Braaap founder awarded Young Champion Entrepreneur Award 2 years running!

Article from fullnoise.com.au
http://www.fullnoise.com.au/news/index.cfm?Fuseaction=Display_Full&news_id=6792

Brad Smith, founder and director of the mini bike empire braaap has taken out the national title of Young Champion Entrepreneur for the second year in a row, making him the first ever to achieve such a feat!

Braaap’s impressive history and fast growth have been well recognised within the broader business sector. On the same night, braaap also won the Small Business Champion Award for ‘Specialised Retail Small Business’, adding to the long list of prestigious awards already received, including the 2009 Enterprise Award at the Australian Business Awards, Tasmanian winner & National Finalist for the 2009 Telstra Business ‘Sensis Social Responsibility Award’, the Launceston Chamber of Commerce 2009 Entrepreneurial Business Award, 2009 Tasmania Young Achiever Award and the 2008 Pride of Australia Medal.

The numerous awards recognise Brad’s youthful vision and commitment to giving back to the community. Brad’s mission extends well beyond his multi million dollar business, having established two non-profit divisions aimed at inspiring and educating high school youth. He says his greatest achievement to date is “being able to use my passion for motorcycles to help other people through the braaap club & community group, creating a place that kids want to be at helping them find their own passion and direction.”

The braaap club philosophy is simple - create fun, safe and controlled riding areas for the whole family to enjoy. Studies have shown that young people who are involved in regular recreational activity or are apart of a club are less likely to take up drugs or get involved in crime, it’s for this reason that the braaap club offers race events, coaching, ride days along with rider education days with the approval of Motorcycling Australia.

The braaap youth “Getn it Done” program is designed to show young people that they can get their adrenaline rush from action sports such as Motocross, rather than from substance abuse or drugs. Able to be integrated with school curriculum, it mixes class time with track time on braaapster mini bikes under the supervision of M.A. affiliated coaches. The program incorporates mechanical skills, road safety education and life skills.

Brad has been building the braaap brand and developing new bikes for over 6 years, starting from his shed at home when he was just 16 years old, with his passion for motorbikes sparking at the early age of 4 years old.

Brad currently owns and operates 3 braaap Retail Mega Stores, with 2 in Tasmania and the recently opened retail mega store in Frankston, Victoria.

At 22 years of age he has already achieved a level of success that many older business owners envy.

All braaap bikes have been designed by Brad within Australia and he is often asked to speak at schools and events and is currently writing his first book – an autobiography to be released early next year.

Brad certainly doesn’t rest on what he has already achieved; he has bigger and better goals for the braaap brand, planning to open 50 Retail Mega Stores across Australia within 5 years, with 14 franchisees already secured. Then he’s setting his sights event further - taking on the USA motocross and mini bike market.

No one close to Brad is surprised by his success as Brad has always been a hard worker. He previously stacked shelves for Woolworths while undertaking his electrician’s apprenticeship and showed strong initiative and good business sense from a very young age, mowing lawns for old ladies, selling fruit to the neighbours, buying and selling motorbike gear online and even making hackey sacks and selling them on tuck shop day at school.