Flexibility births a business
opportunity
Marie Swarbreck found herself in the
predicament faced by so many working
mums in our city, and she turned it
into an opportunity. After the birth of
her daughter, Marie struggled to find
work opportunities that were flexible
and fulfilling. Seeing a gap in the
market, she founded a groundbreaking
business that connects forward-thinking
companies with smart, savvy mums
looking for flexible work arrangements.
FLEXImums is the first of its kind in
Hong Kong and Marie’s sometimes
demanding second child.
Q
Tell us about your business.
FLEXImums (
is a boutique recruitment agency run by
mums for mums; we offer flexible work
arrangements for mothers looking for a
better work-life balance. FLEXImums
was established with the vision to
empower and connect working
mothers, and mothers returning to
work, by linking them with full-time and
part-time job opportunities.
Q
When was FLEXImums
founded, before or after
kids?
FLEXImums was founded after my
daughter Arabelle was born in Hong
Kong in May 2014. I found myself in
need of flexible yet challenging work
and little or no options to choose
from. This was the beginning of a new
adventure: the birth of FLEXImums.
FLEXImums connects employers
who offer flexibility with professional
mums (and dads) looking for flexible
positions. Flexibility comes in all shapes
and sizes – it can be full-time work with
flexi-hours, work-from-home or part-
time work, job-share or any other form
of flexibility.
Q
Is your business more a
monetised passion project
or a business initiative?
FLEXImums is a business initiative with
the goal of growing beyond Hong Kong
in a couple of years’ time. As a career-
driven mum, I aim to help working
mums find more flexible roles as well as
help mums who have taken a break get
back into the workforce.
Q
Was it hard to set the
company up in Hong Kong?
Hong Kong is a business-friendly place
where you can easily set up a business
for a minimal cost. Recruitment
agencies do require a licence, which
takes longer, but overall I found it easy
to set up a business in Hong Kong. I
had good mentors and I surrounded
myself with knowledgeable people
September 2016
51
Marie with husband Sebastian and Arabelle
