Home » Dorm Room Success Stories – Top 5 Companies That Started In College
January 16, 2014
Need some motivation for the semester?
Your time spent in college isn’t all about having your nose stuck in a book or fondling those red plastic cups at parties. It’s about discovering your strengths and how YOU can make a difference in the world.
Did you know that even the most successful companies started at the bottom of the totem pole? Well, they had to start somewhere, right? Below are 5 examples of how regular people started with an idea and developed it into a successful venture – in college.
Top 5 Companies That Started In College:
#1: Apple –
Founded by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Ronald Wayne in 1976 to develop and sell personal computers. Jobs bailed on college after the first semester to pursue the development of Apple’s products…Which are now worth over $415 billion in estimation – making it 2013’s number one brand of the year.
One of the most noteworthy computer software companies, Bill Gates took leave of absence from Harvard in 1975 to focus on developing software programs with childhood friend Paul Allen. Microsofts net worth is estimated at $96.8 billion.
#3: Dell –
Michael Dell began focusing on his vision in 1984 with $1000 while working out of his dorm room at the University of Texas, Austin. CNBC’s article Top 10 Dorm Room Ventures states, “a year later Michael launched his own Dell-branded PC and by 1988 entered the market as a public company. That IPO rocketed Dell’s market cap from a scant $1,000 to $85 million instantly. Twenty-two years later that number is up to $26 billion, and Dell computers are near ubiquitous among consumers and businesses alike.”
#4: Nike –
While attending Frank Shallenberger’s Small Business class, Phil Knight discovered his passion for entrepreneurialism. After graduating with an M.B.A. from Stanford Graduate School of Business Knight pursued his dream by creating and selling running shoes.The valued brand is estimated to be worth $10.7 billion, making it the most profitable and popular brand among sports businesses.
#5: Facebook –
Mark Zuckerberg began his social enterprise in 2004 while attending Harvard. His once upon a time fraternity network exploded and today has over 600 million users and is worth over 6 billion in revenue alone.
Other successful companies that started in college are…
#6: Google
#7: WordPress
#8: FedEx
#9: Kiva
#10: Chegg
#11: DropBox
Much like their predecessors above, Dorm Room Movers was started by two college students while attending college. Dorm Room Movers was founded in 2007 to help simplify the college moving process and make moving out of the dorms as effortless and simple as possible. Both of the owners experienced the grueling pain of hauling their belongings to and from various locations and storage facilities in the 100+ degree heat. They thought to themselves, “There has to be a better way!” As a result, Dorm Room Movers was developed.
Dorm Room Movers eliminates the stress and hassle of moving out of the dorms so that students can spend their time on more important things, like studying or building their own businesses. No more heavy lifting, NO MORE STRESS!
So, what are your plans this year?
On that note, if you need help finding capital for your dorm room idea, check out Dorm Room Fund or 3 Day Startup. Pursue your business in college by getting started NOW!
As a Dorm Room Movers author, feel free to leave any comments about starting a business in college or dorm room ventures.
Best Of Luck,
Miki
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