Belina Raffy

Getting a Monkey off My Back: A Small Shift in Using My Business Resources More Intelligently

For the past six months, I've been writing notes to myself to review and probably close my Survey Monkey account. I opened my 'paid for' account in July 2008 with the thought that I would create lots of great surveys that would enhance my business and I've been dutifully paying the $29.90/month (or what ever that's worked out to with the $/£ exchange rate). With all of the energy I keep using to remember that I need to review my account and writing myself a note - I could have sorted this out months ago - but we'll park that for now.

Since opening the account, I have done one survey on dominant business metaphors with the help of a Cranfield lecturer and many MBA alumni which helped to shape and support my work. I'm currently writing an article with the Cranfield lecturer on our findings. The other 6 surveys I've created have helped organisations I care about - 3 for AMED, 2 for the Applied Improvisation Network and 1 for the Trainers and Developers Network. At $29.90/month - that's $538.20 so far - that's $76.89 per survey. For months now - I've had the same feeling as paying my gym subscription and working out that my 1 visit last month was £54...underutilized resource...so - use it or lose it (or stop paying for it and use the money on something else that actually helps me). Survey Monkey is great - but I am not using it enough. It's time to move on.

Today is the day...what I have to do is a) make sure that any links to the AMED, Applied Improvisation Network and the Cranfield ones are removed from the websites, b) pull all my data off of the site, c) say 'thank you' and kiss the site goodbye.

With the money I'll be saving, I'm opening up a Constant Contact account...BUT - I'm putting a note in my diary to review my usage after 3 and 6 months. Fingers crossed, that new 'gym' will help my company to be a lot more 'buff' than the last one!

Views: 3

Tags: business, resources, small, stock, taking

Penny Walker Comment by Penny Walker on January 10, 2010 at 1:27pm
Hi Belina

Great post! I have a survey monkey account too, and have used it to very good effect for one paid assignment and one unpaid research project.

The advantage of the account (rather than just using the free service) is that you can customise your surveys much more, and thus make them more useful, more user friendly and more professional.

But... like you, the two good uses I've had out of it probably doesn't justify the expense.

If people trusted each other enough to share log-in details, they could probably split the cost and share an account.

:-)

Cheers

Penny

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