The journey of various billion-dollar companies started with very modest investments. What started as small startups with less than $1,500 became global players in their respective industries, setting new standards. Here’s a look at the humble beginnings and extraordinary growth of Apple Inc., Hewlett-Packard Company, Dell Inc., Nike, Inc., and Subway.
Apple Inc.
Apple Inc. was originally known as Apple Computer, founded on April 1, 1976, by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Ronald Wayne. In Cupertino, California, the organization took $1,350 of investments, netting from the sale of Jobs’ Volkswagen van and part of Wozniak’s HP calculator. This small capital was utilized to build Wozniak’s design, the single-board computer called Apple 1. The Apple I was sold as a kit – the user had to add his case and power supply.
The success of the Apple I, therefore, enabled the founders to work on an even more ground-breaking product: the Apple II. This indeed turned out to be one of the trend-setters in the early personal computer market. Despite such sparkling, very promising starts, the company constantly trudged and wobbled throughout the 1990s.
A series of product flops and corresponding financial losses further led to a chain of leadership changes. It was then, in 1997, that Steve Jobs returned to Apple with a new vision and direction. In 1998, under his leadership, Apple launched the iMac-a beautiful product with in-built user-friendly features that revived the fortunes of the company.
After the iMac, Apple went on to come up with the iPod in 2001, the iPhone in 2007, and the iPad in 2010, which really made consumer electronics transform and become a leader in quite several big markets.
Today, Apple is one of the most valued companies in the world, synonymous with ground-breaking products like the iPhone, iPad, and MacBook, and even a Services ecosystem containing an App Store, Apple Music, and iCloud.
Hewlett-Packard (HP)
HP was formed on 2 July 1939 by Bill Hewlett and David Packard in a small garage in Palo Alto, California, with an initial investment of $538. Their very first product was an audio oscillator, the HP 200A, essentially a device used in testing sound equipment.
Their first big customer was Walt Disney Studios, which purchased eight oscillators to develop and test the sound system for the movie Fantasia.
This quality gained for Hewlett-Packard in the field of electronic test equipment laid the seeds for later expansion and growth.
From the 1980s through the 1990s, HP was known for personal computers and printers. It is because of the high emphasis on innovation and quality that the company could achieve a leadership position all over the world in these two product categories. The company underwent a drastic restructuring phase in the year 2015, wherein the company was bifurcated into two different identities: HP Inc., handling PCs and printers, and Hewlett Packard Enterprise, an enterprise solutions company.
Today, HP is one of the large technology companies whose product line spans to almost anything that runs by electricity, targeting consumers and businesses worldwide.
Dell Inc.
Michael Dell founded the Dell Computer Corporation—later Dell Inc.—in 1984 from his dorm room at the University of Texas at Austin. He initially put up $1,000 to sell PCs, upgraded at his place, to directly sell to customers and avoid retailing. By then, direct selling to customers had been adopted as a strategy that allowed Dell to sell customized computers at very competitive prices, thus attracting a large following.
Some of the reasons that Dell grew so fast were customer satisfaction and efficient supply chain management. This modularity helped Dell spread in the early 1990s by turning to foreign markets and releasing its first notebook computer. It was this incessant work on innovation and customer service that made Dell emerge among the world’s top PC manufacturers.
Apart from personal computers, Dell diversified into information technology services and solutions. Dell is now one of the top technology companies in global markets, making a wide array of products and providing assorted services, from PCs and servers to storage solutions and IT consulting.
Nike, Inc.
Nike, Inc., originally Blue Ribbon Sports, was started in 1964 by Phil Knight, a track athlete, and his coach Bill Bowerman. These two major players founded the business as a distributor of Onitsuka Tiger for Japan, possessing an initial capital investment of $1,200, selling shoes from Knight’s car at track meets.
In 1971, the company emerged under the name Nike, after the Greek goddess of victory. The same year Nike presented the “Swoosh” logo, which eventually became one of the most recognizable symbols all around the world. Nike’s big break came during the first years due to original design and the passion of Bowerman was volunteered to develop high-performance athletic shoes.
In 1988 the “Just Do It” slogan established the company at the leadership, if not at, definitely at the top in sports marketing.
This company started primarily as an importer of Japanese shoes, supplying independent trackers with the purpose of breaking into the footrace circuit. In the course of years, Nike has brought out various products related to sports and fitness apparel, equipment, accessories with the goal of developing universal sports all over the world.
At present, Nike is the largest athletic shoe and apparel supplier in the world and has a market value of more than $32 billion.
Subway
In 1965, Fred DeLuca and Dr. Peter Buck began a business named Subway, then known as Pete’s Super Submarines, with another loan from Buck in the amount of $1,000. The first restaurant had opened up in Bridgeport, Connecticut, offering personalized, inexpensive sandwiches. They sold 312 sandwiches on the first day—proof that their idea was workable.
The foundation for Subway’s success was laid with sandwiches made fresh and to order. A focus on health and the freedom of choice drove the business beyond its competition in fast foods. In 1974, it began to franchise, which in turn let the advertisement spread across the city rapidly. By the 1980s, Subway had become one of the fastest-growing franchises in the world.
Today, Subway has over 37,000 restaurants in more than 100 countries, arguably the largest fast-food chain. Its strong social commitment to local communities and sustainability remains very much at the heart of brand identity.
Domino’s Pizza
In 1960, Tom Monaghan and his brother James borrowed $900 to start a small pizza store in Ypsilanti, Michigan. It would later become Domino’s Pizza. The store was originally named DomiNick’s. It did pretty poorly in the beginning because of other established pizzerias in town. After Jim sold his half of the business to Tom for a used Volkswagen Beetle, Tom centred the focus on delivering hot, fresh pizzas quickly to customers’ homes.
The 30-minute guarantee for delivery made Domino’s noticed amidst the clutter of pizza outlets. By the late 1970s, it had more than 200 stores, and the company grew very rapidly during the 1980s and 1990s.
Today, the Domino’s Pizza chain has over 17,000 stores in more than 90 markets worldwide.
These companies started with peanuts as an investment but grew into billion-dollar giants because of innovation, dedication, and an integral feel for the market. These stories light a candle in the hearts of entrepreneurs across the world: the proof that, if associated with the right vision and immaculate hard work, even the smallest beginning can lead to great success.
