This article begins with a brief history of the increasing growth and importance of the rural economy in England and the research conducted to date in the area of crime against business there. Forty case studies, carried out in the spring and summer of 1999, of small firms with fewer than 50 employees in 2 rural areas of the East Midlands are described. Their experiences of victimization as they relate to the built environment were the focus of this study. A high level of unease on the part of the business people interviewed was reported along with the methods that these businesses adopted to try to reduce their exposure to loss from vandalism and break-ins, such as closed-circuit television, alarms, and contracting for security systems. The differences in experience between businesses in remote rural areas and those in accessible rural areas were compared. A figure and tables provide information on characteristics of the businesses in the main study; original uses of premises; number of storeys in premises; and crime experiences in manufacturing premises in 1993. In conclusion, it is recommended that the security of small businesses will be improved if both situational and social factors are incorporated in the early design stages of the built environment. A list of source references is included.