So the idea of selling a fast-cooking bean to low-income consumers who traditionally cook beans for hours over a fire might have seemed impossible to many.  But not Rose (fourth on the left in the picture), the energetic owner of Smart Logistics Solutions (SLS), and woman behind Frejols - precooked beans that cook in just 10 minutes and are available in small, affordable packages.

BoPInc had the privilege of working with Rose to develop strategies to scale her promising product line of nutritious, precooked beans with a focus on Base of the Pyramid (BoP) consumers. With support from the GAIN Marketplace for Nutritious Foods, we worked with Rose to develop a clear marketing strategy and business plan with the goal of obtaining $100,000 in investment capital from GAIN.

Right after launching Frejols on a small scale, it was clear that there was demand for the product - they quickly sold out on the day they were produced and customers were even visiting the factory to buy them. But Rose needed support to scale up production, professionalize her product line and launch a marketing campaign across Machakos and Nairobi.

As we do in all of our work, our assignment began with the consumer. In collaboration with The Grass Company we collected quantitative and qualitative data and insights on the customer’s perception towards beans. This research helped Rose and her staff to develop ‘customer thinking’, since previously SLS had been a business-to-business company. In addition, we talked to different traders and shopkeepers to understand how they approach and sell beans.

Armed with consumer insights, we then held an intense, two day workshop to start developing a marketing strategy. Again, the customer was the focus as we developed SLS’s brand, product and marketing strategy, which included a large scale launch in Nairobi. Finally, after working out important elements like pricing and sales projections, we jointly built a business plan and financial model that was submitted to GAIN’s investment committee.

Rose’s hard work paid off as she was awarded $100,000 in support from GAIN to scale up the sale of Frejols. We are extremely happy and proud of her and the positive impact that her product will have on low-income customers in Kenya.