While you may only use your garage to park your car, store children’s toys or bikes, or polish off your honey-do list – a number of people have used these spaces to create billion-dollar companies. These famous founders needed a simple place to start their world-changing inventions.
Here are five famous companies that began where every creator goes – the garage. 

Hewlett-Packard
The infamous garage that started Hewlett-Packard is known as the birthplace of Silicon Valley. Originally, it got its big break by creating an audio oscillator that was purchased by Walt Disney for its 1940 movie, Fantasia, to improve the sound quality of the movie. Since that big break, HP has gone on to develop computers, technology and computer accessories that has advanced modern life as we know it. 

The Walt Disney Co.
It’s hard to believe the world’s leading producer of cartoons, animated films and other movies began here as well. Walt and Roy Disney created the first film ever, the Alice Comedies, that would later inspire Alice in Wonderland, in their uncle’s garage before moving on to bigger production sets. Since the launch of its first official movie, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, the Disney has gone on to produce 200 more films. 

Amazon
What once began as an online book store, has now grown into the world’s most premier online delivery and goods provider. But it’s founder, Jeff Bezos – who is also the richest man in the world, originally started by selling his first book out of his garage. This company has gone on to become a house-hold name and service.
 
Harley-Davidson
Outside of technology realm, the iconic motorcycle company, Harley Davidson also began in the garage. Originally, it started out by developing an engine designed to fit inside a bicycle, before transforming it into an official race bike. While the first order only was for three motor-bikes, within six years it doubled its driving power by introducing the first V-twin powered motorcycle.   

​Mattel
Years before Mattel became the most popular toy manufacturing company in America, the founders of Mattel were making picture frames. Harold Matson and Eliot Handler then used the scraps from Lucite and flocked wood to make dollhouse furniture, and later the iconic doll that girls would play with forever, Barbie.