David Parnham – Small Business Votes / Pulse Plus

The Small Business Votes survey is all about presenting a unique platform for Australian small business owners to express their concerns and collectively help identify key issues that influence their business.

Small Business Votes is a totally independent research initiative, borne from the need to provide a voice to Australia’s small businesses to be better heard by service providers such as insurance agencies, telecos, banks, postal services, technology companies, governments and industry associations.

Click here to take the 2013 Small Business Votes survey today. Plus be in the running to win 1 of 5 iPads!

Website
Facebook
Twitter

Klaus Bartosch - 1stAvailable.com.au

Klaus Bartosch is the Executive Chairman of 1stavailable.com.au. In just 12 short months,1stAvailable.com.au has grown into Australia’s No. 1 Healthcare Appointment Booking Site – and is quickly becoming the “must have†App for Australians wanting access to fast and convenient healthcare services.

1stavailable.com.au is a 24/7 online channel for finding and booking healthcare appointments instantly, using any web-connected device. Consumers can now track down open appointments, including last minute cancellations, with registered GPs, dentists, physiotherapists, chiropractors and other allied health services, at times and locations that best suit them.
Since 1stAvailable.com.au began publishing health appointments in April 2012, thousands of people across Australia have used the innovative service.

In his spare time, Klaus Bartosch is very active in the community, fighting all types of causes.

He is the man who took on Jetstar recently over excess credit card surcharge fees. Last month Klaus started a petition on change.org which has so far been signed by more than 42,000 people (and counting). When Jetstar refused to meet with him, he presented them with a huge paper plane containing all of the signatures. That battle continues.

He has also become an avid cyclist. In fact, cycling is changing his life. Two years ago he formed a team of 15 cyclists and together they participated in the inaugural Ride to Conquer Cancer. Despite having arthritis in his knee he cycled 240 kilometres and personally raised $10,000 towards cancer research, while the team collectively raised over $50,000.

This year, his goal is to complete all six Ride To Conquer Cancer rides in Australia and New Zealand and raise $500,000 for research to help conquer cancer. He has been joined by another 26 amazing cyclists to help him reach this goal.

Website
Facebook
Twitter

 

Ben Wright - Ignition Labs

Ignition Labs is Australia’s only seed accelerator program for early stage niche technologies. Under the accelerator model, selected businesses enter an intensive business development program that rapidly converts early stage ideas into robust and fundable businesses over a 6 month program. This is achieved through an accelerated education in entrepreneurship and commercialisation, input and guidance from experienced and industry focused mentors, the investment of $25,000+ seed capital, structured market validation and customer development activities, possible follow on investment and investor roadshows domestically and abroad for investment ready graduates.

The accelerator is proudly supported by ATP Innovations, Intellectual Property firm Griffith Hack, UK Trade and Investment and British Airways.

Applications close on the 28th July 2013. Don’t miss this opportunity to accelerate your growth! Visit www.ignitionlabs.com.au for more info.

Website
Facebook
Twitter

 

Martin Bjergegaard - Winning Without Losing

Martin Bjergegaard, co-author of Winning Without Losing, is a co-founder of the successful “start-up factory†Rainmaking and behind Europe’s leading accelerator, StartupBootcamp.

The book (ISBN: 9781781251508), which has been featured in The Guardian, CNBC, BBC, The Evening Standard, Wired, Men’s Health and many more, explores the age old paradigm that ‘success requires sacrifice’. The book contains the essence of what Martin and Jordan learned from talking to some of the world’s most successful, yet balanced, entrepreneurs and business leaders, as well as Martin’s own entrepreneurial experiences.

Role models featured in the book include entrepreneurs and thought leaders such as David Cohen, founder, TechStars; Caterina Fake, co-founder, flick’r, Hunch.com and Findery.com; Markus Frind, CEO, PlentyofFish.com; Derek Sivers, founder, CD Baby; Chad Troutwine, CEO, Veritas Prep and Sophie Vandebroek, CTO, Xerox.

At the age of 36, Martin Bjergegaard and his Rainmaking co-founders have managed to; achieve two multi-million dollar exits, build a portfolio of 8 successful start-ups with a total of 50 million dollars in annual revenue, over 100 employees and offices in London, Copenhagen and Berlin.

In 2006, he co-founded Rainmaking Ltd, a “start-up factory†which launches start-up companies, builds them into solid businesses and eventually exit them. Rainmaking has so far managed to build a portfolio of 8 successful start-ups with a total of 50 million dollars in annual revenue, 100 employees and offices in London, Copenhagen and Berlin.

In 2009, Rainmaking was responsible for creating Europe’s leading accelerator, Startupbootcamp, which runs programs to help entrepreneurs in Copenhagen, Berlin, Amsterdam, Dublin, Haifa and London. Since 2010, Rainmaking has invested in another 50 start-ups through Startupbootcamp.

Website
Facebook
Twitter