Jupiter, FL – During a time when many companies are struggling to keep their doors open, Jupiter-based SRA Research Group is celebrating their quarter century milestone of serving the market research needs of local and national companies and non-profit organizations. This is a company that has not only survived, but has thrived, a rarity in today’s economy.
Barbara Allan serves as founder, President and CEO of this woman-owned business, which opened its doors on November 1, 1985. She began her career in research assisting an economist in a Manhattan consulting firm and continued her career in market research at a Miami based firm. After relocating with her husband to Palm Beach County in 1982 she was hired by an advertising agency to create and manage a research division.
With that experience, Barbara realized she had the skills to start her own company, and after several months of building her business plan, she borrowed $50,000 and the rest, as they say, is history.
Barbara credits her company’s success to some luck, being in the right place at the right time, and a lot of hard work. “If you have a strong business acumen, you are honest and ethical and have the determination to do a great job for every customer, regardless of how large or small the project, you will be successful” explains Barbara. “You have to love what you do and always have a high level of energy and enthusiasm with every client.”
There have been key milestones in SRA’s history including the firm’s expansion into doing business in Latin America in 1995 and the 2005 acquisition of On the Mark market research, which coincided with SRA’s 20th anniversary.
SRA’s client list is also respectable, ranging from the $78 billion Amerisource Bergen pharmaceutical distribution company to Phillips Electronics and Children’s Services Council of Palm Beach County. In alignment with her business philosophy, working with Florida non-profits, Barbara hopes that the work SRA Research Group does will also leave the world a better place.
The tenure of SRA Research’s seven full time employees averages fifteen years, with some being there since the company’s inception. SRA also has eleven strong business partnerships throughout the country to draw upon for specific areas of expertise. Barbara explains that she learned long ago, that having the “best in class” resources was more important than having every employee under one roof. And, the combination of a stable workforce and subject matter experts allows SRA to provide a higher level of service to their clients.
This longevity and stability spill over into Barbara’s personal life as well. She and her husband Bob have been married for over 36 years and she notes he is her strongest supporter. After being an employee of Florida Power & Light for almost 25 years, Bob joined the SRA team in 1995.
Just as the organization of the company changed with the times, technology has impacted how business is conducted as well. For qualitative research, online focus groups have grown tremendously over time. When appropriate, these can work very well for business to business focus groups and help to broaden the geographic boundaries with results delivered more quickly to their clients. And, with the Internet, people outside the local geographic area now are able to easily find SRA Research.
Barbara continues to expand upon and hone her skills to stay on top of changing trends. Some of SRA’s core client groups include health care, housing, banking and emerging areas around the care of seniors. She has done studies for Councils on Aging and was recently hired by one of the largest hospice organizations in the United States in the Washington D.C. area. They have conducted surveys among daughters 45-64, since they are generally the caregivers for aging family members, testing for awareness of hospice
In addition, Barbara is working on her Masters degree in public health with a concentration on gerontology. She has been awarded a Certificate Degree in gerontology from Western Carolina University, achieving a 4.0 GPA.
Barbara is a Leadership Florida and Leadership Palm Beach County graduate as well as a past president of Executive Women of the Palm Beaches. She is a recipient of the March of Dimes Women of Distinction Award, South Florida Magazine Women of Distinction Award and the Executive Women of the Palm Beaches Private Sector Leadership Award. She serves on the governing board of Palm Beach Gardens Medical Center, the Palm Beach County community board of Seacoast National Bank and the Children’s Services Council Cabinet.
For more information on SRA Research Group, call 561-744-5662
or visit them online at www.sra-researchgroup.com
