Business News

Tue Sep 11

Ben Bradshaw 2018 Brisbane Young Entrepreneur of the Year

Written by Rachael Mortimore

Ben Bradshaw, the founder behind Fortitude Valley based Disrupt Digital, has taken out the top title of 2018 Brisbane Young Entrepreneur of the Year.

Over 300 of the city’s top young professionals joined together to celebrate the best and brightest in the active entrepreneurial scene at the 2018 Brisbane Young Entrepreneur Awards which took place at Riverlife.

The initiative recognises homegrown entrepreneurial talent in Brisbane aged under 40 who have built cutting edge businesses that are disrupting traditional industries and changing the business landscape.

Collectively, the Brisbane Young Entrepreneur finalists boasted a combined turnover of $240 million in the last financial year alone, and have created more than 1000 jobs.

This year is a milestone achievement for Bradshaw, who has been a finalist in the Brisbane Young Entrepreneur Awards for seven years, with 2018 finally marking the year he’s come out on top.

The founder of Disrupt Digital edged ahead of winners across the 17 categories celebrated at this annual event, which was sponsored by HLB Mann Judd, Spruson & Ferguson, the Queensland Government's Advance Queensland, the University of Queensland, Capital B, Alex Correa Executive, Master Eventist and Screen Offset Printing.

The judges acknowledged Bradshaw’s strong position in the world of digital marketing, with his company Disrupt Digital housing some of the most cutting-edge and disruptive technologies on the market.

“Ben is an impressive entrepreneur and continues to lead the marketing world in the digital and marketing space,” says Dr Glen Richards, from Channel 10’s Shark Tank and founder of Greencross.

“Disrupt Digital is going global, with business interests in Australia, USA, and Asia. This is a business with unprecedented growth!”

Founder of the Young Entrepreneur Awards Camilla Jansen congratulated Ben on the achievement and said this year’s line-up of talent was the most impressive to date.

“Ben is the definition of a disruptive and innovative entrepreneur; a truly deserving winner of the Brisbane Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award,” said Jansen.

“This year was incredibly competitive and showcased a diverse range of talent, every finalist should be congratulated and proud of their achievements.”

In addition to the Young Entrepreneur of the Year award, Bradshaw took home the Digital Disruptor award, which recognises businesses at the forefront of disruptive technology that is rapidly changing the world we live in.

Bradshaw was joined by Thuy Lam, founder of technology start-up Blackbook.ai, who took out the coveted Trailblazer award – recognising an entrepreneur that has achieved exponential growth and is destined for major success.

Other winners included Karl Brown, founder of Instyle Solar and Rokkit Performance Marketing, who once again took home the Retail and Services award on the back of his win last year.

Brett Boulton, a well-recognised entrepreneur in the Brisbane building industry, who is building over 300 homes a year, secured the Property and Construction Award.

ALL WINNERS AT THE 2018 BRISBANE YOUNG ENTREPRENEUR AWARDS

Young Entrepreneur of the Year – Ben Bradshaw (Disrupt Digital)
Trailblazer of the Year – Thuy Lam (Blackbook.ai)
Startup – Thuy Lam (Blackbook.ai)
Professional Services – Daniel Wessels (Jacaranda Finance)
Marketing & PR – Hugh Rees (Expose Media and Inturo)
Health & Fitness – Georgio Batsinilas and Aaron McAllister (FitazFK)
Technology – Peter Ward (Wardy Group)
Digital Disruptor – Ben Bradshaw (Disrupt Digital)
Retail and Services – Karl Brown (Instyle Solar and Rokkit Performance Marketing)
Specialist Services – Peter Matthews (Solar Service Guys)
Fashion Design – Alex Hainstock and Doug Hainstock (DVNT)
Legal – Katie Richards (Virtual Legal)
Hospitality and Tourism – Trend Meade and Matt Blyth (Celissa)
Arts & Culture – Nikias Leigh (Real Property Photography)
Influencer – Georgio Batsinilas and Aaron McAllister (FitazFK)
Manufacturing, Wholesale and Distribution – Hamish Ellingham and Sam Hardy (Peak Marketing)
Property and Construction – Brett Boulton (Bold Living)

Tue Sep 11

How to be a trading success

Written by News Company

Thanks to the development of new financial technology and the growing popularity of share owning and trading, it is easier than ever to trade on the stock markets. But before you take the plunge, you need to be prepared. Here is a quick guide to the essentials.

Get your capital together

A golden rule of trading is never to use money you aren’t prepared to lose. That means all of your trading money should be separate from your day to day money. Some traders even go to the lengths of founding a separate company through which they carry out their trading. You don’t have to go that far, but keep your trading money apart from your regular finances.

Decide on a strategy

This is a road map for your trading, an overview of how you will go about trading. There are many strategies to choose from, and your choice will be determined in part by your personality and your capital. One basic strategy is based on the simple maxim of buying low and selling high. With this strategy, you are looking for stocks that are priced too low, in the expectation that they will eventually rise.

Draw up a plan

After you’ve decided your strategy, you will also need a day to day plan. That involves translating the strategy into specific actions to take in specific eventualities. The best traders don’t leave anything to chance and are able to act quickly in all circumstances, because they are thoroughly prepared and don’t have to think on the hoof. Having a copy of your plan to hand can help you stay on course during a hectic day’s trading.

Do your homework

When you’ve planned your strategy, its time to start looking at the markets and analysing stocks. This is the core skill involved with trading and if you can learn to do this well, you will be on the right path. A number of factors can influence the price of a share, and you will need to consider all of them. One good place to start is by checking dynamic financial news sources where you can find a table to compare stock brokers. Ultimately, though, doing your homework involves getting into the fine detail of balance sheets, charts and other financial information sources.

Be patient

One of the most important skills to learn as a trader isn’t technical, but psychological. The ability to stay patient and keep your plan and strategy on track, despite short term set-backs and distractions, is essential to success. Trading is not about making a quick fortune. It requires patience, patience and then more patience!

Conclusion

Don’t let anyone fool you into thinking trading isn’t hard work. It requires diligence, patience, expertise and a cool head. The road to success is narrow and rocky, but if you stay on track, and avoid reckless short-term strategies, the tips outlined above can help you to take some significant steps towards trading success.