Annick Umutibagirana started her skincare and hair products’ company in 2018. This business idea came about after she lost a dear one to cancer.

Following a stint with depression, she started conducting research on cancer, until she realized that eating healthy food and using natural organic products reduce the chances of cancer.

Her aim was to have an impact in her the community. 

She then pursued a course in skincare and hair products. On completion, she was determined to use her knowledge to make cosmetics out of fruits and vegetables, like carrots, avocado, coconut, among others.

Annick Umutibagirana while posing with her business partner, Isaac Ndamukunda at their offices in Remera

She needed a committed business partner who had the same interest as hers to join their knowledge to make their business forward and impact more people.

Umutibagirana and Isaac Ndamukunda partnered to start a Remera based company known as "Aroma Glam Ltd.”

The company promotes natural organic products for hair and skincare and for weight loss, produces and distributes natural organic products which include, Avocado oil, Carrot oil, Black and white honey, Sesame oil, Coconut oil, Shea butter, Castor oil, Kaso jelly and Detox tea.

"We collaborate with local farmers to supply the raw materials; they work on contracts.

We are looking forward to seeing Rwandans use and support our very own locally made products,” Umutibagirana said.

Succeeding in a business

She explained that owning a business takes a lot of energy to see it grow, but once the spirit of working together as a team is mastered, combined with skills, a venture can be expected to to bear fruits over time.

Another secret that has won them customers is that one can shop for their products online and they do free delivery.

Their products range from Rwf 2,000 to Rwf 35,000 and produce both skin and hair care products according to the customers’ demand 

Umutibagirana noted the importance of using clients’ feedback, explaining it as the reasoning why the two entrepreneurs started an after-sales special program where they do follow up on their customers till they get the expected results.

Jobs

They are anticipating to expand and open up branches in different parts of the country and offer more jobs to the locals. So far, the business partners have employed 12 full time and 67 part-time workers.

"We supply our products to different supermarkets. Our customers are given a detox program (for weight loss) where they use our detox package (package includes detox tea, chia seeds, cayenne pepper, and lemon verbena). In this program, we do a 10 day challenge, follow up our clients daily till the 10 days elapse and customers check their weight and see the improvement,” Umutibagirana said.

They also offer a program on skin and hair, where they do a follow up on their customers till their problems are solved.  For instance, through assisting their clients apply face and hair masks, and teaching them the best way to use or apply the products.

Some of the workers while packaging the skincare and hair products for sale

In order to expect quality raw materials from farmers, the business duo started offering training to farmers regarding post-harvest, storage, and harvesting. 

Challenges

In production, it was hard to get experienced labour and the ones available are often very expensive, this she says pushed them to offer training and select from the trainees.

Umutibagirana and her colleague have also found it hard to convince their clients on using organic products.

She also noted that there was lack of enough capital to acquire the machinery needed hence using manual machines which reduced production capacity. 

The entrepreneurs have ‘crossed borders’ as they export their products to Dubai and Belgium.