Small Business Summit Center

Scott Gingold, PowerFeedback

Scott Gingold runs a market research company on the outskirts of the NYC metro footprint, in Easton PA.

AB: Outsourcing is a recurring topic on our site. What goes through your mind as you're deciding to keep something in-house or shop it out?

SG: The number one deciding factor about out-sourcing work, is will we maintain the same quality as if we did the work ourselves. If we can not answer unequivocally yes, we don’t. Fortunately, the need for outside vendors is very small and the average minimum length of service we enjoy with our suppliers is five years. Potential vendors are put through an arduous qualification process and they must work as we do, 24×7x365.

AB: What marketing tool worked the best for you in 2007?

SG: Work the room, and network. Even with a staff of 31, I do my best to attend at least 2 public events per week, which for a company our size, is not very common for the CEO to do. I am a retired Division I College Soccer Coach and we always had the mentality and attitude that if we got in front of the student athlete and his parents, they would come to play for us. I apply this same approach to our business. If I get at least 5 minutes with you, chances are very good that you will want to do business with us! As for networking, I am very fortunate to have relationships with people who care as much about the success we receive from the referrals that they offer us, as we do from those that we provide to them.

AB: What would you do if you weren't in business for yourself?

SG: Teach and write. Long before Donald Trump unveiled the “Apprentice” on television, I had my own apprentice program. Each year, on a pro-bono basis, I mentor 4 to 6 individuals who long to be entrepreneurs, or, are lost in their career and need guidance and direction. I recently started writing a column entitled “Ask Scott.” this column appears in one business newspaper. If I were not in business for myself, I would mentor and write full time.

Business Bio

Before starting my own business in 1993, Successful Strategies Company, I worked for many large corporations. While I held many titles, my primary function was to find new and creative ways to boost sales and to turn red ink into black ink.

In 1994, just before the Internet became the Internet that we know today, we created a tool to measure the effectiveness of burgeoning Internet websites. Thus, my second company, powerfeedback.com was launched. We have grown consistently since then and today we are a full-service market research firm offering both quantitative and qualitative services to clients both domestically and internationally.

We recently made a decision to merge both companies together and shortly we will unveil our new corporate identity and website. From here on, we will strictly be known as powerfeedback; a marketing services company specializing in market research and business management consulting.