Top Honors

Winning a contest can catapult your invention into the mainstream.

By Don Debelak • Apr 1, 2005

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

The entrepreneur: Todd Basche, 50-year-old winner ofStaples' 2004 Invention Quest contest

Product description: The WordLock is acombination lock that uses letters instead of numbers. Instead ofthe numbers 2468, for example, the lock could spell"lawn." The benefit to users is that words are mucheasier to remember. The lock can be used in many applications--as apadlock, a lock on a briefcase or laptop, or even a door lock.

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