Lulu Karangwa is no ordinary woman; she quit a juicy office job and all the incentives that came with it to start a butchery.  

"Before I threw in the towel, I had held great positions in both government and private institutions, including being an HR manager, but I decided to quit because I wanted a more challenging experience,” she says. Besides, I had always felt that my calling was in the business world, she adds.

She says she stops at nothing to get what she wants, and believes that no challenge is too hard to face. It is with this attitude that Karangwa decided to venture into meat processing in 2013. She established The Fresh T-Bone Butchery, a meat processing company in Kanombe, a Kigali suburb.

"We process and sell meat and aquatic food, including different types of fish, meat cuts and chicken,” says, the bachelor’s of business administration graduate from Curtin University of Technology in Australia.

The business woman, who also holds an advanced diploma in business administration from Kigali Institute of Science and Technology, adds that the firm does retail, and supplies hotels, schools and also does home deliveries.

Starting out

Karangwa says the difficulty in finding quality meat in her neighbourhood sparked the need for her to venture into the meat business. "I sensed that other people were going through the same hurdle like I was; so I wanted to ease the lives of the people in the neighbourhood and surrounding communities. In fact, most of them had to travel miles to Kimironko to buy fish or even chicken,” she explains.

She notes that though she encountered some challenges at the start of the enterprise, she managed to overcome them "because I was confident about what I was doing and was determined to make it”.

She adds that she used her savings from her previous job to start the business. Karangwa notes that almost four years down the road, she has happy no regrets.

"I consider the decision I made to quit formal employment and start my own business is one of the best decisions I have ever made so far,” narrates the former HR manager.

Challenges

"Since it was the first time I was venturing into business, my greatest challenge was the fear of failing to get customers. However, when I thought of the fact that people eat every day, I got strength and the will to continue knowing that my business would survive.”

I was encouraged by my husband and friends, who were very supportive and I didn’t want to reward them with failure, Karangwa says.

Marketing her products is yet another hurdle she faces daily, but notes that she uses her network from school and work to attract more clients. There is also increase in commodity prices and late payment by some clients.

"Another challenge is lack of ‘qualified’ meat cutters. It is hard to find experienced meat cutters, and the ones on the market are expensive,” she says. The Workforce Development Authority should intervene and train some people as they do with other professions, she adds.

Karangwa says she managed to overcome most of the challenges thanks to her peers in some business organisations where she is a member.

"Last year, I was introduced to Inkomoko Entrepreneur Development… they have done a lot in helping me overcome some of the challenges. They designed a good business plan, and trained me in finance management, marketing and accounts,” Karangwa says.

She adds that Inkomoko is currently designing a website for the business, which she hopes will be launched in about two weeks. She says Inkomoko has helped her a lot, especially in networking with other like-minded entrepreneurs.

Achievements

Karangwa says she was able to open up another modern butchery, within 10 months of opening the business. "The returns are good… I can take care of the family bills, among others,” she says.

"Earning your own money, from your own business is incomparable to a monthly salary. A salary can never be enough… whether one earns millions of francs or Rwf100,000, it’s all the same,” she adds.

The sky seems to be the limit for Karangwa. She is currently planning to expand the business and open up another branch in the city centre; get new contract clients; and start online marketing targeting the growing online market. Karangwa employs seven workers.

Advice

Karangwa encourages women to join business, arguing that fear or limited capital should not be barriers because "there is nothing that comes on a silver plate”.

"One has to work hard… it’s rewarding and fulfilling. And as mothers, one should always spare time for their children. When you empower a woman you empower the whole family. A man can spend Rwf1 million alone and friends, but a woman can make the family happy with Rwf100,000,” she argues.

There are so many opportunities in Rwanda, which women should exploit to improve their livelihoods and those of their families, she notes. 

Karangwa says one faces numerous challenges as an entrepreneur, but the opportunities outweigh the hurdles.

The government should find ways of increasing access to loans, especially for those who don’t have collateral.

"Most people have ideas, but lack the finance to implement their business ideas. So the government should work with finance institutions, like Business Development Fund, to provide more support to startups, especially for the youth and women.”