Many people harbour business ideas as they grow up, hoping that one day they will leave their jobs to focus on their entrepreneurial dreams. However, due to other commitments, job preoccupations, and for women, marriage and motherhood, the business dream is often put on hold. Over time, many people either feel it’s too late to start or simply lose interest. Studies show that it’s never too late to start a business, as long as the entrepreneurial spirit remains alive. In fact, some of the world's most successful billionaires made their breakthroughs after the age of 50. Their first step toward success was refusing to give up on their dreams. In today’s world, where stories of young innovators and 30-year-old billionaires are common—it’s easy to feel discouraged and stick to employment instead of pursuing a business. Similarly, as people approach retirement age, they often think about slowing down rather than embarking on something new. However, this was not the case for Susanne Mukakibibi Balera, who, despite past challenges, decided to follow her business dream when others might have thought it was too late. Balera, a mother of six and grandmother of six (with the seventh on the way), is now the owner of Nutty and More, a peanut butter business that has helped her fulfil her lifelong entrepreneurial dream. Her journey shows that it's never too late to start. Having grown up in Uganda and lived in exile for a significant portion of her life, Balera returned to Rwanda with her family after the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. She had hoped to contribute to the rebuilding of the nation through entrepreneurship. “I’ve always wanted to do business. It has been my passion, but opportunities didn’t really come up,” Balera says. In 2008, she started a hardware business, but her husband, who was not fully supportive of her idea, was not convinced. He questioned why she would go to school only to end up selling cement. Despite her passion for the project and her desire to help address the shortage of construction materials in the market, Balera’s husband preferred that she find a steady, well-paying job. He wanted her to follow the traditional path of working from 8 to 5 and earning a monthly salary. However, Balera, an accountant by profession, found routine work tedious. She was not interested in sitting in an office all day managing finances; she wanted something more. “At a young age, I was an accountant, but accounting bored me because I’d see people out in the field while I was stuck in an office asking people to justify their expenses and writing reports. It bored me,” she says. Rather than pursue a conventional job, Balera opted to work as a consultant. Even then, she continued to harbour her entrepreneurial dreams, though they remained unfulfilled for a long time. Her consulting work, which involved training others on how to run businesses, was an ironic twist: she was helping others build businesses while her own remained a distant goal. “I studied business management and earned an MBA with a focus on business strategies. I coached people on how to run businesses,” Balera explains. “But when it came to starting my own, I feared it might not work out or would be too difficult.” Despite the setbacks, her passion for entrepreneurship never wavered. She envisioned creating something that would be nutritious, genuine, and unique. One day, she went to a friend and suggested they start a peanut butter business together, as she was a big fan of nuts. In 2019, they registered their company, Nutty and More, and began manufacturing peanut butter. It was a tough time for business, and soon after they started, the COVID-19 pandemic struck. The pandemic affected not only their business but also the consultancy work that helped sustain Balera’s income. After two years, her business partner realised that the venture was struggling to break even, and she decided to pull out. Balera, undeterred, talked to her husband, who had already tasted the peanut butter and loved it. She convinced him to lend her the money to buy out her partner and inject more capital into the business. He agreed. When she took over the business on her own, things began to improve, proving that it’s never too late to pursue one’s dreams. Looking back, Balera finds it surprising that she ended up in the peanut butter business. In school, she had developed a project on producing avocado oil, a nutritious and high-end product, but never pursued it. Despite the research and planning she had done, starting her own business seemed daunting. “Starting a business is hard. You have to weigh all your options, and you need a business coach,” Balera says, acknowledging the challenges she faced. Ironically, she had spent years coaching others on how to start businesses, but starting her own was a whole different experience. Her journey is a powerful reminder that it’s never too late to follow your passion and pursue your business dreams, regardless of age or circumstances. Overcoming hurdles With COVID-19 affecting business operations and sales not picking up as expected, Balera initially considered selling her business. However, she later changed her mind and decided to stay in the game. She realised there were several loopholes that had been left unaddressed, which had made the business unprofitable. “I identified many gaps that I could fill, and I thought that perhaps the business would thrive and become successful,” Balera says. After her friend left the business, she took charge of filling those gaps, and soon, things started to improve. “I addressed these gaps, especially in the control systems,” she explains. Some of these controls are implemented early in the peanut butter manufacturing process. For instance, there can be unpredictable issues during the sorting of groundnuts or even in the branching phase. “You never know what happens when people are sorting the groundnuts,” Balera explains. “You never know what happens when people are branching.” As with any manufacturing business, there are gaps that can be addressed to improve efficiency and profitability. For example, in some cases, employees may improperly store or even steal ingredients used in production without the business owner's knowledge. This type of loss can have a significant negative impact on the business. These are the kinds of gaps that many business owners overlook. Today, Balera is one of the suppliers of some of the best peanut butter products on the market. She ensures high quality by making sure that no supplements or additives are included in her products, which is her unique selling point. “We make sure it’s the best of the best,” she says of her crunchy, yet smooth and delicious peanut butter made from locally sourced groundnuts. “If you bring the best, it always becomes the best.” In her peanut butter, Balera adds a pinch of sea salt to keep it fresh, and the rest of the quality is reflected in the way she procures, sorts, roasts, processes, and packages the groundnuts. Balera sources her groundnuts, the main raw material for her business, from nut traders in Nyabugogo market. She emphasises the importance of selecting