寝室发家之6大热门公司
Sam Silverman | 2011-07-26 12:14
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对于这些初出茅庐的企业家来说，做生意无需工商管理硕士学位。
摸着石头过河 戴尔（Dell）、联邦快递（FedEx）、Facebook、微软（Microsoft）：当代很多大型公司都诞生在大学宿舍。 青年企业家早日下海并在大学创业的原因有很多。有人有标新立异的卓识。有人想成为暴发户。而有些人只是想做自己喜欢做的事。 并不是每项创业最终都会成功。创业者可能会失去兴趣，在毕业时选择离开公司，或者他们觉得在正式进军商界之前自己还需进一步磨练。但是对于那些远见卓识之人来说，好点子往往与年龄无关。 下面6家公司都是从学校白手起家，它们都很有希望成为一个个家喻户晓的传奇。 | Learning by doing Dell, FedEx, Facebook, Microsoft: Some of today's biggest companies were born in college dormitories. There are a lot of good reasons for young entrepreneurs to get an early jump and start their businesses in college. Some have a vision to change how things work. Others want to make a quick buck. And some just want to do what they love. Not every business is built to succeed. A startup's founders may lose interest, leave when they graduate, or just need to grow up a little before embarking on a money-making venture. But then there are those visionaries. For them, age doesn't matter when it comes to great ideas. Here are six companies that have a shot to become another household name that began in college. |
Solé自行车公司 | Solé Bicycles |
（从左到右）杰克•迈德维尔和乔纳森•施里夫特曼
创立时间：2009年 创始人：杰克•迈德维尔和乔纳森•施里夫特曼 就读学校：南加州大学 对于南加州大学（University of Southern California）这样大的学校，自行车无疑是校园通勤最便捷的交通工具。但是自行车不光只是交通工具，更是个性的体现。 2009年，同在兄弟会的杰克•迈德维尔和乔纳森•施里夫特曼开始在寝室出售色彩各异的固定齿轮自行车，每台310美元。第一批200辆自行车很快售罄，公司从此步入发展的快车道。Solés公司目前的盈利全部用于发展公司业务。 迈德维尔和施里夫特曼正在和投资者接触，商讨将业务拓展至西海岸以外的区域。他们预计公司在下一个自然年的营收将达到100万美元。 | Started: 2009 Founders: Jake Medwell and Jonathan Shriftman School: University of Southern California At a big school like USC, biking around campus is the easiest way to get around. But a bicycle isn't just a conveyance -- it's also a personal statement. In 2009, fraternity brothers Jake Medwell and Jonathan Shriftman gained a strong following with their new and colorful fixed gear bikes sold from their house at a fixed price of $310 apiece. The first 200 quickly sold out, and the company has taken off from there. All of Solés' profit goes right back into the business. Medwell and Shriftman are in the process of meeting with investors so they can expand beyond the West Coast. They expect to generate over $1 million in revenue in the next calendar year. |
Hercampus求职网站 | Hercampus |
史蒂芬妮•卡普兰、安妮•王、温索•翰格
创立时间：2009年 创始人：温索•翰格、史蒂芬妮•卡普兰、安妮•王 就读学校：哈佛大学 求职网站Hercampus合伙创始人温索•翰格说她做梦都没有想到自己的网站会在两年里扩张得如此迅速。现在她与合伙人史蒂芬妮•卡普兰和安妮•王负责管理1，700多名分站经理，她们共同管理者这个每月有25万名特殊访客的网站。 Hercampus网站创始之初是为了帮助大学女学生建立一个获取实际工作经验的平台，同时使她们能够分享各自的经历。网站一开始只针对哈佛（Harvard）学生开放【与马克•扎克伯格（Mark Zuckerberg）创立的网站一样】，但是到了去年，该网站在全国的分站数已经达到了130多家，而且明年开学之际将增加100多家新分站。 Hercampus创始人希望创造更多的平台来展示大学生的才华。她们也希望与其他商业公司建立合作关系来推销完全面向大学生群体的产品。 | Started: 2009 Founders: Windsor Hangar, Stephanie Kaplan, and Annie Wang School: Harvard Hercampus co-founder Windsor Hanger says she had no idea her career website for women would expand so rapidly in just two years. She and partners Stephanie Kaplan and Annie Wang now oversee more than 1,700 branch managers who all contribute to a site with 250,000 unique visitors every month. Hercampus was created as a platform to help college women gain real work experience while sharing their stories. At first it was local to Harvard (like another website started by a kid named Mark Zuckerberg), but as of last year, it had over 130 branches across the country with 100 more expected by the beginning of next school year. Hercampus' founders hope to add additional platforms for college students to promote their work. They also want to establish more relationships with other businesses to help market their products to a purely college-aged audience. |
TrewGear滑雪服装公司 | TrewGear |
房车
创立时间：2008年 创始人：特瑞普•弗雷、约翰•普和克里斯•普 就读学校：分别就读于北卡罗来纳大学（University of North Carolina）、汉密尔顿大学（Hamilton College）、科罗拉多学院（Colorado College） TrewGear公司的大拇指标识已开始在越来越多的西海岸滑雪场出现。这是因为这家滑雪服装生产商创始人所奉行的古训就是——做自己喜欢做的事。 创业的第一年，特瑞普•弗雷和双胞胎兄弟约翰和克里斯•普开着房车来销售产品。他们翻山越岭，为的是向零售商和其他冬季运动爱好者推销和销售他们的产品。他们的毅力得到了回报。他们的合伙人估计Trew Gear现在的价值是创始之初的5倍。 这三位朋友计划扩充他们在线商店和零售商的产品线。在生意当中，他们最喜欢的部分就是——可以在山上玩乐——现在这已经成为他们工作的一部分。 | Started: 2008 Founders: Tripp Frey, Jon Pew, and Chris Pew School: University of North Carolina, Hamilton College, Colorado College, resp. TrewGear's big thumb logo is starting to show up a lot more at ski resorts on the West Coast. That's because the founders of the ski- and snowboard-wear maker followed the old maxim -- Do what you love. For their first year of operation, Tripp Frey and twin brothers Jon and Chris Pew ran sales out of an RV. They went from mountain to mountain personally promoting and selling their products to retailers and other winter sports enthusiasts. Their perseverance paid off. The partners estimate that Trew Gear is worth five times its original value. The three friends plan on expanding their line for both their online store and retailers. Their favorite part about their business -- spending time on the mountain -- can now be written off as work. |
Smathers and Branson针刺饰品公司 | Smathers and Branson |
皮特•司马萨斯和奥斯汀•布兰森
创立时间：2003年 创始人：皮特•司马萨斯和奥斯汀•布兰森 就读学校：宝盾学院 奥斯汀•布兰森和皮特•司马萨斯分别从各自的女友那里收到了针绣腰带作为礼物，随后， 两人便意识到一个新的市场投资机遇正摆在自己的眼前。随着对针绣腰带认识的进一步深入，他们越来越意识到这一市场大有潜力可挖。从开始到完工，针绣腰带的制作是一个很费钱也很费时的活。通过调查，他们发现越南有一家生产商可以很好地控制产品质量和成本，这与他们的理念不谋而合。从腰带起家，公司现在生产从钥匙链到钱包等一系列产品，这些产品已开始在线销售并横扫东海岸各大乡村俱乐部。 虽然产品定位于高端（腰带165美元一条），但自创立之日起，公司的销售额便以每年40%的速度增长。Smathers and Branson公司希望在今后的一年半内推出12-16款新品。 | Started: 2003 Founders: Peter Smathers and Austin Branson School: Bowdoin College After getting needlepoint belts as gifts from their respective girlfriends, Austin Branson and Peter Smathers saw an opportunity to capitalize on a new market. The more they began to dig into the world of needlepoint, the more potential they discovered. From start to finish, needlepoint is generally a costly and timely process. After some searching, the pair discovered a manufacturer in Vietnam who understood their vision both in quality and cost. Starting with just belts, they now offer an array of products from key chains to wallets sold online and in country clubs across the East Coast. Although the products are higher end ($165 for a belt), sales have grown 40% every year since the company was founded. Smathers and Branson hope to release 12 to 16 new products in the next year and a half. |
