In 1974 James Dyson first became an entrepreneur when he got the idea to produce the Ballbarrow, a plastic wheelbarrow-like bin that rolled on a load-spreading ball instead of a narrow wheel.

In 1993 James Dyson’s first bagless vacuum cleaner was launched, and Dyson was in business. Since then, James has spent his time inventing new products.

By 2009 Dyson began creating other technologies: the Airblade hand dryer, the Air Multiplier "bladeless" fan and Dyson Hot, the "bladeless" fan heater.

In 2022, Dyson had more than 14,000 employees worldwide. Dyson hires employees with diverse skills and backgrounds. He looks for individuals who are creative, and good at technology and design. James Dyson treats his employees as leaders and he tries to infuse entrepreneurship in the work environment. He believed in creating a space where people feel free to express themselves and are not afraid of taking up new ideas and trying it. In the workplace they offer a healthy environment and empower people to make life choices that support them.

James Dyson first developed cyclone technology for the DC01 vacuum cleaner, reducing the need for wasteful bags. By separating dust from air using centrifugal forces, it didn't need the traditional bag that gets clogged with dust.

In 1993 James Dyson opened his own research centre and factory in Malmesbury, Wiltshire and set to work making a new vacuum which he had hoped that it would capture even smaller particles of dust. This marked for a significant milestone for Dyson as it allowed the company to have greater control over the manufacturing process of its vacuum cleaners. Since then, Dyson has expanded its manufacturing capabilities globally to meet the growing demand for its products.

James began working in his backyard shed for five years. He had done over 5,000 prototypes of his bagless vacuum cleaner before perfecting the design.