The Suit Magazine

Leila Levan’s fierce entrepreneurial spirit was first kindled when she was a young girl on her family’s farm. During the 1970s, highway construction forced her family to sell the land they’d been working on for years. She recalls, “My father had to go to work in a corporation, and he hated it.” 

That’s why Levan decided to go into business for herself. Today, she is the proud owner of her own company: Quality Response Services Inc. It’s a printing business that delivers quality products quickly, with low overhead costs and friendly customer service. On their website, www.qualityresponse.com, the business lists the four values that guide their business strategy: integrity, quality, respect, and stewardship. The experts at QRS commit to a high standard of service, paying close attention to detail and working closely with clients to ensure the quality of their product.
    
Levan started her career by earning a degree in international law, and then she went to work for a privately owned national printing company. There she worked for nine years, where she gained the experience she needed to start out on her own. “I had a desire to make a difference, to employ people and pursue excellence,” Levan told The Suit.  “My father told me to do what you love, and the money will follow.”   So, inspired by his words and the lessons of her family history, that’s what she did. 

The transition was made easier by the fact that Levan had always provided reliable, professional services to the clients she worked with.  Those customers remained loyal to her when she started the company; they even paid for jobs in advance, solving the cash-flow problem. 

In an attempt to cater to a large portion of the market, Quality Response provides laser printing and mail services for all types of companies, nation-wide.  The projects are diverse—state government retirement packages, annual benefits packets for Fortune 500 companies, fast-food menus and other franchise needs, on-demand short-run prints of 100 to 5,000 copies—no job is too big for the company to handle, and no job is too small for the company to consider.  The success of the enterprise is evidenced by the fact that the company will be completely debt-free by the end of this year, despite tough economic times.
 
Levan knows the importance of staying flexible and adjusting staff when necessary, since business fluctuates all the time. “During the political season it’s all hands on deck,” she said, but when demand slackens, the company can survive until the next boom.  On a broader scale, changes in business trends nationwide keep her on her toes. She notes, “both the economy and going green have had an impact.  It used to be that a couple of million pieces of paper went out each month, but now services are more digital and 75 percent of people want e-mail invoices.” 

Levan’s company is still growing despite these challenges, and she has strong opinions on what lawmakers can do to help companies like hers.  “I hope that government doesn’t tie the hands of small business owners in the future,” she said.  “There are no more manufacturing jobs, and large corporations are down-sizing.”  With regard to the health care bill, she reflects, “in the short term, there’s uncertainty. Insurance disclaimers and coverage may change, and investors may be more nervous.  But the long-term effects may be positive.” 

Levan is practical about her business, but she’s also optimistic. She’s come a long way since her days racing horses on the family farm, and she’s sure to find more success ahead for herself and her employees at Quality Response Services Inc.

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