Keep it simple. Keep it unique.

Sterling, IL - The Blackhawk Hills Entrepreneurs & Inventors Club celebrated their First Anniversary with special guest speaker Tom Szaky from TerraCycle where Tom explained to the crowd of over 45 members how to keep their business ideas simple and unique. His company is growing at a feverish rate simply by sticking to that mantra, and his business idea can't get any simplier. Take waste, produce worm poop and bottle it in more waste and you now have TerraCycle's all-purpose Plant Food bottled in used soda bottles. If you can figure out what consumers need that isn't presently produced, then find a simple and unique product to fill that niche, you're going to grab most of the market share and never worry that much about competitors. Plus, it will also help you attract angel inventors to help grow your company.

We also surveyed the club members (if you haven't filled out the online survey, please click here) and found some very positive results for the past year. So far, we have only collected 28 surveys.

• 9 members have started, partnered or entered into business in the past year
• 10 members have seen an increase in revenue in the past year
• 8 club members have collaborated in the past year
• 4 members have created a new product/service as a result of the club
• 3 club members with existing products/services have seen increases in production since attending club meetings
• 1 member successfully protected their product/service

Tom Szaky (left) visits with local club member Greg Longbons from Lake Carroll after the meeting.