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Todd Hills, founder of Pawngo, first-of-its-kind online pawn shop servicing the entire United States joins Enterprise Radio. Mr. Hills truly has an ‘American Dream’ story as his path to entrepreneurship was rife with obstacles – acquiring bank loans despite not having a college degree, for example.
Listen to host Eric Dye & guest Todd Hills discuss the following:
- Explain the company you have created.
- What does Pawngo do? What is Pawngo trying to accomplish and who does Pawngo service?
- What does your start-up story say about you?
- Tell us about the future of Pawngo. What do you see this becoming?
- What advice would you give to people who want to start their own business?
Duration: 9:45
Todd A Hills is a Colorado native, and a 25-year veteran of the pawn industry.  Todd lives in Parker, Colorado with his wife, children and cadre of pets.  Besides the passion he pours into bringing the 3,000 year old pawn industry online at his start-up venture Pawngo.com, he enjoys golfing, snowboarding and coaching his son’s basketball team.
After spending his youth working on a farm in Brighton, Todd was forced to seek outside employment to support his family’s struggling livestock business. Between job searches, Todd decided to pawn his favorite saddle to pay for living costs. In a fortuitous turn of events, he walked out of his local pawn shop with a pawn loan and full time employment.
Todd spent nearly a decade working for a small chain of pawn shops in the Denver area. Starting behind the counter as a pawnbroker, Todd climbed to the position of VP – Operations before deciding to pursue a more entrepreneurial life path.  In [1993], Todd opened his first pawn shop in Lafayette, CO., using his life savings and money borrowed from friends and family.
Eventually, a public pawn shop operator bought out two of Todd’s pawning businesses. Todd spent the next 10 years leveraging that capital to grow a new chain of pawn shops operating under the name Jumping Jack Cash in Colorado and Utah. His pawning business became widely successful, expanding to 30 different locations at its peak. By 2011, EZ Corp bought out all 30 pawn shop locations in both Colorado and Utah.
In 2009, Todd founded and launched Internet Pawn, Inc. – now known as Pawngo.  With the vision of revolutionizing the brick and mortar industry, Todd launched the new business as a more convenient, discrete and cheaper alternative than the local pawn shop.  Todd’s long term vision is to educate a new breed of consumer that they can utilize their existing assets to secure a short term loan, as an attractive alternative to incurring more debt and leveraging your future.
Todd’s vision is becoming reality.  Pawngo has customers in 50 states across the US and has paid out nearly $9 million since launching.
Related Web Site: www.pawngo.com
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