3 startups that hit it big!

Your dream business is probably just that – a dream, a pie in the sky fantasy that’s about as likely as a unicorn, or shooting yourself to the moon with a large catapult made of old matchsticks.

The reason for this isn’t necessarily because your idea is too oddball. More mundane obstacles tend to intervene with business ventures that fail to fly.

Your bank manager might refuse to give you a loan. Your business partner might get cold feet at the last minute. The costs of your entrepreneurial project might spiral out of control. The idea you thought would make you millions might turn out to be a flash in the pan, with the public losing interest as quickly as a bullet firing from a gun.

A million-and-one gargantuan problem could rear their ugly heads and squash your business idea underfoot, like a stampede of elephants making a bug go splat.

But what you’ve just read is the catastrophizing mind of a pessimistic businessperson – let’s continue by looking on the bright side.

While a great deal of startups fails within the first year of opening their doors, some hit it big. They fall through the cracks, rise through the ranks and tower atop other businesses – and there’s no reason why your idea can’t reach those giddy heights.

To get you into the entrepreneurial spirit, let’s take a look at some companies that have hit it big and ridden the wave to major profits.

Looking4.com

Here’s the real trick to establishing a great business proposition – fill a gap in the market.

That’s exactly what Looking4.com, a private airport parking provider, did when its founders established it.

Have you ever tried parking your car at the airport? It’s not a walk in the (car) park. It’s more like a wander over hot coals. And those coals have spikes sticking out of them. And if you don’t hop, skip and jump over them, you’ll miss your flight.

But private parking has been prohibitively expensive for years.

Enter Looking4.com. It provides private parking options for airports like Gatwick, Luton, Heathrow and a multitude of global options, and all at convenient pricing options.

It’s a business proposition that’s stopped airport parking being an exclusive option.

Amazon

Amazon, the shopping site everyone on the planet is aware of, had a shaky start. Established in 1994, it was originally called Cadabra, but its name was changed after a lawyer thought the site was called Cadaver.

Earnest beginnings aside, there’s no doubt that Amazon is now one of the largest companies in the world. Its success has been a double-edged sword for the world at large, but it’s proof positive that even the shakiest of starts can produce stellar results.

Apple

In 1976, tech company Apple was seen as a crackpot notion. Why would anyone possibly want a computer in their home? But founders Steve Wozniak and Steve Jobs proved all their naysayers wrong by becoming a household name and a billion dollar company.

That’s our list. Can you think of any other successful business ventures? Then let us know in the comments below.