Not knowing what your customers think is like driving with a blindfold on. Yet so many companies do it. What is the alternative? How do you learn exactly what your customers want?

In today's interview, UK native, Lee Evans, Founder and CEO of SurveyMe explains how to truly build a company around your customers and their needs, based on objective, real-time feedback and insight. A modern-day pip, Lee also shares his own entrepreneurial journey which was inspired by an anonymous benefactor. This unique experience lead Lee to weave the concept of "paying it forward" into each of his companies and initiatives, including helping 100 people from underprivileged areas launch their own businesses.

Since launching in 2014, SurveyMe has attracted clients from more than 150 countries. Lee's vision for SurveyMe was born out of his own success, listening to his customers as he developed Bear Factory Ireland, later acquired by Build-a-Bear Inc., into a plush retailer with $4.5 million in sales within 18 months.

By empowering businesses with a means of integrating real-time customer feedback, Lee and his team at SurveyMe prove their commitment to returning power to consumers and assisting organizations in the pursuit of their own small business success.

Key Takeaways:

1) Let your customers help you build a better product.

2) If a product improvement makes your client's life easier, and is unique, do it.

3) Slow is fast.

4) There is power in paying forward.

5) Often the greatest challenge you face, becomes the greatest motivation.

Lee Evans Bio:

Throughout all of Lee Evan's career, he has sought out entrepreneurial activities and honed his skills as a savvy businessman to consult on corporate deal making, ultimately using his experiences to launch his latest venture, SurveyMe, in May of 2014. From its humble beginning of a spare-bedroom startup, SurveyMe has since grown to incorporate businesses in more than 150 countries. Lee's vision for SurveyMe was born out of his own success, listening to his customers as he developed Bear Factory Ireland, later acquired by Build-a-Bear Inc., into a plush retailer with $4.5 million in sales within 18 months.

Prior to SurveyMe, Lee worked at Grant Thornton where he advised on corporate mergers and acquisitions worth more than $232 million as well as working mergers and acquisitions for Glanbia PLC in Ireland, the world's largest multinational dairy company. While studying for his MBA in retail from The University of Stirling, Lee worked for Cisco Systems managing a team of 12 across 78 emerging market countries in Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

Episode Show Notes: https://leadersoftransformation.com/podcast/business/105-lee-evans-modern-day-pip-paying-forward-business

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