Business: A full-service software design and development firm that specializes in ERP systems, CRM, workflow management and document control.
Headquarters: Boynton Beach
Year founded: 1987
No of Employees: 11
Website: palmbeachsoftwaredesign.com
Secret to success: “Integrity and good communication and the ability to do what we say we will do. We always cross the finish line. Always,” said founder and President Mark Turkel.
In 1984, Mark Turkel, a straight A student, dropped out of college to take a job at a computer company. He worked his way up the ladder and then started his own company in Miami, called New Wave Computing, a few years later. In 1997, he moved the company to Palm Beach County and renamed it Palm Beach Software Design.
Palm Beach Software Design treating its local clients to an appreciation happy hour
Palm Beach Software Design creates custom software solutions and applications for cloud, mobile and desktop for all sizes of businesses and organizations. Some of its clients include Fran Tarkenton, the NFL Hall of Famer, the Association of Mechanical Engineers in New York, the Diabetes Coalition of the Palm Beaches and the St. Lucie Department of Health.
“Our niche here is that nobody writes software specifications as well as we do. We write world class spec and we have never failed a project in 30-plus years,” said Turkel, who is president and senior software architect.
Through the years, the boutique full-service software design firm has navigated a changing marketplace, including competition from cheap labor.
“We’ve grown and matured and because of the changing times we have had to switch to a hybrid where we have software developers in on our office doing analysis, architecture, design, QA and programming, but we also work with an overseas team in Europe that handles some of our heavy duty programming so we can offer a better price to our clients.” said Turkel.
As a boutique firm, Palm Beach Software Design works off referrals. “All our staff are senior people whether it is project managers, developers or C-level people. We are all highly experienced and gray haired,” said Turkel, adding that some of his clients have been with the company for 15 or 20 years.
Still, he said, finding talented, responsible developers who really want to work is a challenge.
“We find them in Palm Beach County but it is getting harder and harder. We are always looking for .Net developers. We are looking for seasoned senior developers that follow our philosophy of taking really good care of our clients.”
Turkel said he also seeks team members with excellent written and oral communications and the ability to understand clients’ needs and how their businesses run. “We all walk around with a lot of pride – we all love what we do.”
In the last couple of years, Turkel has created a couple of spinoff companies for software packages that Palm Beach Software Design wrote, sometimes partnering with clients and sometimes going solo.
For instance, with a company called Mend, Palm Beach Software Design has created Mend Learning and Mend is marketing the learning management system. There’s also Branded-pix, a 99 cent app that lets you seamlessly merge your logo onto your picture, and it copyrights your picture – ideal for posting anything on social media with your information or message. “Brandedpix.com – it’s kind of what snapchat does but it’s for business people and professionals who want to do marketing and not just put puppy dog faces on people,” Turkel said.
“We have also partnered with a company called The Jazoma Plan, and we produce both the software and a hardcover book that allows people to record their personal and family information in case something should happen to them.”
Turkel’s newest venture is called Palm Beach Creative Design with partner Rick Romano, who created the original Yahoo logo. The company will do web/UX development, digital marketing, digital imaging, and print media, he said.
Turkel is bullish on the outlook for Palm Beach County, encouraged by the space programs ramping up again, which should bring more aerospace opportunities. “We are also excited the growth of the colleges and everything else going on, and looking forward to having a bigger resource pool in Palm Beach County soon. I feel like the economy is getting stronger.”
Turkel recently put together a business group of C-suite business owners and decision makers called the Elite Breakfast. They meet once a month on a social basis in the evening, and once a month for breakfast on a more formal level with a program and speakers.
”It’s a different kind of networking, much higher level and more relaxed, because everyone is in the same boat. At our meetings, I encourage people to talk openly about our businesses because we are not going to improve ourselves if we don’t.”
Turkel’s advice to business owners and aspiring tech entrepreneurs: “Cross the finish line by all means. Make sure you are going to do what you said you’d do and have pride in the work you put out.”