Some people believe that in order to start a business, they should have a corporate office first. That’s where some people go wrong. It might surprise to you know that there are several multi-billion dollar companies that started in the unlikeliest of places: the garage.
However big they might seem now, some of the largest and most successful companies have, at one point in time, started in someone’s garage. Let’s name a few of them:
Apple
Apple is one of the most sought-after brands today, and people are often surprised to learn that Apple’s first computers were actually built in a small garage somewhere in Cupertino, California. Steve Wozniak created the first apple computer in 1976. Joining forces with the late Steve Jobs and another partner, Ronald Wayne, they launched Apple Computer Co. from Steve Jobs’ adoptive parents’ garage.
One of their first biggest orders was from a local retailer who ordered 50 computers ($500 apiece) which they produced in just 30 days. Eventually, Wayne abandoned the business, but Jobs and Wozniak were still able to successfully reach their goal in just 30 days. Today, the home where Jobs grew up in Silicon Valley is listed as one of the historic properties of the city.
Amazon
Jeff Bezos was named the youngest vice president of a successful Wall Street investment firm. Four years after, he decided to quit his job and moved to Seattle to pursue what he believed in – online retailing opportunities in the book industry. It was in Bellevue, Washington where he setup shop in his garage, and began developing software.
Since he could not hold meetings in a garage, Bezos held meetings instead at a nearby Barnes & Noble – this is also where most of Amazon’s first contracts were negotiated. It was in July 1995 when Bezos launched Amazon.com. He was also able to sell his first book from his garage start-up the same year. Two years after, Bezos issued his IPO and his company is now the world’s biggest online retailer.
Sergey Brim and Larry Page met at Stanford in the mid-1990s. They decided that they wanted to start a company together, and two years later, the partners were able to establish Google’s headquarters in Susan Wojcicki’s garage for $1,700 per month. At that time, Wojcicki was a business graduate. She decided to rent out her garage to the Google guys so she can pay her mortgages.
Within a year, the Google team was able to outgrow the garage space and eventually moved to an office in Palo Alto – along with their eight employees. Susan Wojcicki held a senior vice president position at Google until 2014.
If you think that you do not have enough funds to get a commercial space, you might want to think again. Let these successful companies remind you that as long as you dream it, you can make it happen!
