Identify and describe a ready-made platform, like Squarespace or Shopify that is not a direct competitor of either one of these platforms but fills a similar role in that it allows an entrepreneur to perform a vital task with very little upfront capital investment.

In 2008, Mary Lynn Schroeder was working in the music business in Chicago. She didn’t find the work fulfilling so decided to move on. She departed for southern Illinois, and on the way stopped at a Jo-Ann Fabrics & Crafts store. While she didn’t know much about sewing, she bought a sewing machine, primarily in order to hem her jeans and make curtains. She stayed long enough to take several lessons. She arrived in southern Illinois and rented a farmhouse near Carbondale, the home of Southern Illinois University. Schroeder had planned to find a job in Carbondale and settle in. Instead, she unexpectedly fell in love with sewing.