Undertake It is a journey that knows no age. Society, many times, promotes the belief that creation and success business are exclusive to the youth. However, reality shows a very different scenario, where Entrepreneurship can flourish at any time in life. The cases of people who decide to embark on the adventure of found your own business after decades of work experience They are increasingly common and represent a source of inspiration for many.
The decision to start a own project after 40 years It can arise for various reasons. For some, it represents opportunity to finally pursue a passion long postponed; For others, it is search for a new challenge after years of professional career in different fields. Although it may seem that starting late has disadvantages, accumulated experience and perspective become an asset. valuable tools in the business world.
This phenomenon not only reveals the motivation and desire for personal improvement of those who decide to start a business in advanced stages of their lives, but also dismantles myths about innovation and creativity. This decision demonstrates that these qualities They have no age limit and? the market is open to welcoming new proposalsregardless of when they arrive.
Dassler began his path towards the creation of Adidas in his mother’s small laundry in Herzogenaurach, Germany, after the First World War. With a deep interest in sport and an innate talent for innovationDassler dedicated himself to the manufacture of sports shoesusing materials that were available at the time, such as canvas and rubber. Together with his brother Rudolf, Adolf began to experiment with different designs, seeking to create the most effective footwear for athletes. His commitment to quality and functionality soon earned him recognition among athletes of the time.
In 1924, Adolf and Rudolf made their operation official by founding the company “Gebrüder Dassler Schuhfabrik” (Dassler Brothers Shoe Factory). His big opportunity came during the Olympic Games 1936 in Berlin, where They convinced American athlete Jesse Owens to wear their shoes of nails. The victory of Owens, who won four gold medals, catapulted the fame of Dassler shoes worldwide. However, tensions between the brothers led to the division of the company in 1948, at which time Adolf Dassler founded Adidas, at the age of 48, combining his nickname, Adi, with the beginning of his last name, Das, thus creating one of the most iconic and globally recognized sports brands.
He Colonel Harland Sanders started what would eventually become Kentucky Fried Chicken with a simple gas station in Corbin, Kentucky, in the 1930s. It wasn’t until he had 40 years that Sanders began serving meals to travelers in the dining room of his gas station, without a formal restaurant or advertising, just the fame of his delicious homemade food.
Among the recipes offered, Their fried chicken quickly stood out for its flavor and quality, Thanks to the unique combination of 11 herbs and spicesa secret well kept that has been maintained to this day. As his popularity grew, Sanders eliminated gas pumps and transformed the space into a full restaurantthe Sanders Court & Café, thus laying the foundations for what would become KFC.
Colonel Sanders began to to franchise his fried chicken recipe in the mid-1950s, a concept innovative for the time. At the age of 65 years, after a new interstate highway significantly reduced customer traffic to his restaurant, he decided to close his original business and devote himself to traveling around the United States. His goal was convince other restaurant owners so that they would adopt their fried chicken recipe in exchange for a small payment for each piece of chicken sold. This franchising strategy was a resounding success, and By 1964, when Sanders sold the company, there were more than 600 KFC locations nationwide.thus consolidating the expansion of one of the most famous fast food empires in the world.
Sam Walton inaugurated the first Walmart in 1962at 44 years oldin Rogers, Arkansas, with the vision of creating a discount store that would offer low prices and large sales volumes. Before opening Walmart, Walton already had experience in the retail sector, having successfully operated a franchise of the chain Ben Franklin. During this early stage, Walton refined a strategy of sourcing products directly from manufacturers, avoiding intermediaries, which allowed it to offer lower prices than its competitors. With the ambition to replicate and improve this model, Walton decided to open his own business, founded on principles of efficiency, volume purchasing and an unwavering promise of sell for less to attract more customers.
Walmart’s concept was based on offering a wide variety of merchandise at prices that competitors simply couldn’t match, a novelty at the time for large stores located in rural areas and small towns. Walton was a firm believer in the potential of these markets, often ignored by large retail chains that preferred to establish themselves in larger cities. This, combined with a solid corporate culture focused on customer value and operational efficiency, allowed Walmart to not only rapidly expand its presence throughout the United States, but also revolutionize the concept of retail. With aggressive expansion and a constant search for innovations to keep costs and prices low, Walmart became the largest discount store chain in the worldpermanently altering the retail landscape.
In 1911, at 61 years, Charles Ranlett Flint cemented his legacy as an astute businessman by founding the Computing-Tabulating-Recording Company (CTR) through the fusion of four companies different: Bundy Manufacturing Company, International Time Recording Company, the Tabulating Machine Company and the Computing Scale Company of America. Flint, which already had an outstanding track record in creating and managing corporate mergers, identified a unique opportunity in the market by uniting these businesses, which offered from tabulating machines until clocksthus creating a company that covered a wide spectrum of technological products For businesses.
To its old agein a period when most of his contemporaries were retiring, Flint demonstrated a innovative vision exceptional in bringing CTR to life. This company would not only become the foundation on which it would be built IBMbut it would also mark the beginning of a new era in business technology and of data management. Under Flint’s initial leadership and then under the transformative leadership of Thomas J. WatsonCTR, renamed as IBM In 1924, it expanded beyond its humble beginnings to become a global giant in the field of technology and the innovation.
Momofuku Andoat the age of 48 yearsfounded Nissin Food Products in Japan in 1948in a context of food shortages after the Second World War. Watching the long lines of people waiting for a portion of ramen in the devastated streets of Osaka, Ando was inspired to create a food solution that was quick, affordable and easy to prepare. With an innovative vision, he decided to focus on the development of instant noodles. Their goal was to provide a nutritional alternative that could help fight famine and improve living conditions in their country.
After numerous experiments and overcoming several technical challenges, Ando managed to invent the first instant noodle of the world in 1958ten years after founding Nissin. The product, called “Chikin Ramen”, became an immediate success. I go, to your 58 yearshad not only laid the foundation for what would become a global food industry, but had also transformed Nissin Food Products into a leading company in the instant food market. His contribution to the world of food highlighted ingenuity and perseverance, demonstrating that innovation can emerge at any stage of life and have a lasting impact on society.
Ferdinand Porsche founded his own company, “Dr. “Eng. hc F. Porsche GmbH”in 1931at the age of 55 years, in Stuttgart, Germany. With an outstanding previous career in the industry automotive, where it had contributed to the development of electric vehicles and the design of the iconic Volkswagen Beetle, Porsche was ready to imprint its innovative vision on its own business. The company began offering consulting and development services for the automotive industry, without producing initially vehicles under their own name. This initial approach allowed Porsche to use its experience and technical know-how to lay the foundation for what would later become a world-renowned automotive brand.
The company’s first foray into automobile manufacturing under its own brand occurred with the launch of the porsche 356 in 1948, marking the true beginning of Porsche as an automobile manufacturer. This event occurred when Ferdinand Porsche had 72 years, demonstrating that innovation and entrepreneurship have no age. The Porsche 356 was well received for its build quality, performance and innovative design, setting the standard for the company’s future cars. Under Porsche’s leadership, the company not only managed to survive the challenging post-war times, but also laid the foundation for a brand that became synonymous with motorsport excellence.
