Several famous businesses have humble beginnings in garages. Here are some notable examples:
- Apple Inc.: One of the most famous examples is Apple Inc. The company was started by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak in a garage in Los Altos, California, in 1976. They built their first computer, the Apple I, in that garage, and it laid the foundation for what would become one of the largest and most influential technology companies in the world.
- Google: Larry Page and Sergey Brin started working on their search engine project, initially called Backrub, in a garage in Menlo Park, California, in 1996. Eventually, they renamed it Google, and it grew into the world’s most widely used search engine and a global technology giant.
- Amazon: Although not technically started in a garage, Amazon had humble beginnings in founder Jeff Bezos’ garage in Bellevue, Washington, in 1994. Bezos initially focused on selling books online and gradually expanded the business into the e-commerce behemoth it is today.
- Hewlett-Packard (HP): In 1939, Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard established Hewlett-Packard (now known as HP) in a one-car garage in Palo Alto, California. They began by producing electronic test equipment and went on to build a legendary technology company.
- Disney: While not a garage, Walt Disney and his brother Roy Disney started the Disney Brothers Studio in their uncle’s garage in Hollywood, California, in 1923. This studio eventually grew into The Walt Disney Company, one of the world’s most prominent entertainment companies.
- Harley-Davidson: In 1903, William S. Harley and Arthur Davidson started building motorcycles in a small wooden shed in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. They went on to establish the Harley-Davidson Motor Company, which became one of the most iconic motorcycle manufacturers globally.
These examples demonstrate that great things can emerge from small beginnings, and a garage can serve as an incubator for innovative ideas and successful businesses.