When a business starts off in a low-budget garage, it's commonly known as a 'garage start-up,' and while many of these are usually doomed to fail, there are a handful of lucky ones that go on to become multinational companies of epic proportions. These stories prove that success is less to do with the amount of money invested, and more to do with ideas, courage, and dedication.
Here are 7 hugely successful businesses that started off in a garage:
1. Amazon
Way back in 1994, Jeff Bezos founded one of the first online bookstores ever. At that time, its 'headquarters' was located in his garage, with an old door serving as his desk. As of today, Amazon is by far the planet's biggest online retailer, and Bezos even has his own aerospace, called Blue Origin, which manufactures and services spacecrafts.
2. Apple
The very first Apple computers were assembled by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak in Jobs' family's garage. This year, Apple is planning to finish building its new company headquarters, which will accommodate around 13,000 employees. This futuristic structure will take up a 2.8 million-square-foot area, and will be four stories high.
3. Google
The internet's most dominant search engine was originally two Stanford graduates' research project. Today, apart from doing what it does best, Google is also involved in various technological and scientific advancements, such as augmented reality, unmanned vehicles, and early disease detection.
4. Microsoft
Back in the good old days, the Microsoft team only consisted of three employees, including co-founders Paul Allen and Bill Gates. Today, Bill Gates is one of the richest men in the world, and Microsoft employs more than 120,000 people from all over the world.
5. Harley Davidson
Arthur Davidson and his childhood friend William S. Harley used to enjoy spending time in a wooden shack, experimenting on their bicycles together when they were children. They once succeeded in attaching a tiny engine to a regular bicycle, thus giving birth to their very first motorcycle. Little did they know that this would be the prototype for the world's most iconic bike ever!
6. Patagonia
Yvon Chouinard has been a climbing enthusiast since the age of 14. However, his family was too poor to buy the equipment he needed, so he resorted to turning his parents' garage into a blacksmithing workshop. There, he began to forge his own equipment, and 40 years on, his company, called Patagonia, still manufactures durable climbing equipment for clients from all across the globe.
7. Yankee Candle
When he was only 14 years old, Michael Kittredge used melted crayons to make a scented candle as a present for his parents. His neighbors liked the smell and took an interest, and soon Kittredge was selling his candles all over the neighborhood. Today, the Yankee Candle Company sells a wide range of scented candles and souvenirs in over 50 countries around the world, and the first ever Yankee Candle Shop has now been turned into a local museum.
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