Once Upon a Time, Google, Apple & Facebook Were SMBs... [Infographic]

Q. What did Google, Facebook, Virgin, Microsoft, Apple, Tesla have in common?

A. They all started small and had a vision of being something big. 

Even the biggest multi-billion dollar conglomerate started off as a SMB (Small  Business).  After studying some of the most dominant brands, it's clear there was one common denominator that they share when growing their business - having good leadership and a clear vision. 

Want to know how you can grow your small business? Below is an infographic on how global brands such as Apple, Google, and Facebook did it.

Apple started in a garage and over the years has brought about the most monumental changes in mobile music consumption (the iPod), mobile phones and smart phones (the iPhone) and mobile computing and content consumption (the iPad). These innovative devices and impeccable designs, all started with Steve Job's vision of allowing the individual and aesthetics to be front and center, not the mainframe computer.

Google (one of my favourite companies) has revolutionised how we search for information online. They are the reason I have a job as a SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) professional. For those who do not know about SEO, please read my other blog post "My 5 Secret Tips for SEO Success for Small Businesses". Google started small but have grown to over 90% search share in Australia.

Facebook is another startup success story. They have completely redefined how we connect with friends and brands and this success is attributed to their persistence in growing during pivotal points rather than selling it off. Mark Zuckerberg has a clear vision, but Facebook too was once a small business.

We have a great ebook that can provide you with 4 Ways to Grow your Business. 

For some additional inspiration, join me on a trip down memory lane and see how these companies started out small and then grew.

Via: salesforce.com

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<a href="http://www.salesforce.com/smallbusinesscenter/how-to-grow-a-business.jsp" _fcksavedurl="http://www.salesforce.com/smallbusinesscenter/how-to-grow-a-business.jsp "><img src="http://www.salesforce.com/assets/images/smb/infographic/growing-a-business-infographic.png" _fcksavedurl="http://www.salesforce.com/assets/images/smb/infographic/growing-a-business-infographic.png" alt="How to Grow a Business: When Big Companies were Small [Infographic]" border="0" /></a><br />Via: <a href="http://www.salesforce.com/" _fcksavedurl="http://www.salesforce.com/">salesforce.com</a>

Any tips on how to grow your small business?