Get All Access for $5/mo

Forget Glitter: The New Thing to Ship Your Enemies Is a Potato An entrepreneur in Texas has made a business out of shipping potatoes inscribed with anonymous messages.

By Kate Taylor

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Shutterstock

When Alex Craig told his girlfriend his business plan, she told him it was the stupidest idea she had ever heard.

While many may agree, there are thousands who do not. Craig, you see, has made a business out of sending potatoes inscribed with messages anonymously through the mail.

The 24-year-old Texas entrepreneur says he has sold more than 2,000 potatoes and is making a profit of $10,000 a month since launching Potato Parcel in May, reports WFAA. Potatoes sell for $7.99 for a medium (which fits 100 characters) and $9.99 for a large (up to 140 characters). Craig will ship them anywhere in the U.S.

Related: 6 Trends That Are Shaping the Future of Crowdfunding

Twitter users have posted photos in which the potatoes serve as a quirky, unexpected form of potentially anonymous communication.

This isn't the first time that a simple product has garnered major support. A similar business, ShipYourEnemiesGlitter, allowed users to do exactly what the name promised, catapulting founder Matthew Carpenter to internet fame until he grew sick of the concept and sold the website for $85,000.

Nor is this the first time the potato has inspired entrepreneurial success. In January, Zack Brown generated more than $55,000 to fund a project to make a batch of potato salad. Brown took to Internet entrepreneurship more readily than Carpenter, and is currently working on a Potato Salad cookbook. Hopefully Craig can follow his example and make Potato Parcels a lasting business instead of just a potato-shaped blip on the radar.

Related: The 12 Wackiest Things You Can Buy From the Presidential Candidates' Campaign Stores
Kate Taylor

Reporter

Kate Taylor is a reporter at Business Insider. She was previously a reporter at Entrepreneur. Get in touch with tips and feedback on Twitter at @Kate_H_Taylor. 

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Editor's Pick

Most Popular

See all
Side Hustle

This 20-Year-Old Student Started a Side Hustle With $400 — and It Earned $150,000 Over the Summer

Jacob Shaidle launched his barbecue cleaning business Shaidle Cleaning in 2021 when he was just 15.

By Amanda Breen
Business News

'Everybody Wants to Be First': Nvidia CEO Says Demand for Its Blackwell AI Chip Is 'Insane'

One Nvidia Blackwell chip costs between $30,000 to $40,000.

By Sherin Shibu
Business Ideas

63 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2024

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2024.

By Eve Gumpel
Business News

Meta Says Its New Movie Gen AI Is an Industry First — But a Demo Shows It Isn't Perfect

Movie Gen is too expensive to be released to the public yet, according to Meta's chief product officer.

By Sherin Shibu
Business News

Mark Zuckerberg Is Now the World's Second Richest Person, Behind Elon Musk

Meta's CEO jumped ahead of Jeff Bezos in Bloomberg's rankings this week.

By Erin Davis
Marketing

Ad Fatigue is Real — Why Trust and Influencers Are Shaping the Future of Cybersecurity Marketing

With the rapid evolution of cyber threats, businesses are becoming increasingly careful when choosing cybersecurity providers. Therefore, cybersecurity companies must center their marketing strategies around trust, not ads.

By Jaxon Parrott