Entrepreneur Plus - Short White
For Subscribers

And Then? These little piggybackers went aftermarket . . . and reaped the benefits of a built-in consumer base.

By Geoff Williams

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

What if, tomorrow, we decided not to own cars? The whole world,all at once, just gave them up? What if, say, instead, we decidedto ride ostriches to work and school? That would mean two things:The Twilight Zone isn't just black-and-whitereruns-it's real life, and we've just enteredit-and Lee Schoenfeld would no longer have a business.

All right, maybe thousands, or even millions, of entrepreneursand employees around the world would be affected. But let'stalk about Schoenfeld, a businessman whose store, AutoFun Inc.,doesn't sell cars; it sells car accessories. If you go intoSchoenfeld's store, located in the heart of Coon Rapids, asuburb of Minneapolis, you won't find a Plymouth or a Probe,but you will see car stereos and car stickers, CD decks and fuzzydice. AutoFun even sells 8-tracks if you want them. You'll see32-inch subwoofers and satellite navigation systems. Or Schoenfeldmay lead you to a curling iron, a blender or a coffee maker thatplugs in to your cigarette lighter. He has child safety seats andfloor mats, too, all of which would be completely useless on anostrich. Except, maybe, for the fuzzy dice. You could tie themaround the animal's neck. Where there's a will, there'sa way, right?

Memorial Day Sale - Save 20%! Unlock this premium article & so much more with Entrepreneur+

Join the internet’s leading entrepreneur community with our Memorial Day sale! With your subscription, you'll get:

  • Digestible insight on how to be a better entrepreneur and leader
  • Lessons for starting and growing a business from our expert network of CEOs and founders
  • Meaningful content to help you make sharper decisions
  • Business and life hacks to help you stay ahead of the curve

Use code SAVE20 at checkout.

Editor's Pick

A Leader's Most Powerful Tool Is Executive Capital. Here's What It Is — and How to Earn It.
Lock
One Man's Casual Side Hustle Became an International Phenomenon — And It's on Track to See $15 Million in Revenue This Year
Lock
3 Reasons to Keep Posting on LinkedIn, Even If Nobody Is Engaging With You
Why a Strong Chief Financial Officer Is Crucial for Your Franchise — and What to Look for When Hiring One

Related Topics

Starting a Business

5 Tips For Launching a Business While Keeping Your Day Job

Launching a business while holding down a 9-to-5 is no small feat. It's a common path for aspiring entrepreneurs, but it's not without its challenges.

Money & Finance

7 Ways to Make Extra Income Even With a Full-Time Job

Want to make more money? Real estate investing, Amazon ecommerce and the sharing economy are waiting for you.

Business News

Florida Burger King to Pay $8 Million to Customer Who Slipped and Fell in Restaurant Bathroom

The case marks one of the largest slip-and-fall verdicts in Florida's history.

Leadership

Why Time Management Doesn't Work — And How My Team Doubled Their Productivity Once I Started Doing This Instead

Time management is killing your productivity – here's why and what you need to do to increase your productivity instead.

Growing a Business

The Best Way to Run a Business Meeting

All too often, meetings run longer than they should and fail to keep attendees engaged. Here's how to run a meeting the right way.

Fundraising

Working Remote? These Are the Biggest Dos and Don'ts of Video Conferencing

As more and more businesses go remote, these are ways to be more effective and efficient on conference calls.