Catching Up with the 2006 30 Under 30 Alumni

For many of the rising stars on our inaugural 30 Under 30 list, the success has only continued. We asked our past honorees to send in updates about their companies -- how they've grown over the past year, if being named to the list had any impact on business, and what advice they'd share with other young entrepreneurs. Here's what they had to say.

#1 Tom Szaky, TerraCycle

Here's what we've been up to:

• We launched nationally in Target, Wal-Mart, Kroger and a number of other major retailers.
• TerraCycle expanded its product line from four products to 12 this year, and next year we will be expanding with 20 new introductions (ranging from fire logs to bird feeders).
• This year we will do $5 million in revenue versus $1.5 million last year. We anticipate $10 million for 2008.
• We opened another office in Atlanta.
• Grew from 30 people to closer to 60.
• We were sued by Scotts Miracle-Gro (check out www.suedbyscotts.com).
• Closed a C round for $2 million in financing.

Being on the 30 Under 30 was an amazing experience and gave our company tremendous exposure that helped us continue our aggressive rate of growth. (Thanks, Inc.!)

All I can say to young entrepreneurs is work hard, don't let yourself get discouraged, and push the envelope beyond the expected.

#2 Jared Isaacman, United Bank Card

United Bank Card has performed exceptionally well over the last year, with each month resulting in new milestones for growth and sales. Since being named to the 30 Under 30 list, United Bank Card has nearly doubled our processing volume and merchant portfolio. We have grown from 40,000 merchants processing $4 billion to over 75,000 merchants processing over $6.5 billion. We are continually developing advanced payment services in order to help our merchant clients attract new customers.

We have developed the "Pennies for Humanity" program, which gives business owners the opportunity to donate a portion from every transaction they complete to either the American Cancer Society, Make a Wish Foundation, National Federation of the Blind, or National Cancer Coalition. We also created a free gift card program that helps our merchants build loyalty among their consumers. Additionally, UBC also recently launched a card-issuing program, which allows business owners to apply for a business rewards card directly from their UBC merchant services application.

Our future plans include an entry into the POS systems market, expanding our presence in the petroleum market, and completing several exciting acquisitions in the coming months.

United Bank Card has benefited both from being named No. 6 on the Inc. 500 list as well as me being named a 30 Under 30 winner by having our brand promoted to business owners throughout the country. Being recognized by Inc. magazine two years in a row has given United Bank Card an edge in terms of creditability and name recognition over our competition.

It is important to enter a field that you feel you can have a positive impact on. Think of ways to improve your chosen industry and bring new value to your clientele. When you develop a new product, service, or enhancement, work diligently to be first-to-market with your innovation. These items all boil down to opportunity. It's hard to innovate or make a significant impact in an industry or market that is saturated or has already matured. Choose your industry well, identify your opportunity, put together a well thought out business plan and execute.

#4 Jacquelyn Tran, Perfume Bay

Business at Perfume Bay has continued to grow this past year. I am proud to report we have increased sales and our customer base. We also have expanded our product collection to include many specialty and international brands.

We currently are revamping our website, adding many new informational features and tools. We want consumers to come to Perfume Bay not only for products but also for fragrance and beauty advice, news, and ideas. We also are moving into a larger warehouse allowing us to expand our selection to include many more specialty and international products as well as open a showroom for Orange County, Calif.-area shoppers.

Being named one of Inc.'s 30 Under 30 has been a wonderful experience. It helped greatly increase Perfume Bay's visibility among vendors and consumers. It also led to additional media exposure within industry publications as well as other local, regional, and national publications. This all led to our continuing growth in Web traffic and sales. Perhaps the most valuable, it has helped strengthen credibility for the business and enhance customer confidence.

My advice for young entrepreneurs is always remember to have fun in what they are doing. Surround yourself with great mentors, friends, and family.

#5 Ryan DeLuca, Bodybuilding.com

Business has been better than ever since I received this recognition from Inc. Last year we hit our goal of $65 million in sales, and this year we are on track for $90 million. Our EBITDA has continued to climb as well. We have grown to over 140 great employees!

Right now, we are focused on becoming a $100 million company in the very near future. To do this, we are continuing to follow our strategy of helping people reach their health, fitness, and appearance goals through information (articles, video, community help), motivation (success stories, BodySpace friends, goal setting, and tracking tools), and supplementation (help choosing the right supplements, great prices, selection, and service). We are adding many new features to our site, including social workout tracking software, more video shows and live event webcasts, new community features, and much more. Our biggest challenge right now is the fact that we have so many ideas (generated from our customers and employees) and most of them depend on our IT and Web-development department!

Other than the great recognition inside Inc. magazine (my favorite magazine and my business bible since we started), we have also received more press from other media outlets. I was featured in a local news story and there is also a mention on Wikipedia about it. This award has also been used to introduce me when I'm giving presentations or at business dinners. That's pretty cool! It has helped build my confidence. This is something that can never be taken away from me no matter what happens in the future.

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