Quality Eye
Quality Eye was established in September 2004 to provide focus group and mystery shopping services to companies with the aim of helping to improve customer satisfaction and customer retention.
Starting up her own business has enabled Linda Lindsey to have the flexibility and freedom she craved after a 20+ year career in the public sector. Linda wanted a career that would enable to create a better work life balance.
Linda’s 40th birthday was a milestone- she began to investigate business ideas and programmes. This brought her to Centa and the New Entrepreneur Scholarship (NES) programme, which awarded Linda a grant and has helped in teaching the practical skills in business planning and setting up her business.
Linda utilised her enjoyment of technology and experience as a project manager to set up several corporate websites to keep costs to a minimum. Using a ‘viral marketing’ approach, Quality Eye built a database of 7000 respondents utilising word of mouth and recommendations from those who had taken part in market research projects.
In October 2005, as part of a nationwide selection process from the successful NES Scholars, with the dedicated help of Centa adviser Matt Garner, Linda won a place (out of only 5 in the greater London area) to take part in the Babson College Exchange, hosted by Babson College, a Boston based University which has consistently ranked in the top 10 internationally for business schools.
Linda comments: “I was extremely pleased to have been selected and learnt many valuable lessons from successful US entrepreneurs, which I am currently implementing in my business.”
Linda operates Quality Eye now with one employee and with the help of 3 freelance associates. Quality Eye is always looking for new people from all walks of life to take part in market research projects.