A keen business enthusiast since her early years, Rana has crafted a great career through perseverance and consistency.

“The ability to get up after failing is a major strength of an entrepreneur”, says Vidushi Rana, director of marketing and business development at Kiran Shoes Manufacturers, the company that manufactures Goldstar shoes. She stresses that positivity, consistency and hard work are the primary elements required to become successful. She says that entrepreneurship and business are all about struggling. However, one should not give up and lose hope.

Born and brought up in Kathmandu, she says that she was never made to feel less because she was a woman. “In fact, I was given more priority”, she says. Confident and dynamic, Rana says that she was always interested in business. Instead of staying with her mother, she was always interested in talking business with her father and uncles during family gatherings. Although she was quiet as a child and hesitant to talk to strangers, she is now confident and does not fear putting forth her views. After spending six years at Kumari Bank working as Head of Marketing, she came to realise that her forte was in marketing.

At the young age of 19, she was married to a business family that runs various businesses under the umbrella of Universal Group founded by late Noor Pratap Rana. Among several companies under the group is the Kiran Shoes Manufacturers, the makers of GoldStar footwear, the Nepali shoe brand which has a history of more than four decades. Although the company was well known, she always wondered why the company did not do any marketing. She mentioned this to her husband Amir Rana who replied that the sales are already going good and therefore there’s no need for any marketing. However, to reach out to more Nepali customers, she felt that there was a need for promotion campaigns. Along with looking after marketing, Rana also supports her husband in the overall operation of the company.

After stepping into motherhood, she decided to become a stay at home mother and nurture her children. But, as soon as her younger son reached the age of 10, she decided to return to work. Once she rejoined the company, she changed the marketing strategies and focused more on branding.

“Today, the world has gone digital, and it’s the age of digital marketing. People want every product easily at their doorstep. So realising this, we started selling Goldstar shoes online as well”, she expresses. Since they started selling Goldstar through e-commerce, she says that they have got a very positive response. “We have been able to get the direct response from customers which has made it easier for us to bring new designs that customers might like”, adds Rana.

When people asked her where they could find her company’s products, there were very few options. So, she decided to open showrooms and franchise outlets in various places. Hence, today, they have 38 showrooms and franchise outlets all over Nepal. While Goldstar used to have specific designs and was worn more out of its durability and price, today it is also associated with fashion. “The modern design has been able to attract the youth to the brand”, she explains. She informs that their recent G10 series is very popular among the youth. Although they have tried variations in designs, they have not forgotten the core value of their shoes- quality, durability and affordability.

Goldstar shoes today make shoes for kids, young people and adults. The wide range of Goldstar shoes such as school shoes, casual wear, formal, trekking shoes and PU sandals are available between the price range of Rs 360 to Rs 2300. “We also bring new series of shoes in the market every week”, claims Rana.

Goldstar is known in India as well. They also have authorised resellers in Sydney, Canada, India and Malaysia. Despite this, the decrease in export sales to India has directly affected them. Currently, they have around 1800 factory workers employed at the company.

Rana shares that duplication of their shoes from India and China has been a challenge for the company. Besides, today, many low-quality shoes at lower prices are entering Nepal without tax being paid. Regarding this, she says, “Chinese influx of low-quality shoes should be stopped, or they should be allowed in only after paying tax because not only are customers being cheated by this, the government, as well as the domestic industry, is suffering”, she explains.

A mother of two, she says that maintaining her family and business is always a challenge for a woman. Whether a woman is from a business fraternity or any other area, without family support, balancing these two is very difficult. She finds herself fortunate to have received a very supportive family.
A versatile woman, she is also involved in women empowerment organisations such as Zonta International. She states that women entrepreneurs in Nepal are rising up. While working with them, she feels happy to hear their zeal and passion. “Hearing their stories of struggle, I feel that I am nothing compared to them”, she expresses.

On the topic of the discrimination that women have to face in various walks of the society, Rana says that women should raise their voices and speak out in such cases. “Although a woman’s biggest strength is endurance, now is not the time to endure discrimination and oppression”, she remarks.

She says, “Women in Nepal are much more progressive, yet, the government should create a platform for them where they can showcase their skills”. Further, she believes that a favourable environment should be created where their skills and products can reach and compete in the international market.

For young emerging entrepreneurs, Rana suggests that imagining, dreaming and hoping are very important. Along with these, hard work transforms a dream into reality. She says that until one tries, their dream is never fulfilled. “Almost all the success stories start with failure. If they had given up, then there would not be any success stories”, she states. She further says that a successful entrepreneur should be able to take criticism and rectify their errors.

In her childhood, she was very close to her grandmother. As her grandmother was very spiritual, Rana thinks that it has left a mark on her as well. She says that she is a very spiritual person and prays to God whenever she faces a problem or feels low. She believes that there is a bigger force, a divine power which guides her every step.

Although she has a busy schedule, she likes to read novels, watch movies and listen to music in her free time. Whenever she gets the time, she also loves travelling and catching up with her friends.

Five years down the line, she wants the company to be internationally recognised as a qualitative Nepali brand. She says the company is looking forward to opening more showrooms in the international market. “While Nepal has to import everything, we are proud to be able to contribute to the national economy, though the percentage may be small”, she concludes.