To be honest, you can toil away doing your own research and...

To be honest, you can toil away doing your own research and having a crack on Commsec or some other cheap platform.
But....the best way to make money is to find a stockbroker who you trust and specialises in the small cap end of the market with contacts across the country in a specialise area (say resources). Pay him well, pay full brokerage, you pay for what you get, speak regularly and he will look after you with the myriad of money making opportunities they are able to give to clients.

Stick to doing what you do best, and let them do what they do best.