Businesses That Started In A Garage

16. Yankee Candle Started As A Homemade Christmas Present

In 1969 Michael Kittredge was a 16-year-old struggling to think of a Christmas present for his mother…we have all been there.

Rather than doing what most of us do and opting for the box of chocolates, the Massachusetts-born Kittredge got creative and melted down all the crayons he had in the house into a candle and presented it in an empty milk carton.

Most mothers would be grateful for anything on Christmas Day, so the teenager thought nothing of it when she appeared to be delighted with his latest innovation.

However, the youngster took notice when local neighbors started requesting the candle he had made as a last-minute emergency present.

After realizing there was a gap in the market for his product, with some help from his school friends, the young entrepreneur founded the company Yankee Candle.

The company became a huge success with over 300 stores nationwide and was later sold for billions of dollars.