5 Minutes with: Maison Foodie
5 minute read
In our newest series, we sit down for 5 minutes with the founder of Maison Foodie Limited to find out more on their business philosophy and what they most value in Sleek’s services!
1. Tell us more about your business and the services you provide.
My name is Emmanuelle. I’m from France and I have been living in Asia for 6 years, first in Singapore and now in Hong Kong.
In 2019, after many years of working as a marketing consultant, I founded Maison Foodie, an export and marketing agency. We help European brands launch and grow their business in Hong Kong, Singapore, and China.
We provide three complementary types of services: go-to-market strategy, business development, and brand building. We are proud to partner with ambitious and innovative brands such as Maison Sassy, the contemporary French cider, and Didier Goubet, the world’s first vine grape juice from Bordeaux.
2. What drove you to start your business?
I come from a family of entrepreneurs. Watching my parents build and grow their businesses has been a source of inspiration. Since I was a child, I have always had an entrepreneurial mindset and have run several side-business projects.
Coming from Europe and living in Asia, I am passionate about connecting my home region and my adopted region. When I moved to Hong Kong in 2019, I knew it was the right time for me to launch my agency and support European companies in their growth in Asia.
3. How did you first hear about Sleek?
I met Adrien Barthel, co-founder of Sleek, in Singapore in 2016. Together, we built the French Tech Singapore community. I was very excited for him when he launched Sleek. When I founded Maison Foodie, I knew Sleek was the right partner for us.
4. What made Sleek’s solution stand out over others that you researched?
I have seen so many founders struggling with their company secretary in Hong Kong. As an entrepreneur, you want to focus all your energy on your business. You cannot afford to waste time managing administrative tasks. Sleek was the solution we needed: it is 100% digital, seamless and reliable.
5. What makes your services stand out from the rest?
Passion and commitment are key pillars of Maison Foodie DNA. First, passion. We are selective and collaborate with brands we are passionate about. We believe in their story, in their products, in their potential in Asia. Second, commitment. We run every project as if we were part of the brand’s company. Our success is their success. I often describe Maison Foodie as the local Asian team of these brands.
6. Tell us what a typical day in the life of your business looks like.
As you can imagine, there is no such thing as a typical day! But the way we manage every week does follow a routine. Every Monday morning in our team meeting, we review the weekly objectives and align on the action plan. Then, you have to be flexible and able to adapt to unexpected events. On Friday, we reflect on what has been accomplished, what can be improved, and what the priorities are for next week, before having our team lunch.
7. Has Sleek’s service made your business more efficient?
It is simple: thanks to Sleek, we don’t even need to think about some administrative processes, as the solution manages everything for us. Sleek makes us save precious time and resources.
8. Tell us about a recent win for your business.
We have successfully launched a new exciting brand in Hong Kong: Champagne EPC! EPC is the most innovative champagne brand in France. We are proud to partner with them and thrilled to make Hong Kong people discover their delicious champagne.
9. What’s next for your business?
2020 was our first year and it was very challenging. Very quickly, we understood we had to adapt our strategy. Ultimately, we managed to reach our yearly objectives.
In 2021, we want to accelerate further. We are collaborating with more and more international brands based in Hong Kong looking to strengthen their brand image. With the pandemic, it is more critical than ever for them to engage with their customers online and make them feel special. At Maison Foodie, we help brands create these unique experiences and relationships.
10. What have you been most impressed with about Sleek?
The customer service team is outstanding! They are always responsive and efficient. I feel like Sleek is much more than a service provider, but a real business partner for Maison Foodie.
11. Who would you recommend Sleek to?
Every entrepreneur should consider Sleek to finally have some peace of mind about incorporation and accounting.
12. Finish the sentence:
- Being an entrepreneur means: having a purpose and a vision
- What gets me up in the morning: the passion to bring amazing brands to Asia.
- The hardest thing about running a business : always staying one step ahead
- For a business to thrive in Hong Kong, you need to : ultimately expand outside of Hong Kong!
To find out more about what they have to offer, check them out here!
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