Pagosa Wireless would not exist if it were not for the direct and specific leading from God. Period. This is our story.
In April of 2010, a friend in Los Angeles told us about PagePlus, a company that offered unlimited wireless cell phone service for $44.95/month. At first we assumed it was a “big city” service that only worked in the metro areas. However, at his insistence, we checked and were surprised to see it was a true nationwide service (as opposed to pockets of coverage across the country).
At the time, we were paying almost $250/month for 2000 minutes with another carrier, so we decided to try it out. First, we set up an old phone with 100 minutes to see if the coverage was as advertised. After a week and a drive to Durango, we were impressed. Next, we switched our family’s phones and started telling others about what we had found. The response was overwhelming. At this point we started asking the Lord if we should pursue this as a business opportunity. If so, please show us. We had taken the first step.
We called PagePlus only to find that there were no dealers between Denver and Albuquerque, so my Dad and I applied. At first we were turned down because we didn’t have a store front. However, after we told him there were only two carriers that service this area and our ideas on sharing this opportunity with others, even from our home, the representative made an exception and granted our dealer request.
My younger brother David was excited to hear this too. As we spoke, he asked us if we needed money to get started. We said we’d get back to him. Dad and I discussed what we’d need to set up the company, get licenses, purchase inventory and such. We decided that $1500 would get us off the ground. The Lord had opened the door.
First we choose the name, Pagosa Wireless. We then applied for the LLC and the necessary tax licenses then found a great deal with a company to design our logo and ordered business cards. Our plan was to tell people about the service and run the business from our home. But the Lord seemed to have a different idea. (Imagine that!)
Dad introduced me to Mary Jo Coulehan at the Pagosa Chamber of Commerce. She was excited about our business, but said we needed "face time" with customers to build credibility. She encouraged us to find office space, even if we had to shared with another business.
Wow. We weren’t prepared financially to rent a store front. We barely had the money to order some inventory. Again we prayed for direction.
Then the thought occurred to us, “How would we furnish the store, if we were to get one?” Dad found a site with info on how to start a cell phone business. It suggested that we should look for furniture on “Craig's List”, a bulletin board of items for sale. He “happened” to find a listing by a man in Denver who had just refurnished two cell phone stores and had displays, tables, cabinets and slat-wall for sale for only $500. I called and asked if he would take $400. He said he would, IF I could pick it up that same week. WOW.
Now, how to rent a vehicle to pick up everything? I called several rental companies, but unless I wanted to drive to Santa Fe to pick up a truck, first, the costs were out of range. Ouch. Again we prayed. A friend came to mind, so I asked him if I could borrow his truck. He agreed. Thank you Lord.
I called the owner of the store in Denver to let him know we were coming up. However, he said that some of the furniture had been damaged during their move and a few pieces had been sold. At first I was a bit discouraged, but then he told me I could have everything that was left for $200! The glass display case was certainly worth that by itself, so off we went!
On the way to Denver the next morning an SUV sped by us and tossed a good-sized rock into the windshield. SMACK! I’m now looking at a spider crack in glass the size of a quarter. O Lord, now what? Nothing to do at the moment but keep driving.
When we arrived in Denver to pick up an enclosed utility trailer, we learned that the connector for the trailer lights on the truck we borrowed didn’t work, so they refused to rent the trailer. I took my friends truck to the Toyota dealer after two other mechanics refused to work on it. They quoted around $300; $200 for the parts and another $100 for labor. Lord, HELP!
We went to breakfast, but before I could take my first bite, my phone rang. The dealership informed me that the electrical problem had been the target of a recall and that both parts and labor would be covered at no charge. Again the Lord intervened. However, at first, they installed the wrong part, so we needed to stay the night and wait for the correct parts to arrive. First they told us it would take three days. Yikes. We told the dealer we were from Pagosa so they called around and found a source that could deliver the next morning.
Now to find a hotel close by. With a convention in town, all the hotels in the area were full, but the Lord led us to an affordable hotel on the outskirts of Denver.
