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Start Up Profile
Provided By: National Commission on Entrepreneurship
| Entrepreneur: |
Michael
Dell |
| Company: |
Dell
Computer Corporation |
| Founders: |
Michael Dell |
| Year
Started: |
1984 |
Description
of Business: |
Dell
Computer Corporation provides products and services for information-technology
and Internet infrastructures. The company’s revenue for
the past four quarters totaled $31.2 billion. Dell features
one distinct and innovative business practice: its products
are not manufactured until after they’ve been ordered.
With Dell, customers design a personal computer based on their
own specifications. After their order is submitted, the computer
is assembled. |
Biography of Michael Dell:
Dell was born in 1965
in Houston, Texas, and attended the University of Texas in Austin.
Dell has earned the title of "Entrepreneur of the Year"
from Inc magazine, was named "Man of the Year" by PC
Magazine, "Top CEO in American Business" by Worth Magazine,
"CEO of the Year" by Financial World and Industry Week
magazines, and was on Business Week’s list of "Top 25
Managers of the Year" from 1997-1999. In 1992, Dell became
the youngest CEO to earn a spot on the Fortune 500. He also sits
on the U.S. President’s Advisory Council on Science and Technology.
How the Business Started:
Dell went to college intending
to become a doctor. Meanwhile, his hobby was working with computers.
His hobby won out. Dell began selling computers out of his dorm
room. And as his new venture progressed, he developed an innovative
approach to conducting business: his idea was to sell computers
directly to the consumer without going through retailers, and
in the process design and deliver a computer based upon the customer’s
own specifications. Thus, in 1984, Dell founded the Dell Computer
Corporation with $1,000. In 18 years, Dell has grown into a $31.2
billion company. Today, Dell's average earnings are $40 million
per day, and it is the largest online commercial computer seller
in the world.
Outstanding Contributions:
Entrepreneurs make unique contributions to the
American economy: Dell currently has offices in 34 countries
with nearly 36,000 employees. Recognizing the extra and unnecessary
costs of retail distribution, Dell’s innovative direct service
industry has created a PC that is inexpensive and designed to
meet the needs of the individual customer. Michael Dell currently
is the longest-serving CEO in the PC industry.
Entrepreneurs create innovations that improve
our quality of life: Michael Dell has established a number
of foundations within his organization committed to philanthropic
and community services. These foundations work to advance educational,
environmental, business, economic, and social issues.
Entrepreneurs create new jobs: In just 18
years, Dell has grown from a one-person operation to a company
of 36,000 employees. In 1988, when Michael Dell took his company
public, Dell employed 650 people and posted sales of $159 million.
Entrepreneurs improve our position in global
economic competition: Dell’s corporate headquarters are
in Austin, Texas, where the company was founded. Texas also is
home to Dell Americas, the regional business unit for the United
States, Canada and Latin America. Dell has regional headquarters
in England, for Europe, Middle East and Africa; in Singapore to
serve Asia-Pacific; and in Kawasaki, Japan, for the Japanese market.
The company manufactures its computers in six locations: Texas,
Tennessee, Brazil, Ireland, Malaysia, and China.
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