SFGate.com is running an Investopedia piece that looks at four large businesses (today) that were started with next to no capitol. Dare to dream.The first should be very familiar:

Fred Deluca is a case study in bootstrapping. In 1965, DeLuca received a $1,000 loan from a friend and opened up a sandwich store. DeLuca was 17 at the time, and he put adds in the paper for used appliances to get the necessary tools. Deluca’s Pete’s Super Submarines – named after Peter Buck, the generous friend – was almost sunk when the city required a $550 sink to be installed, prompting a second $1,000 loan. DeLuca held on, opening three more stores in rapid succession.

Now known as Subway, DeLuca’s sandwich empire has made him a billionaire. Peter Buck has also been rewarded with a fortune for trusting in his young friend. It’s worth noting that $1,000 in 1965 would be almost $7,000 today. It’s still an impressive feat to grow that into a billion-dollar business, and Subway is the startup story that all others are measured against.

Click through to read the rest, including looks at Alienware, Ticketsnow, and The Body Shop.