About time you: boosted your startup like these three famous firms

Mighty business oaks sometimes grow from modest acorns.

So if your bankroll doesn’t quite match the scale of your entrepreneurial ambition, don’t give up on your dreams just yet.

Several business moguls have built up their empires from the bare basics and sustained success — so you can follow the trails they’ve blazed.

It’s about time you boosted your startup like these three famous firms.

Apple

The legend of Steve Jobs founding future computing behemoth Apple in a garage with business partner Steve Wozniak cemented itself in the annals of business history.

They founded Apple Computer Inc on 1^st April 1976 alongside their friend Ronald Wayne who, according to Apple fan site Macworld, sold his 10 per cent share back to the duo a few days later for $500 — a slice that would be worth a cool $72 billion 40 years later.

Jobs and Wozniak initially struggled to secure funding for parts for their ground-breaking hand-built Apple 1 computer and had to secure credit from Cramer Electronics for the parts to create their first large consignment of 50 machines for Byte Shop in Mountain View.

If you’re struggling to secure venture capital for a promising startup, finding an equity crowdfunding platform could provide the answer.

Hewlett-Packard

It seems that Californian car storage areas in the 20^th century were the perfect locations for entrepreneurial alchemy long before the advent of Apple.

In 1939, William Hewlett and David Packard founded the firm that bears their names in a one-car garage in Palo Alto after starting the company as part of a fellowship with a Stanford University professor — with an initial capital investment of just $538.

Hewlett-Packard’s now a global operation with a $52.06 billion revenue, according to stats site Statista.

Its HR section currently takes care of 49,000 employees — but if your business is beginning with yourself and a handful of trustworthy comrades, working with a payroll outsourcing partner is more economical, ensures greater accuracy and takes care of tax compliance across multiple territories after expansion.

Virgin

The Virgin empire has impacted several diverse sectors — from air travel to music production and fitness to personal finance.

But Virgin head honcho Richard Branson’s first business was a student magazine he founded with less than $2000 — and sustained through using his gift of the gab to sell advertising space to large players like Lloyd’s Bank and Pepsi.

The seeds of his Virgin Atlantic carrier were then sown a few years later when he chartered a private jet to fly himself and 50 other passengers from Tortola to Puerto Rico after the cancellation of their original flight left them stranded.

If you’re a bundle of enterprising energy like Branson, you might prefer personal control to delegating duties, at least until your business finds its feet.

But beware burnout from taking too much weight on your shoulders — hiring a highly-capable virtual PA will ensure you never miss a vital meeting and remain calm despite a hectic schedule.

Starting a business is fraught with challenges — but boosting your startup like these three famous firms provides a firm footing as you scale the heights towards success.

Which famous business motivates you? Share your thoughts in the comments section.