"In my home state of Oklahoma, in the span of roughly six years in the early 1970s, three men separately started companies that, by the year 2018, would each be a leader in its field. In 1970, David Green borrowed $600 to begin making picture frames out of his home. Today, Hobby Lobby has more than 800 stores and is the largest privately-owned arts-and-crafts retailer in the world. According to the company’s website, it employs nearly 32,000 people and operates in 47 states. The company’s corporate headquarters sits on a 9.2 million acre complex in Oklahoma City.
In 1971, David Smith, a boys basketball coach at Southeast High School in Oklahoma City started Midwest Trophy Company and sold trophies to bowling leagues and softball tournaments. Now, MTM Recognition provides a variety of awards and recognition pieces for Fortune 100 companies. In addition, they provide the NCAA with awards for a variety of sports, including the national championship trophy for Division 1 football.
In 1976, Mike Dillard began selling martial arts uniforms out of his van at local martial arts tournaments. In 2018, Century Martial Arts boasts 650,000 square feet of corporate headquarters, which includes an on-site warehouse, a showroom, and a manufacturing facility. The company provides martial arts supplies to customers all over the world.
What did all three of these men have in common? They were upstarts who, over time, found a way to provide goods or services in a better way than had previously been done. More importantly, as each entrepreneur found ways to provide their goods to more customers and to provide additional goods that their customers wanted or needed, their companies grew significantly."
https://fee.org/articles/how-unleashing-entrepreneurship-makes-everyone-richer/
In 1971, David Smith, a boys basketball coach at Southeast High School in Oklahoma City started Midwest Trophy Company and sold trophies to bowling leagues and softball tournaments. Now, MTM Recognition provides a variety of awards and recognition pieces for Fortune 100 companies. In addition, they provide the NCAA with awards for a variety of sports, including the national championship trophy for Division 1 football.
In 1976, Mike Dillard began selling martial arts uniforms out of his van at local martial arts tournaments. In 2018, Century Martial Arts boasts 650,000 square feet of corporate headquarters, which includes an on-site warehouse, a showroom, and a manufacturing facility. The company provides martial arts supplies to customers all over the world.
What did all three of these men have in common? They were upstarts who, over time, found a way to provide goods or services in a better way than had previously been done. More importantly, as each entrepreneur found ways to provide their goods to more customers and to provide additional goods that their customers wanted or needed, their companies grew significantly."
https://fee.org/articles/how-unleashing-entrepreneurship-makes-everyone-richer/