Small Business Driver to the Rescue

When COVID-19 arrived in New Zealand in early 2020 and forced the country into a prolonged lockdown, it quickly became apparent that the impacts on small businesses and their employees would be significant and potentially catastrophic.

Toyota New Zealand (TNZ) made a quick decision to see where it could help small businesses. The resulting Small Business Driver initiative called for small business owners (who had qualified for the Government’s Wage Subsidy Scheme) to apply for free use of a pre-owned Toyota Highlander for a year. Toyota made 100 Highlanders available for the initiative, which launched in June 2020.

After a short media campaign, thousands of business owners applied, and a panel of Toyota executives and Toyota Ambassadors was formed to review the applications and select 100 successful applicants. They represented a wide range of businesses, from food producers to rock bands, event-staging suppliers to independent retailers, adventure tourism operators to fashion designers. Each business received a Highlander via their local Toyota dealership, with insurance and registration for 12 months.

For many of the recipients, the Highlanders were more than just vehicles: they provided an ability to reduce costs, save capital or replace more expensive or older vehicles.

Wellington-region mobile wedding caterer, Good Food Society, was typical of the Small Business Driver. The company had had to sell a vehicle (a 1982 Hilux) to pay client refunds during lockdown, and used the Highlander to keep the business mobile once lockdown restrictions were lifted and events and weddings could be held again.

At the end of June 2021, after the 12-month programme, the Highlanders were returned to Toyota. In some cases the business owners chose to purchase the vehicles – an indication of a return to financial health, with support from Toyota.