Numberspay团购网站 | Numberspay |
史蒂夫•佩寇拉和马修•科纳塔
创立时间：2011年 创始人：史蒂夫•佩寇拉、达林•克罗威尔、马修•科纳塔、科斯明•哥塔 就读学校：贝茨学院 团购网站Numberspay创立还不到几个月的时间，但它已经向世人展示了其既能盈利又能替顾客省钱的实力。 这家网站致力于帮助大学生群体搜寻热销折扣产品，例如雷朋（Ray Ban）太阳镜和iPod附件。如果找到一定数量的买家，那么就能拿到很高的折扣。想买的人越多，价格越低。 Numberspay团购网站目前寻找商品的模式是搜索提供批发价的零售商。但是创始人史蒂夫•佩寇拉、达林•克罗威尔、马修•科纳塔和科斯明•哥塔希望有朝一日能直接与生产商合作以便能拿到更低的价格。Numberspay网站目前打算冲出校园，进一步扩大用户群。 | Started: 2011 Founders: Steven Pecora, Darrin Cromwell, Matthew Conetta and Cosmin Ghotta School: Bates College Only a few months old, group buying site Numberspay has already shown it is able to generate revenue while saving its customers money. The site works by finding discounts for groups of college students on popular products like Ray Ban sunglasses or iPod accessories. When a preset number of buyers is found, the product is sold at a deep discount. As more people pledge to buy the product, the price gets even lower. Numberspay currently discovers products by searching for retailers who offer lower costs for buyers in bulk. But founders Steven Pecora, Darrin Cromwell, Matthew Conetta, and Cosmin Ghotta hope to one day partner with manufacturers directly to get even better deals. Numberspay also plans to expand beyond just college students. |
The Next Step Realty大学生房屋租赁服务公司 | The Next Step Realty |
布莱尔•布兰特
创立时间：2010年 创始人：布莱尔•布兰特和贝尔顿•贝克 就读学校：分别就读于瑞奇蒙大学（University of Richmond）、北卡罗来纳大学（North Carolina） “大学毕业生毕业后第一个打交道的就是他们的雇主以及帮他们找到第一套住所的人，” The Next Step Realty公司的合伙创始人布莱尔•布兰特说道。尽管他没能力帮助同学们找到第一份工作，但是他可以帮助他们找到第一套住所。 The Next Step Realty创立之初旨在帮助大城市（例如纽约、伦敦）刚毕业的大学生找到他们的第一套住所。仅仅一年的时间内，通过免费的网站服务，布兰特和合伙创始人贝尔顿•贝克已经建立起了一个有近5，000人的大学生客户群。80家房产中介公司已经与网站签约，他们必须付费才能接触到这些正在找房子的毕业生。 布莱尔本人一直在帮助兴趣相投、教育背景接近、同时第一份工作经历类似的经纪人和大学生建立联系。他希望通过这样的方式，房产中介和大学生之间能够超越简单的房屋租赁关系。 | Started: 2010 Founders: Blair Brandt and Belton Baker School: University of Richmond, University of North Carolina, resp. "The first relationships college students establish after graduation are with their employer and with the person who finds them their first living situation." So says The Next Step Realty cofounder Blair Brandt. While he can't help his former classmates find a job, he can help them find a place to live. The Next Step Realty was created as a network for recently employed graduates in major cities like New York and London to find their first living arrangements. In just a year, Brandt and cofounder Belton Baker have put together a community of nearly 5,000 college students who don't pay a dime for the service. 80 brokers have signed up so far, and they pay for access to those rental-seeking grads. Blair personally tries to connect brokers with graduates who have similar interests, went to similar schools, and had similar first jobs. By doing so, he wants to establish relationships that will go far beyond a graduate's first space. |
