Ben & Jerry's started with a $5 correspondence course — and became a global brand

In 1977, childhood friends Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield were looking for a business to start together. They had no experience in food, no business training, and no capital. They decided to open an ice cream shop after taking a $5 correspondence course on ice cream making from Penn State University. The course was a joke — a few mimeographed pages with basic instructions. But it was all they could afford.

Ben and Jerry opened their first shop in a converted gas station in Burlington, Vermont, in 1978. The location was terrible — a run-down building in a residential area. But the rent was cheap. They invested $12,000 of their savings. The equipment was second-hand. The ice cream was made in the back of the shop. The business was a bet on two people who had no idea what they were doing.

The ice cream was good. Ben and Jerry created unusual flavors with generous portions of mix-ins. The shop developed a loyal following. In 1980, they began selling their ice cream in pints. The company grew through word of mouth. In 1984, they opened a second scoop shop. By 1987, Ben & Jerry's was a national brand with distribution across the United States.

Ben & Jerry's became a global brand. The company was sold to Unilever in 2000 for $326 million. The founders who had no business experience, no training, and a $5 correspondence course had built one of the most recognized ice cream brands in the world. The worst business preparation in history had produced one of the best outcomes.