Big Companies from Small Ideas

There are some large businesses that were established without the help of big investors. The people who started them only had a few thousand dollars and an idea to start their business. Of course, there were thousands of other people like them who were trying to do the same thing, but not many of them succeeded. And that's what makes these businesses (and people behind them) special.

1. Starbucks

Starbucks was established by two teachers and a writer in 1971. They got together and used their own money to start up a coffee bean seller in Seattle. In 1982, Howard Schultz joined the company as the director of retail operations and marketing. After a trip to Milan, Schultz suggested that the company should sell not only coffee beans, but also coffee and espresso drinks. However, the owners of the company rejected the suggestion. In 1986, Schultz started the Il Giornale coffee bar chain because he was sure that there was money to be made from selling pre-made drinks.

In 1987, Starbucks was sold to Schultz's Il Giornale, and all Il Giornale outlets were rebranded as Starbucks. The company began to expand really quickly, and when it went public in 1992, it had grown to 165 outlets. Today, Starbucks has over 17,000 locations in 50 countries.  

2. Mattel

Mattel is the largest toy company in the world based on revenue. The company was started from a small picture-frame business run out of the house of Ruth and Elliot Handler in 1945. Mattel started its toy business by selling dollhouses made of leftover wooden scraps from the frames. In 1947, Mattel made its first toy, the Uke-A-Doodle. In mid-1950s, Mattel had already grown into a venture that worth over $5 million. In 1959, Ruth Handler came up with the Barbie doll that gave the company a great boost, and changing the toy industry forever.