Moore-Mezler Earns SBA Woman-Owned Business of the Year Award

September 2, 2010 | Newsroom

From: "The Buzz" (MarketingPower,com)

AMA Member Earns SBA Woman-Owned Business of the Year Award

AMA member Colleen Moore-Mezler’s company, Moore Research Services Inc. in Erie, Pa., was named the 2010 Western Pennsylvania Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Woman-Owned Business of the Year. Moore-Mezler joined the company—founded by her mother—in 1993 and became president and CEO three years later.

She and nine other small-business owners were honored at the Western Pennsylvania SBA Awards Luncheon in May, held in conjunction with the 47th annual celebration of National Small Business Week. Moore-Mezler has been an AMA member since 1997.

Q: How did you get into the marketing research business?

A: My mother started the company 41 years ago out of the basement of our house, back in 1969. At that time, it was a bold move for a woman to start her own business. I grew up in this family business, and I’ve always loved research and asking questions.

Q: When did you realize that this was going to be your career path?

A: I knew this was going to be my career when I was about 25 years old. It has been an interesting journey since I started and I never have the same day twice. We are always doing different research for products and services, and I enjoy the variety of the work.

Q: What is your primary responsibility as president of Moore Research Services?

A: My main job is business development, as well as insuring the longevity and success of the company. …. We work with anywhere from five to 15 different companies all at once, depending on the size of the project.

Q: What is your greatest marketing accomplishment so far in your career?

A: When we get a client referral or when somebody actually takes us with them to another company is a great achievement for us. Word of mouth is the best compliment that you can get marketing-wise.

Q: Where would you like to be five years from now?

A: Technology and social media are going to drive changes for businesses, so really being able to emerge by communicating electronically within these social networks will be big for our company. I would like for our company to continue to focus on technology and how we communicate with potential people to take part in our surveys. We need to be versatile enough so we can communicate with all age ranges and utilize different technologies to reach different segments.

colleen@moore-research.com