In the beginning, all Brent Gensler was trying to do was find a bargain-priced sofa set.
He ended up with an online furniture retailing business, Minneapolis-based DefySupply.com, which grossed $720,000 in its first 12 months and is on track to approach $1.5 million revenue in 2009, its first full year.
The attraction: deep discounts on sofas, dining sets, patio sets and other furnishings manufactured in China, one order at a time, and shipped directly to the customer.