Hong Kong banker's 'LinkedIn for helpers' platform going global

As Laurence Fauchon lay in bed five months pregnant, her mind buzzed with questions, both philosophical and practical, about being a new mum. Perhaps the question that occupied her the most in 2012 as she awaited the birth of her first child was: Who will take care of our daughter when she is born and we need to go back to work?

Since she couldn't turn to her family in faraway France and maternity leave was just 3-1/2 months, finding a helper became top priority.

"I was a bit stressed about the idea," says Fauchon, 30, who was in investment banking. "I was looking for someone who had experience taking care of a newborn, with a good level of English, and the ability to work autonomously … someone we could trust and rely on."

Launching a start-up wasn't part of Fauchon's plan. Having lived in Hong Kong since 2008, she and her husband just asked friends and acquaintances until they got a recommendation. However, when the helper arrived after completing the paperwork, the French couple realised they were not a good fit. "My husband and I were really disappointed. I think the same for her," she says.

Although they eventually found their current helper through a local agency, both were struck by how unfair and painful the selection process was. "When we went there on a Sunday afternoon, 10 to 15 helpers were sitting on a bench waiting for someone to employ them … Everybody looks at you, like 'Please, choose me.' It felt really hard."

But the huge inequities of the system really hit home after helper Jasmine joined them. "We learned that she had to pay big fees to the agency. That's when I started to really think about [the site]," Fauchon says.