VSA - Female Entrepreneur of the Year

Company: VSA, Inc., Haddonfield, NJ
Entry Submitted By: NouSoma Communications, Inc.
Company Description: VSA is a premier telesales and customer service firm supporting companies with outsourced B2B lead generation and inbound customer service programs. Serving numerous industries with a scope that spans North America, VSA is an instant extension of its clients’ sales teams, playing a crucial role in helping clients achieve sales growth targets and service goals.
Nomination Category: Individual Awards Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Female Entrepreneur of the Year – Business Services –11 to 2,500 Employees

Nomination Title: Valerie Schlitt

Valerie Schlitt created VSA, Inc. from her New Jersey family room in 2001. Today, VSA is a premier telesales and customer service firm with offices in New Jersey and Philadelphia supporting companies across industries.

After a 17-year corporate career, working in senior level marketing roles for firms like American Express and CIGNA, and in consulting roles for PricewaterhouseCoopers and KPMG Consulting after earning her MBA from The Wharton School, Valerie found herself laid off, with limited local openings for traditional management-level jobs. She began her entrepreneurial journey with no sales experience, no funds, no rolodex of clients, no colleagues in the industry, and no direct knowledge of call center or inside sales operations.

In the early years, sales were incredibly slow and low. But she was learning, the business was growing, and in 2007 Valerie was selected by South Jersey Magazine as one of the 10 Most Outstanding Women in Business.

VSA revenues have steadily climbed, going from $1.4M in 2016 to $5.2M in 2020. As a result, VSA has been named to the Inc. 5000 in 2018 – 2020, the Philadelphia Business Journal’s Soaring 76 in 2019 - 2021, and the Philadelphia 100 in 2018 – 2019.

In November 2020, Valerie was named one of the 2020 Most Admired CEOs by the Philadelphia Business Journal.

Since July 1, 2019, VSA has:

-Been named one of the 2021 Best Places to Work in Philadelphia
-Ranked #240 on the Inc. 5000 Regionals: New York City Metro list
-Ranked #1558 on the 2020 Inc. 5000 list of fastest-growing private companies; third consecutive year listed
-Been named to the 2020 and 2021 Philadelphia Business Journal’s Soaring 76
-Ranked #15 on the 2019 Philadelphia 100 top privately held companies, second consecutive year listed

2020 was VSA’s highest-grossing year, with revenues over $5.2 million. This success came despite the company having weathered a major downturn in the first half of 2019 that required visionary leadership, followed by the 2020 pandemic shutdown that cost the company almost 75% of its traditional lead generation business.

Recognizing that VSA had the expertise to help COVID response efforts as contact tracers, but not the required connections or credibility, Valerie forged critical new relationships outside her normal sphere: local and state officials, consultants, technology firms, staffing firms, lobbyists, and strategic partners. Under a registered trade name, she launched the Public Safety and Economic Growth website, led the creation of VSA’s HIPAA-compliant contact tracing offering, a robust training program, and aggressive marketing and awareness campaigns. VSA became a finalist in NJ, is a preferred provider in Missouri and is actively engaged in supporting contact tracing across 15 university campuses in Texas, Florida, Louisiana, Georgia, Wisconsin and Alabama.

VSA’s continued growth and stability are due to Valerie’s singular dedication to and belief in her company and its people. Never wavering from already aggressive goals, in 2020 she promoted two top personnel to COO and VP of Sales and Marketing, allowing her to focus almost exclusively on identifying new opportunities outside VSA’s traditional markets.

VSA had already differentiated itself from other outbound lead generation companies in 2015 when the company was awarded the contract to support inbound customer service calls for riders of Philadelphia public transit. This diversity in revenue stream proved crucial in 2020 as customer service is considered essential and therefore remained fully open. Previously, customer service reflected 33% of VSA’s revenues; April – July 2020, it reflected about 66% of revenues and virtually all profits.

Even before PPP loans wereannounced, Valerie committed to retain VSA’s skilled employee base. The company paid staff to remain technically proficient, even with a lack of revenue-producing jobs, providing additional (unpaid) support for its clients while promoting its own services. Additionally, VSA increased investments in its own lead generation activities to ensure a lead flow that has now resulted in strong sales results in 2021.Lastly, the company invested a net of over $158,000 in the contract tracing and government work new product line as Valerie looked to diversify VSA’s portfolio of offerings, all within the company’s core competencies. This ability to identify and pursue opportunities that are “outside the box” continues to set Valerie and VSA apart.

We have provided press clips of the Inc. 5000, Soaring 76, Philadelphia 100, and Best Places to Work, and Most Admired CEOs awards

Valerie Schlitt 2020 Most Admired CEOs Profile
VSA 2021 Best Places to Work Overview
PubSEG Intro Deck