high-quality groundnuts. “It all begins in the production line,” she explains. “We sun-dry the peanuts until they are really dry, and then we sort them carefully to remove any bad or thin peanuts that may have gone bad.” The groundnuts also undergo a process known as “branching,” where more bad peanuts are identified and discarded, leaving only the good-quality nuts for production. “We produce three times a month. We go to Nyabugogo, where we buy the nuts, select the best ones based on colour and taste, and then bring them here,” Balera explains. After multiple rounds of sorting, branching, and drying, the groundnuts are roasted, ground, and packaged. While the process may seem straightforward, it is quite intricate, involving several levels of sorting. At the end of the process, one 100 kg bag of groundnuts results in approximately 100 jars of 800 grams of peanut butter. This means that around 20 kg of the original 100 kg is lost during the entire production process. In other words, from a bag of 100 kg of unsorted and unroasted groundnuts, only 80 kg remains usable for the final product. The role of women in transforming the economy Balera emphasises the need to encourage more women to actively participate in activities that contribute to the transformation of Rwanda’s economy. This involvement should not be limited to entrepreneurship, but should extend to other sectors as well. ALSO READ: Rwanda achieves 96% financial inclusion for women, driven by mobile banking growth “Women are keen on doing good things because they care about people, especially their families,” she says. She adds that if she were in a decision-making position, she would prioritise initiatives that empower more women. “I thank my President; he has done great work to promote women. Because when you promote a woman, you are promoting the home and the nation in any sector,” she states. Balera believes that if more women are encouraged, coached, and supported in starting businesses, they would make a significant impact on the economy. “Rwanda has done very well compared to other countries, but there is still much to be done,” she says, especially in the areas of training, mentorship, and financing. Many women abandon their business ideas and dreams due to a lack of these resources. “For example, in my case, if my husband hadn’t supported me the second time, I probably would have failed. I wouldn’t be where I am now. So, women should be supported in all ways,” she adds. ALSO READ: Accelerating action: The financial sector’s role in empowering Rwandan women Balancing work and life Like many women, Balera spent much of her time fulfilling her role as a housewife, raising six children, all while pursuing her career aspirations. This is a challenge many women face; despite their education and skills, many are forced to abandon their personal dreams to focus on their families, leaving their business ideas unrealised. “It’s a challenge, but life is challenging in itself,” she says. Balera believes that women need to overcome these obstacles and find a balance between work and family life. It all comes down to effective planning and time management. Balera learned how to balance her responsibilities, allocating time between making and supplying peanut butter while also managing her household duties. “By planning your time well, you can handle both responsibilities effectively without one conflicting with the other,” she explains. She notes that many people struggle with this balance, often getting lost in their work and neglecting their family duties. Venturing into something risky Starting her peanut butter business was risky, as many Rwandans were not familiar with peanut butter and did not have a culture of using it, except for expatriates or people who had travelled abroad. But Balera believed that once people tasted it, they would fall in love with it, as long as she maintained high-quality standards. “It was a matter of convincing people to try it. There was a time when I attended a symposium and had to offer samples, saying, ‘Please taste, please taste,’” she recalls. Today, Balera admits that she is not where she wants to be yet. Her dream is to grow her business to meet the demand, but scaling up is difficult due to slim margins. She also struggles to find platforms to showcase her product, and as a small company, advertising and expanding her product line are challenging. Her vision includes expanding her product range by adding items like cayenne, sesame, cashew nuts, and more by 2026, but due to the high costs, that expansion may not be feasible. “I had also planned to add a machine by 2027 or 2028 to produce peanut oil, a highly nutritious oil that can be used in food. But given the current global economic conditions, it’s a challenge,” Balera says. Another significant challenge she faces as a small manufacturer is the high cost and limited availability of packaging materials. These factors, along with the seasonal availability of raw materials, particularly groundnuts, can hinder business growth. Nurturing a peanut butter culture Balera is a passionate advocate for the health benefits of peanut butter, which she believes is a versatile food that can be easily integrated into meals. Beyond spreading it on bread, peanut butter can be used in soups, sauces, or combined with chicken, beef, and more. It can also be added to smoothies for its high protein content. Balera hopes to spread this peanut butter culture to a broader audience. However, making peanut butter accessible to everyone comes with challenges. The costs of raw materials, packaging, taxes, and transportation increase the price, making it unaffordable for many. While most locally-made peanut butter is priced at Rwf7,000 or more for an 800g jar, Balera sells hers for Rwf6,000, barely covering her costs. Her smaller 400g jar is priced at Rwf3,000. Despite the slim margins, Balera refuses to compromise on quality. “To stay competitive, you must produce the best quality product. That’s how people keep coming back,” she says. “They know the benefits, and anyone who buys from me returns for more.” Advice for young women and girls Drawing from her own experience, Balera encourages young women and girls to not be afraid of starting a business, as there are numerous opportunities available. The earlier you start, the better. “Start small and scale up as you go. Never think of yourself as someone who can’t achieve something. Always remind yourself, ‘I am capable. I can do this,’” she advises. While seeking advice and guidance is important, Balera believes the internet is a valuable resource filled with knowledge that can help individuals start and grow their businesses. “The hardest part is always getting started, but a few years down the road, you’ll look back and be amazed at how far you’ve come,” she says. Despite her age, Balera has not given up on her dream of building a large factory and providing employment for as many people as possible. “I want to add value to society, especially in the area of nutrition,” she says. “This is how I hope to be remembered. And I want to emphasise that it is never too late to pursue your dreams.”
