From little starts, big businesses grow

You can’t expect to have a huge, international company within months of starting up – this just isn’t a reality. However, it isn’t out of the question that your small business could become a huge sensation over a longer time period. After all, everyone has to start somewhere!

Did you know that some of the biggest businesses actually started out as companies run from the family home? Here are the 10 of the most famous start-ups that made it big!

Amazon

Now known as the largest and most trusted online retailer in the world, Amazon started off from very humble beginnings in 1994. The idea started off as an online bookstore which was run entirely from Jeff Bezos’ home in Bellevue, Washington. In under 20 years this project went from being a tiny online shop into a merchandising behemoth, selling almost anything you can think of!

Apple

This elite digital retailer hasn’t always been as prestigious as it is now. In fact, when it first started out it only consisted of Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak who built computers in their garage and sold them to local retailers. Thirty years later and Apple is now considered the most valuable technology company there is – from small beginnings this computer giant is now everywhere.

Google

The one company synonymous with the internet was nowhere to be found before 1998, now “Google it” is a common phrase found in households around the world! This phenomenon began by being built by university students operating out of a single car garage; it quickly expanded beyond their expectations. This just goes to show that if you have a business idea and pursue it with a clever corporate head, whilst ensuring you get the best commercial mortgage, then you too could dominate an entire market.

Harley Davidson

You don’t just have to be a computer genius to make a business work; back in 1901 Harley Davidson was started from a 15-foot wooden shed in Wisconsin. This may possibly be the least likely place you’d expect a globally recognised brand to start from, but William S. Harley and Arthur Davidson made their dreams a reality. In 2013, Harley Davidson marked their £100 year anniversary, a landmark they reached with an operating income of nearly $830 million!

Lotus Cars

Another automotive achievement that started small, being built in a stables – Lotus really embraced the term Horsepower to create premier racing cars that are sought after by enthusiasts across the globe. The first ever Lotus was built using a 1930s Austin Seven and a power drill – after a bit of money came in, Chapman was able to buy in his own parts and mechanics and invest in the best commercial mortgage to move out of the stables and into a proper garage.

Yankee Candles

Probably the only brand of candles your know about, Yankee Candles came about when 16 year old Michael Kittredge melted crayons into a candle as a gift for his mother. This simple gesture got noticed by friends and family which resulted in Kittredge mass-producing candles to order. It took Kittredge four years to outgrow his family’s garage and move the company forward.

None of these businesses started out expecting to be huge, a factor that many entrepreneurs are trying to force on their company. Start out with what you know and don’t be afraid to take chances and your business may also end up on this list!