The next morning the parts arrived, were installed, and the truck was ready to go. We went back and picked up the trailer. As we pulled around the front of the building we noticed a mobile windshield repair truck. How fortunate. It turns out that he had a little tent set up across the street. He filled the windshield crack with resin and the crack was invisible. The Lord answered yet another request.
Finally we’re on the way to pick up the furniture. When we arrived, a store employee greeted us and led us to a room with the remainder of the furniture. To my surprise, there was a lot more furniture than the ad has listed, even with the missing and broken pieces. In fact, there were so many additional items, I asked the employee to call the owner to be sure that everything remaining was supposed to go. The employee was adamant that the boss wanted EVERYTHING in the back room GONE. So, we started disassembling and loading everything. Here is a list of what the Lord gave us for $200:
2 - point of sale counters,
2 - corner tables
2 - 8’ x 8’ wall units
1 - 4’ x 3.5’ x 2’ glass display case
1 - 8’ tall laptop stand/display
8 pieces of 2’x 4’ slat wall
1 nice swivel chair to match the point of sale counters.
Isn’t God wonderful? After four hours of dis-assembly and loading, we pulled away and decided to have dinner before heading back.
The return trip was uneventful. Thank you Lord! We’d had enough drama to last a while.
At home we unloaded everything that would fit into our shed, with the rest filling our living room. God had provided the all the office furniture, now we just needed an office!
The following day I started looking at retail space for rent in the Pagosa Sun and made a list of six or seven ads to check out. The very first person I called said she could meet with me at 6:30 that evening. The space looked great! It had two offices and a “showroom floor.” I grabbed a tape measure to see if the 8’ display would fit between the two offices. It was a perfect fit.
I called my Dad and told him about the office. He said that it sounded good, but to look at some others so we’d have a better idea of prices and terms available. After checking out several other offices that were either too big or too expensive, I made arrangements to meet with the property manager of the first location I visited to discuss the details.
The property manager was intrigued by our business and thought we would be an asset to the business complex. She gave us her price and terms. Not bad, but still a bit over our heads. We told her this was a “shoe-string” operation and cash was not in abundant supply. She then made a counter offer that gave us a month of free rent; allowed us to finance the second month’s rent, included all utilities and snow removal, split the security deposit in two payments and paid to have our phone jacks repaired. When my Dad returned, he was excited at what the Lord had done for us. This was the answer to our prayers… again. (We’d like to tell you how little we pay, but we don’t want to rile the other tenants).
At this point, I called my brother David to give him and update and to see how much more he would be willing in “invest.” He sent another $500 to help with move-in expenses and insurance.
Next we needed “signage;” a sign outside our door and a sign on the marquee off the highway. We quickly learned that signs are not cheap. The sign outside our door was going to cost about $280 just for the material and another $50 for the artwork. Lord, how should we handle this? Shortly afterward the landlord offered to pay for the material for that sign, so our cost dropped to $50. Another prayer, another answer.
Before we could open, we also needed a cash register or point-of-sale (POS) system. Prices for used systems ranged from several hundred to several thousand dollars. Knock, knock Lord.
After another prayer, Dad thought of a client in Durango who had recently moved his business and may have an extra POS station. Within a few days he spoke with the owner, who was happy to trade the equipment for a few hours of computer consulting time. Not only did we get the cash drawer, credit card swipe, and receipt printer, he also threw in his old phone system with multiple wireless handsets as well. Lord, you’re too much!
As you can see by now, Pagosa Wireless would not exist without God’s specific answers to very specific prayers. We believe that this is His business. He led us to start it, He has funded it, and He provides for it. It exists by His grace day by day. We look to Him for our daily bread and He sends it through our customers, friends and neighbors.
Please continue to pray for us that we would be faithful to Him and continue to trust Him every day for every need.
There are more expenses coming, inventory to purchase, accounting fees and other things. Our hope is that we are found faithful stewards of the gifts God is giving us and that we can share those gifts with others as the Lord leads.
Blessings,
Perry & Scott Schjolin
Pagosa Wireless LLC
