This is part eight in an eight-part series on building customer loyalty. Read part seven.

The African proverb says, “It takes a village to raise a child.” You could say the same about a small business. When you first set out to establish your business, it was you who assembled the business plan. It was you who put in the blood, sweat and tears. And, it was you who signed on the dotted line.

Now you may want to consider moving beyond self-reliance and leveraging the relationships, resources and technology that are readily available to you. Think about the opportunities for growth if you were to put your network to work for you. Think about the people who can promote you and your business. Vendors, friends, family, a local chamber of commerce, employees and, of course, customers can all work on your behalf. Make it easy for them by being concise in your business’ value proposition, and make sure that your network knows it, too.

Creating a loyal base of customers is not an easy task, but it is one investment that will pay dividends if done correctly. Use these seven steps as a guideline for your business and keep those customers happy!