BRAD Apps is an entrepreneur.
He’s also just seen 15 years of software development pay off, selling his Logan-developed business to Telstra for $1.2 million.
He won’t be retiring just yet, but his Employee Assistance Program for telcos, utility providers and the Internet of Things has gone global.
And his is just one of the local success stories being shared during Small Business Month, launched last week.
Mr Apps has poured plenty of energy, not only into his own business but also that of others as a board member of Innov8 and other startup groups.
He says his passion for technology is something which helped make his program – a smart system which is an all-in-one client management, service provisioning and automated billing platform for the likes of telecommunications, water and power utility providers worldwide.
But it’s also seen others develop applications and software which is seeing wide success.
Small Business Month is a celebration of those at the heart of the economic coalface.
Deputy mayor Jon Raven says Logan is perfectly poised for sustained economic growth.
He said council had been on a program of cutting red tape for four years now, and was starting to see some success – making it easier for people to start their own businesses in the city.
“We want Logan to be a place where people can do business and play near home,” he said.
“Small business really is the engine room of the local economy, and it’s really so easy to set up a business right now. You can get a product to market in under a year.”
Cr Raven said rapid development in the city was a key to growth – more people, more housing and more businesses providing more jobs.
He said the council’s economic development strategy had been co-designed with input from small business, and it was important for council to continue to provide grants and assistance which would lead to jobs growth.
