indicates that many farmers now feel under siege.

“Across the country they’re turning their farmyards into fortresses to protect their homes, families and property.”

Some farmers were “turning their backs on farming altogether” due to crime, added Mr Price.

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PA

Cost of UK rural crime in 2016

• England £33.8m
• Northern Ireland £2.5m
• Scotland £1.6m
• Wales £1.3m

Source NFU Mutual 2017

Dave Jones, chief constable of North Yorkshire Police, said: “The impact of crime on rural communities can be devastating to livelihoods and individuals.”

Agricultural vehicle theft at £5.4m was the same as in 2015 – and down from £10m in 2010 – but costs from the theft of Land Rover Defenders had risen by almost 17% from £1.8m to £2.1m between 2015 and 2016.

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NFU Mutual

Andrew Stafford, a dairy farmer from Leicester, said: “We’ve had five or six Defenders stolen over a period of years. Some were taken at night, a couple went in broad daylight. The last one was alarmed, but they got around that.

“It was found a few days later – it’d been broken up for parts. The thieves are so blatant now. If they want it they’ll take it.”

Mr Stafford said thefts of the Defender had increased as it was no longer manufactured and parts for the vehicle are rising in value. In the past, he has seen parts of his stolen Defenders advertised on online auction sites shortly after a theft.

Overall, tools were the top item stolen from farms in 2016 followed by Quad vehicles.

Livestock theft including sheep rustling cost £2.2m in 2016, down from £2.9m the year before.

Lincolnshire was the only county where the cost of rural crime in 2016 exceeded £2.5m

Crime claims cost more than £1m in 11 English counties: Lincolnshire, Essex, Cambridgeshire, Gloucestershire, Kent, West Yorkshire, Somerset, Lancashire, North Yorkshire, Worcestershire, Derbyshire.

The annual rural crime report was based on claims data from more than 300 NFU Mutual branches.

The cost of UK rural crime over five years

• 2012 £41.9m
• 2013 £44m
• 2014 £37.8m
• 2015 £41m
• 2016 £39.2m

Source NFU Mutual 2013-17