Starting and growing a business comes with its fair share of challenges, but for Immaculate Akello, the journey has been one of resilience, learning, and transformation. As a skincare product formulator and the founder of Keri Naturals, Immaculate is dedicated to producing natural, chemical-free skin and hair products using shea butter. Her products cater to various skin types, from dry and oily to normal and combination skin.
Overcoming Business Challenges
Before joining the Empower YOU project, Immaculate struggled with record-keeping. Although she was making sales, she couldn’t accurately determine her profit margins. “I wasn’t keeping proper records, so all I knew was that I had enough money to pay rent, restock my products, and meet daily expenses,” she recalls.
During the program’s record-keeping sessions, she was introduced to Zoho Books, a tool that helped her track her sales and expenses. Through this, she discovered that some of her low-margin products, like plain shea butter, had a 60% profit margin per kilogram. This insight allowed her to prioritize high-margin products and focus on the most profitable aspects of her business.
Finding a Support System
Beyond financial management, the most significant impact of the Empower YOU program for Immaculate was the sense of community it provided. “I started this business in Kampala, but when I moved to Lira, I felt isolated. I didn’t have many young entrepreneurs to interact with,” she shares. Through the Empower YOU project, she connected with like-minded entrepreneurs who became her support system.
Growing Through Digital Marketing
Another major transformation in her business came through social media marketing. Initially, Keri Naturals relied on walk-in customers and WhatsApp referrals. However, after a session with a social media expert, Immaculate set up business accounts on various platforms. One of her fellow program participants helped her design content for TikTok, and within just a month, she began seeing results.
“We now receive at least two orders daily from TikTok and get inquiries from five to ten potential customers each day. Our online presence is growing, and it’s incredible to see how digital marketing is opening new opportunities for us,” she says.
Winning and Scaling Up
Securing a top three spot in the Empower YOU competition was a defining moment for Immaculate. “It showed me that someone believes in my idea. There were times I doubted myself and thought about returning to legal practice, but this recognition has renewed my energy.”
With the UGX 3 million prize money, she plans to invest in equipment to scale her production. “Right now, I only have a small hand mixer that can whip two kilograms of shea butter at a time. With the new mixer, I’ll be able to process eight to ten kilograms. I’m also getting a filling machine to improve our packaging process, making it more efficient and hygienic.”
