Get All Access for $5/mo

Want a Piece of the Fall Foliage Action? This Company Will Send You 3 Leaves for $19.99. How one enterprising young man is attempting to commercialize autumn.

By Laura Entis

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Pixabay

Serial entrepreneurs tend to spot opportunity everywhere, and Kyle Waring is no exception.

Where others simply saw colorful leaves, Waring saw market potential. "When I was looking at foliage, I didn't see anywhere that sold foliage, and it seemed like an untapped market," he told the Boston Globe. And so like any enterprising business man, he set out to commercialize it.

Today Waring's website, ShipFoliage.com, will send leaf bundles for $19.99.

While the price may seem high – each package only contains three leaves – these aren't just any leaves. According to the website, they are collected by "foliage experts" and "undergo a unique preservation process" that enhances and maintains the colors for years. What's more, the leaves are carefully "color balanced" (i.e. every package contains one red leaf, one yellow leaf and one "green or mixed leaf.")

Image Credit: Ship Foliage

Related: 4 Kickstarter Campaigns You Won't Believe Actually Succeeded

This isn't the first time Waring has tried to profit off a New England season. Last winter, as the region was pummeled by snowstorm after snowstorm, Waring sensed an opportunity: Ship Snow Yo, a site where users could order boxed snow, was born. Despite the outlandish premise, Waring told the Boston Globe that the venture was profitable (although he wouldn't' disclose how much he ultimately made.)

Waring's efforts aren't the first time a simple and ridiculous shippable product has made a splash. Remember ShipYourEnemiesGlitter? The site -- which allowed users to do exactly what its name implies -- went viral. So many orders flooded in that its founder quickly grew sick of the concept and sold the site for a cool $85,000. Since then, dozens of copycat sites have popped up. Along with glitter, it's now possible to ship your enemies potatoes, poop and…nothing.

Related: Forget Glitter: The New Thing to Ship Your Enemies Is a Potato

Laura Entis is a reporter for Fortune.com's Venture section.

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

Editor's Pick

Starting a Business

He Started a Business That Surpassed $100 Million in Under 3 Years: 'Consistent Revenue Right Out of the Gate'

Ryan Close, founder and CEO of Bartesian, had run a few small businesses on the side — but none of them excited him as much as the idea for a home cocktail machine.

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.

Franchise

The Top 10 Coffee Franchises in 2024

From a classic cup of joe to a creamy latte, grab your favorite mug and get ready to brew up success with the best coffee franchises.

Marketing

How Small Businesses Can Leverage Dark Social to Drive Word-of-Mouth Marketing

Dark social accounts for 70% of social media shares and is crucial for small businesses. Here's how you can tap into this hidden marketing opportunity.

Business News

'Jaw-Dropping Performance in 2024,' Says a Senior Analyst as Nvidia Reports Earnings

Nvidia reported its highly-anticipated third-quarter earnings on Wednesday.

Business News

'Do You Sell Cars?': Tesla CEO Elon Musk Trolls Jaguar Rebrand on X

The team running Jaguar's X account was working hard on social media this week.