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Published on April 14, 2008

Without time limitations, they can work double time by checking their websites after most stores have shut down.

The system works for fashion jewellery brand Rana Rita.

Its business prospects look bright because it was started up by a public relations veteran, Nimminda Woranithit, and a close friend who has been in jewellery exports for years.

The duo said they decided to embark on Rana Rita as they want to stick to what they love best.

With strong trading experience and marketing know-how, the two have driven their business ahead by designing good products.

"In terms of design, we hire professionals to do the job. We have a large pool of good freelance designers at home. We only need to tell them what our concept is and they do the rest," they said.

Rana Rita uses a "simply modern" concept. The product is mostly made from Murano stone. The material is colourful, bright and comes in a wide variety of shades at a relatively low cost.

Nimminda and her partner said being simple but chic made their products durable to shifts in fashion. Their classic look makes them easy to match with most styles.

But Rana Rita does not aim to become a mass brand and limits its products to retain its positioning.

To catch up on market trends, the partners keep a close watch on what is happening in the fashion world.

For now, Rana Rita sells only through www.ranaritajewelry.com.

They viewed online prospects to be promising and are tapping into both domestic and global markets.

"Most Thai operators focus on local customers and if they want to go overseas, their products would be sold through middle men, Nimminda said.

"For us, we have our website in Thai and English. So anyone can contact us. We now have Japanese and European clients," she said.

"Without the middle men, we are able to push prices down considerably. Online operation is easy and it can be managed effectively."

Rana Rita spends Bt50,000 a year on its cyber-shop and bags about five customers a day.

Its product prices range from Bt400 to Bt4,000. The target group is shoppers such as working women and housewives.

Looking ahead, the partners see high potential in male jewellery for overseas markets.

South Korea and many European markets are shifting to selling male products.

Nimminda added that if her business goes well, she might open a stand-alone shop soon.

Cheerawat Kongkaew

Bizweek