Marlborough Express - Weekend Express
Model business collects cash prize
Blenheim-based online diecast toy business Grandpa Simpson’s Collectibles has won $10,000 in the country’s first Small Business Day.
Owner Bryan Simpson initially thought the prize was too good to be true.
“My wife looks after the website, and when she read out the news I thought it was one of those scam emails. We then went back over everything and realised it was real!”
Small Business Day, backed by The Saturday Express, was born after Innovation company Indigo, in partnership with Xero, decided that small businesses deserved a day to themselves after a year of hard knocks.
“Ideally Small Business Day will encourage Kiwi consumers to start new local buying habits. Buying from a small business means supporting local families and that creates ripples across the community,” says Pat MacFie (Nga¯ ti Ma¯ hanga-Hourua, Nga¯ i Te Rangi), Co-founder and Global Director of Design & Innovation at Indigo.
Over 32,000 Kiwis took part in the online promotion, more than 6600 small businesses signed up to take part, and thousands more shoppers made purchases in their communities and captured the moment on social media. $200,000 in prizes was given out, including five small businesses each winning $10,000 cash prizes.
Simpson is excited for the opportunities the $10,000 will provide for him and his business, including potentially opening a bricks and mortar store in Blenheim.
“The idea is that eventually we’ll be able to stop working from home and open up our own wee shop.”
“We’re also planning a trip to Christchurch to meet one of our wholesalers. Eventually we hope to travel to the UK and meet our wholesalers there too.”
Xero Managing Director NZ &
Pacific Islands Craig Hudson says it’s important that we shop local and shop small to help our economic recovery.
“It’s been a tough year for small businesses and their families. They showed incredible resilience in the wake of COVID19, and we now have a great opportunity to give back and show them some aroha. Small Business Day is about helping them start the next financial year off strong, and encouraging Kiwis to get behind their local small businesses like never before.”
Grandpa Simpson’s Collectables started out of Simpson’s passion for collecting diecast emergency vehicle models.
“The business has grown over the past year, we’ve got quite a following of people who share my passion and are looking for specific things.”
Small Business Day will take place annually to celebrate New Zealand’s small businesses and remind shoppers to choose small.
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