Couple relies on faith for business success 

While many entrepreneurs put their faith in hard work, return customers and money in the bank, Rick and Donelda Lea of Nampa lean on something a little less tangible: God.

Which isn’t to say work, customers and cash mean nothing to the couple. They started North Star Books in the Garrity Crossing Shopping Center in Nampa last July, believing God helped them launch their business and plans to help them keep it.
“The economy is affecting us, but we’re here to stay,” said Rick, a former Hewlett-Packard software engineer who took a voluntary severance package in 2005 and left the company.
He and Donelda hit the road.
“We hooked up the truck and trailer,” he said. “It was such a great feeling – we didn’t have to be anywhere.” They had lots of freedom, and finances weren’t an issue. During this time, they wanted to figure out what to do next in their lives.
“We felt more and more that a faith-based, Christian bookstore was the way to go,” Rick said. Neither of them had ever run a bookstore before but have a “we-can-do-it” attitude.
They searched the Internet, applied for an SBA loan and used some of their own money. During the heat of summer, just off a crowded Nampa thoroughfare, they opened North Star. Even the name is divinely inspired.
“We were seeking God’s direction, and friends who were praying for us said, ‘God is putting a North Star in the sky for you to follow,’” said Donelda. “(The name) defines us because the North Star does not change location and gives people direction whether they’re lost or just want to get from Point A to Point B.”
“That’s our motto: Direction in a changing world,” said Rick.
Everything in the 4,000 square feet of retail space has been handpicked, according to the couple, and the store features much more than books. North Star offers videos, CDs, a coffee shop and gifts. There are Spanish-language offerings, as well as a play area for children, and there are both scriptural and nonscriptural gift cards for purchase in the “anyone is welcome” environment.
But the one thing that all North Star items have in common is they are “safe,” meaning nothing inappropriate is for sale there, the couple said.
They work with about 10 product suppliers for their books, coffee, figurines and gifts for both men and women. The store is located near Mercy North Health Center and Donelda said it’s a great location for people who are visiting sick friends or relatives to come in and pick up a get-well present.
They feel the location also suits them because it is near the freeway and accessible to residents throughout the valley.
The couple, who employ three part-time workers in the store, continues to plan for the future. On the agenda is live music from 7 to 9 p.m. every fourth Friday of the month. They are also working to set up two big-screen TVs to highlight local events.
Donelda designed the store from its inception, drawing up blueprints from ideas in her mind. “I could see it all in my head,” she said. Ultimately, for the couple, it’s more than just a business. “We feel we have a mission to spread hope, life and truth,” Rick said.

Contact info

Phone — 208.467.2732

Location — 1218 N. Jacob Allcott Way, Nampa

Web site: www.northstarbooks.org

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