6 Businesses That Started Out of Sheds and Garages

This article contains several companies that had humble beginnings but is now a modern juggernauts of business. These should serve as inspirations that show it doesn’t matter where you start but how far you're willing to go.

1. Hewlett-Packard

University classmates Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard created their first HP product, an audio oscillator while working out of a garage. It wasn’t until a year later that they moved out of that garage. Today that same garage has been refurbished and rebuilt and is a historic landmark. Titled the “Birthplace of Silicon Valley”.

2. Amazon

Jeff Bezos created Amazon in 1994 and originally ran it out of a garage. Of course, now Amazon is one of the most recognized brands and most visited sites in the world.

3. Google

Larry Page and Sergey Brin were in the middle of their graduate studies at Stanford University in 1998 when they decided to develop a search algorithm that could help internet users easily find information online. This algorithm was developed in their friend’s garage and eventually became known as Google.

4. Apple

Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak started Apple Computers from a small garage is Los Atlos, California in 1976. This 61-year old home not only was the birthplace of Apple, but also Steve Job’s childhood home.

5. Walt Disney

A mere 10-minute drive from Disneyland Park in California is the same house that was once owned by Robert Disney. Behind that house is the one-car garage that served as the first studio started by Walt and Roy Disney.

6. Harley Davidson

In 1901, William Harley designed an engine small enough to power a bicycle. He and his friend, Author Davidson, worked on the motor-powered bicycle for the next two years in a friend’s garage shed. After finishing the engine, they moved into a 10x15 foot shed in Davidson’s backyard. And now Harley-Davidson is one of the largest motorcycle manufacturers in the world.

All these examples show that you don’t need to have a proper office space to start a successful company. A shed or garage can be a great option if you're lacking the space for your new venture.