Do you have a billion-dollar idea that you think will be a massive success given the right environment and support? Do you have a business plan and are confused where or how to begin? While starting up a company, you do not necessarily need to begin it in premises that are on a lease or rented at a price, you can simply begin it at your home or in your garage. Google, Amazon and Apple, for instance, went on to become juggernauts in their respective industries having started from humble beginnings. Here is a list of a few multi-billion-dollar global businesses that can be traced back to a humble start, which may give you the right inspiration and the courage to start where you are with what you have.
Hewlett-Packard
William Hewlett and Dave Packard started their company in a garage in 1939, initially investing $538 together. One of the giants in the business of personal computer manufacturing today, Hewlett-Packard has been known to experiment with several kinds of products in the history of its business.
Disney Studios
Disney is a memory that traces back to each and every one of our childhoods. The company that is responsible for a big part of our early happiness had a humble start. Walt Disney and Roy Disney in 1923 began their company in their own uncle’s garage. Today the company is the biggest media conglomerate in the world.
Harley Davidson
William Harley began his business in a shed in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, with his friend Arthur Davidson and launched Harley-Davidson in 1903. Having begun with an idea of an engine that can run a bicycle, the business went on to become a globally recognized luxury motorbike brand worth more than $10 billion.
Mattel
Having begun as a company that sold frames for photographs and pictures, Mattel later on became a toy manufacturing business. Famous for their range of Barbie dolls, the founders of Mattel, Harold Matson, Elliot Handler and Ruth Handler had a very humble beginning. They initially used excess and leftover materials to make dollhouses, which began attracting more business than photo-frames. Mattel is globally the biggest toy manufacturing company worth over $10 billion today.
Nike
Blue Ribbon Sports, which later on became Nike, began in the trunk of a Plymouth Valiant in 1964. The car belonged to Nike’s founder Phil Knight. During the initial two years, the business could not find retailers. Nike later went on to become the largest manufacturer of sports accessories and apparel in the world, worth over $90 billion today.
A humble beginning can be a good start if you are passionately focused on your business. The above examples clearly demonstrate that having the courage to begin your company with what you have is the greatest wealth that will serve you. Eventually, success and glory always come your way if you stay with your dreams.
