In the contemporary corporate world, the blooming successes of multinational corporations (MNCs) have captivated our minds, and we want our businesses to be just like them – famous and worthy. But what we often forget is that everything big was once something small. So without further ado, here are 5 MNCs that started with small investments:

Small Investments making it HUGE!

5. Apple Inc

Founded in 1976 by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak and Ronald Wayne, Apple Inc started with the production of a personal computer kit called Apple I. What makes Apple Inc worthy of being mentioned here is not just the minor start-up capital of $1,020 but also the fact that all Apple I kits were solely built by Wozniak. Over the years, hard word and dedication paid off which is why it’s operating in around 17 countries with 478 retail stores as of now.

4. Adida

Since Adolf Dassler’s father was an ordinary worker in a shoe factory, Adolf and his brother – Rudolf began making their own sports shoes in 1924. Their venture started in their mother’s laundry in a time when electricity supplies were inadequate. Despite the hurdles, Dassler Brothers Shoe Factory AKA Adidas prospered and is currently serving its products worldwide.

3. Ford Motor Company

Rendering its services worldwide and currently valued at approximately 28.64 billion USD, this automotive tycoon was founded by Henry Ford in 1903 with a capital of $28,000 from just 12 investors. Back then, only a handful of cars were produced per day with 2-3 men working per car in the factory. And now? Its manufacturing operations are performed worldwide from the USA to Africa, suffice it to say!

2. Hewlett Packard

Although now defunct, HP is still worthy of being mentioned due to its long history that’s packed with lessons to learn. The pioneer of IT business, HP was established by William Redington Hewlett and Dave Packard in 1939 with an investment of a mere 538 USD. Then, the scale of operations was confined within Packard’s garage and after successfully flourishing till 2009, HP’s worth eventually began to decline to the point where it split into two companies in 2010.

1. Cadbury

Cadbury, a confectionery tycoon was established in 1824 by the Cadbury brothers namely John and Benjamin. Although the amount of their initial investment is unknown, it can be fathomed that Cadbury began with a small investment since its operations were limited to selling tea, coffee and drinking chocolate in Birmingham. Also, when it was taken up by John’s sons in 1861, only 11 employees were still working. After skyrocketing progress, Cadbury was finally bought for 11.9 billion pounds by Kraft in 2010.

So if you’re hoping to start your own business venture but are being laughed off because you don’t have sufficient capital, follow your heart and pursue your ambition! Eventually with hard work and dedication, your success story will become their moral for years to follow!