Every now and then a small company comes along that helps change the way we think and feel about a product. While many small businesses have the potential to do this, very few do. Ben & Jerry’s Homemade Ice Cream started as a small company and as it grew, it managed to forever change the way we think about ice cream. In doing so, they built a small-business-to-big-business success story that anyone could be proud of and should be inspired by.
So how did it all start? If you can believe it, Ben & Jerry’s was actually founded by a couple of former hippie friends, Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, in Burlington, Vermont. The two friends had recently taken a $5 correspondence course on how to make ice cream at Pennsylvania State University. Its first location opened in a renovated gas station in 1978 with an investment of $12,000.
Once they were ready for business and opened the doors, their particular way of making ice cream took over. In addition to using fresh Vermont milk and cream, it was the innovative flavors that won the day. Flavors like Cherry Garcia, Chubby Hubby, and Milli Vanilla. It was during the 1980s that they began selling their ice cream in pint-sized cartons. They had achieved some initial success selling to local Vermont restaurants and felt they were ready to expand the business. So they moved into a facility that was large enough to house their packing operation and got to work.
From that first store that opened in a renovated gas station with a few thousand dollars, they managed to turn their business into a global chain. Eventually, they opened more than 200 locations and planted themselves in every grocery store while reaching a quarter of a billion dollars in sales. Finally, in 2000, Ben and Jerry sold their business to food giant Unilever. And although they no longer have regular positions with the company, they are still active in a number of charitable activities and green efforts. During their rise to the top, they were even recognized in 1988 as the Small American Entrepreneur of the Year for their efforts.
Although they no longer own the business, the Ben and Jerry name has become synonymous with some of the best ice cream in the world. Once a year, the company even offers a free cone on the company’s founding anniversary. They have left a mark on society that they can be really proud of. And a legacy that will outlive them both.
As entrepreneurs, Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield have done more than most people dream they can. But there’s no reason your dream can’t become as big as theirs. Your business can become your own legacy if you so choose. Your business may start small, but how big it will become is totally up to you. You just need to look deep inside yourself and ask yourself how much you want your business to achieve. Once you have your answer, you’ll know what to do.
