(qlmbusinessnews.com . Thurs 18th September, 2025) London, UK —
Powering Through Pueblo's Perils: How Aurora Electric is Navigating a Storm of Unpaid Bills and an Industry on the Brink
Pueblo, CO – In the high-desert landscape of Southern Colorado, the sun is both a source of life and, for many in the renewable energy sector, a source of immense opportunity. But for Steve O., the founder of Aurora Electric, the bright promise of the solar industry has been clouded by the harsh realities of entrepreneurship. Since launching his electrical and solar installation company in January 2022, his journey has been a masterclass in resilience, a constant battle against cash flow crises and a volatile market.
In a candid interview with QLMBusinessnews.com, Steve O. painted a vivid picture of the ground-level challenges facing small contractors today. His story is not one of hiring woes or marketing missteps, but of a more fundamental, trust-shattering problem that has choked his company's growth: clients who simply don't pay. It’s a raw, unfiltered look at the grit required to build a business when the very foundation of commerce—a fair exchange for services rendered—crumbles.
The Cash Flow Catastrophe: A Battle Against “Leaches”
When asked about his single biggest challenge, Steve O. doesn't hesitate. It’s not finding work or skilled labor. It's collecting the money he's rightfully earned.
“The biggest challenge has been doing work for people and or businesses and people not paying,” he states, the frustration evident in his voice. “It's been holding our business down. We've been a real generous business to a lot of people and there was a big learning curve in trusting people.”
This issue has become the primary roadblock to Aurora Electric's growth. Every unpaid invoice represents a direct hit to the capital needed to scale. “When we're about to get ahead and we can afford help, we can afford to hire people to delegate things… people don't pay their bills,” he explains. “They just drain our bank accounts, leaches everywhere.”
For a young company, this constant financial drain is more than just an annoyance; it’s an existential threat. Steve O. attributes this difficult lesson to a combination of naivety in the beginning and a local business culture that proved harsher than he anticipated. “In the beginning, contracts, we didn't do that. We were trusting,” he admits. “One thing I've learned is that you can't just trust anybody. You need contracts. There are legal walls you got to climb over that are very tall here.”
He found that the legal system often seems to protect individuals over businesses, making it difficult to recoup losses without ironclad agreements. This baptism by fire has forced him to become more legally savvy, but the scars from early losses remain, slowing the momentum he has worked so hard to build.
The Solar Industry's Wild West
Steve O. pinpoints a significant portion of these financial woes to the turbulent solar market. He describes an industry flooded with opportunistic players who lacked fundamental business acumen, creating a ripple effect of chaos that has harmed legitimate contractors like himself.
“We got very involved in the solar market,” he says. “And in the solar market, there were a lot of people that got into solar and didn't know anything about it. They didn't know anything about management… solar companies are going under left and right.”
This gold rush mentality led to a proliferation of untrustworthy companies that mismanaged funds, made promises they couldn't keep, and ultimately left both customers and subcontractors in the lurch. “We trusted people and we lost a lot of money ourselves,” Steve reflects. This experience has given him a unique, and somewhat cynical, perspective on an industry often portrayed as uniformly progressive and beneficial.
Despite the damage caused by these bad actors, he still believes in the technology itself, a nuance often lost in the public discourse. “There's a lot of people that very much dislike solar now, and it's only because what the salesmen and the solar companies have done to people,” he observes. He speaks of homeowners left with half-installed systems, inoperable panels, and hefty monthly payments with no one to call for service. His contrarian view is that, for the right person and the right situation, “it's a great idea… at least until the end of the year.”
An Industry on the Cusp of Radical Change
That end-of-year deadline looms large over the entire conversation. Steve O. identifies the impending removal of the 30% federal income tax credit for solar PV systems as the single biggest trend that will impact his business in the coming years. His prediction is dire.
“By the end of the year, it's gonna kill an entire industry,” he states bluntly. “When that goes away, a PV system isn't gonna make sense. I mean, you can still get it, but financially it almost doesn't make sense as it is with the thirty percent… So solar is probably gonna die after the 31st of December.”
This expert insight from the front lines suggests a massive contraction in the residential solar purchase market is imminent. For a business that operates in both general electrical services and solar, this means a necessary pivot is on the horizon. While the demand for energy storage and other renewable technologies may grow, the boom in rooftop solar installations, as it has been known, is facing a cliff's edge.
A Modern Entrepreneur's Toolkit: AI and YouTube
To navigate these complex challenges, Steve O. has adopted a distinctly modern and resourceful approach. When asked where he turns for business advice, his answer isn't mentors or industry groups, but technology.
“ChatGPT and YouTube,” he says. “When I need to work on a specific thing or I need to figure it out, it's like the first place that I go.”
This reliance on AI and crowd-sourced video tutorials speaks to a new generation of entrepreneurs who are self-taught, agile, and adept at leveraging digital tools to solve complex problems, from marketing strategies to technical troubleshooting.
His approach to purchasing software is similarly pragmatic. The most critical tool for his business, he notes, is a robust CRM (Customer Relationship Management) system. When evaluating any significant purchase, his primary criterion is functionality. “The amount of tasks the software can complete, you know, all in one,” is the most important factor. He needs tools that are efficient and comprehensive, allowing him to claw back precious time from administrative tasks he'd rather eliminate, such as marketing and website development, to get back to what he loves: “doing engineering, being on the field, building things.”
The Unwavering Goal: To Build and Endure
Despite the setbacks and the looming industry shake-up, Steve O.'s focus for the next twelve months is clear and resolute: growth and stability. His number one priority is “becoming a well-established business.” This involves taking on more work, expanding his service categories, and finally hiring the people he needs. “Just grow, basically,” he says. “Become established and ensure the future.”
It is this relentless forward momentum, this refusal to be defined by the betrayals of the past, that keeps Aurora Electric alive. His final piece of advice for other entrepreneurs navigating this economy is simple, powerful, and forged in the crucible of his own experience.
“Work hard. Stick to your word, work hard, and don't give up,” he insists. “We've been through some pretty rough stuff and we're still alive, but it takes a lot of hard work. So, work hard.”
For Steve O. and Aurora Electric, the path ahead may be uncertain, but the engine driving them forward is not. It is the unwavering belief that through sheer determination and hard work, they will not only survive the storm but emerge stronger, a well-established and trusted name in the Pueblo community.
To learn more about Aurora Electric's comprehensive electrical and solar services in the Pueblo, Colorado area, visit their website for more information or to request a consultation.
Company Information:
Company Name: Aurora Electric
Business Owner: Steve O.
Address: 1021 N Market Pl Ste 107 PMB 2020, Pueblo West, CO 81007, USA
Website: http://aurora-electric.net/
Phone: (719) 429-8821
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