Retail consultant on-tap

INNOVATION: Pipal Research has found an innovative answer to research questions.

This is a world of fast food, fast business (reducing time to market) and fast profits. So why not feed businesses with fast answers to their questions?

Sensing a business need here made Pipal Research, a US-based custom research firm, came up with Pipal Answers "� a 24x7 on-demand custom research service.

In a mere seven months of its conception, Pipal Answers has made money at a fast pace too "� $1 million to be precise. "The target by the end of this year is $3-3.5 million," says Manoj Jain, CEO, Pipal Research.

The $5 million research firm CEO claims his firm's "global delivery model helps to deliver high quality results at a savings of 40 to 60 percent compared to in-house or other outsourced research services."

The company was founded in 2001 by ex-Mckinsey professionals. ICICI OneSource holds a 51 per cent stake in the company.

PipalAnswers is for busy business professionals "� from large corporations and government entities to SMEs to not-for-profits to independent business owners and even individuals.

"Now, they can spend less time searching and formatting data, and more time using it to support their business strategies," he says.

Topics include, but are not limited to, business, legal, international and national issues. You cannot ask questions that are unlawful, defamatory, harassing, abusive, fraudulent, obscene or objectionable in any other way.

He adds a caveat: "Please also understand that information provided via PipalAnswers is no substitute for informed professional advice".

Pipal Answers works round-the-clock. Their quote is accompanied by an estimated response time "�typically answers are delivered within two to five business days.

However, complex questions may take longer. "This is consultancy at the retail level," explains Jain, adding that his firm is now serving six to seven CEOs as "personal research assistants". "Our pricing is at a premium since we overdeliver," he asserts.

So what's the cost? The costs depend on the complexity of the question, the turnaround time for the request and the depth of the information needed. "We provide a well-informed cost estimate at the outset and start working only after it is approved," says Jain.

And what if one is not satisfied with the answers? "In the highly unlikely event that you are dissatisfied with our answer, we try and determine and reconcile the problem. If feasible, we may devote additional time to your question to meet your expectations," says Jain.