June - July 2015

73 142

FOR KIDS
73 Jun-Jul15
FOR TINY
SERA and PETINA
of TinyBitz tell us
how t he i r baby -
gif ting brand got
off the ground, and
how it seeks to offer
something new to
the market.
Tell us about the company.
We’re a boutique baby-gifting brand with the focus in bringing “thoughtful
gifts for growing kids”, and providing a convenient and breezy online
shopping experience for busy urbanites.
Do you have a signature gift?
Our best-selling Growing Kit has been very well received among mothers
and gift-givers alike. It’s a set of three onesies, each in a different design
and in different sizes (zero to three months, three to six months, and six to
twelve months), so it’s essentially a gift designed to grow with the babies!
The Growing Kit comes in three versions: girls’, boys’ and unisex, and
two size ranges (zero to twelve months and three to eighteen months).
What inspired you to start the business?
Our nieces and nephew. Wewere searching tirelessly for stylish, practical yet
affordable gifts for them, and our friends were constantly asking for advice
on where and what to get for baby showers. We also realised that babies
outgrow their outfits too quickly – that fuelled the Growing Kit concept.
How easy was it to set up the company?
It took us two years from having the initial idea to the soft launch, and
then another three months before we had our official launch in March
2013. It was a relatively easy and quick process! We’ve had production
hiccups along the way, but this is when the phrase “keep calm and carry
on” comes in handy; sometimes you just have to improvise as you go.
Do you each have different roles in the business?
Yes, it’s a good match between our skill sets and personalities! Sera is
the mastermind behind design, production and inventory management;
Petina drives marketing and sales and general administration of the brand.
We have a lot of respect for each other’s expertise and we also get very
hands on, from packing each and every gift set or hamper that gets sent
out to running pop-up shops and the not-so-exciting monthly stocktake!
IDEAS
BIG
PEOPLE
Got some tips for shoppers?
All orders receive free gift-wrapping in our custom-
designed packaging. Shoppers can also leave us
a gift message and we will include it in the gift.
We offer free delivery within Hong Kong for orders
over US$70, and we do international delivery too.
Plans for the next few years?
We’re currently stocked in Hong Kong and NewYork
and will soon be available in Melbourne and Tokyo;
we hope to continue to expand our distribution
internationally, and also develop more gifts that will
grow with the kids!.
eL
An Aussie connection
While both women were born in Hong Kong,
they’ve also spent formative years in Australia.
Sera studied Fashion at Sydney’s Whitehouse
Institute of Design, and established Sewn,
a ready-to-wear women’s fashion line; she
continued her career as a ProductionManager
at a fashion house in Hong Kong. Petina
majored in Marketing and Hospitality at the
University of New South Wales, then honed
her expertise in the pre-opening team at both
Hilton Sydney andWHotel Hong Kong, before
becoming Senior Project Manager at Marc &
Chantal Design, Hong Kong.