SeedBlink Blog

Raluca Epureanu, CEO and Founder of FlairMakers, brings 18 years of distinguished experience in the hospitality industry across 16 countries and 4 continents. Having worked with global brands such as The Ritz-Carlton, JW Marriott, and Marriott International APAC Regional Office, and holding an EMBA from the University of Oxford, Raluca has established herself as a leader in the field. She founded FlairMakers to address the industry's most pressing issue: a shortage of talent. FlairMakers is the UK’s premier on-demand platform for hospitality talent, aiming to revolutionise the industry by seamlessly connecting businesses with skilled freelancers.

FlairMakers is set to transform the hospitality sector by providing a marketplace where businesses can find and hire freelancers with ease, promoting inclusiveness and reducing inequality within the industry.

1. What ‘aha’ moment led to the founding of FlairMakers?

From my early days as a frontline hospitality associate, I witnessed first-hand the invaluable contributions of talented individuals who breathed life into every corner of the industry and worked extremely hard. Yet, I also observed the systemic shortcomings that often left these very talents feeling undervalued and the challenges of running a successful hospitality business with high seasonality.

For example, while establishing a career in events, we consistently depended on temporary talent to join us during peak periods or for events with high attendance.

Traditionally, we lacked direct involvement in choosing every temporary talent for event service. Often, it felt like chance who would attend, their grooming, and service capabilities. Additionally, guests couldn't differentiate between full-time and temporary talent. Guest feedback, collected through satisfaction surveys and social media, highlighted challenges despite our internal training efforts. Maintaining high scores for "staff service"(and high guest satisfaction) remained an ongoing struggle.

Therefore, understanding the seasonality of our hospitality businesses, recognising the necessity for temporary talent alongside (and not instead!) full-time and part-time talent, and managing the intricate processes of recruitment and retention while upholding motivation and reducing turnover resonate deeply with anyone experienced in running a hospitality business.

During these intense conversations, FlairMakers was born.

2. What was your drive back then, and what change did you aim to make?

When I started FlairMakers, my drive stemmed from a deep-rooted passion for the hospitality industry and a profound understanding of its challenges. Having spent years in various hospitality roles, I witnessed firsthand the struggles faced by both businesses and professionals. The industry was plagued by a shortage of skilled temporary talent, leading to stress & diminished service quality.

My aim is to create a solution that addresses these pressing issues. I envisioned a platform that could bridge the gap between hospitality businesses in need of flexible, short-term freelancers and professionals seeking opportunities for growth and development. I want to empower hospitality freelancers by providing them with higher income, career development opportunities, and a sense of belonging within a supportive community.

3. How does FlairMakers' platform contribute to the hospitality market, and what specific market gap does it address?

FlairMakers addresses the talent shortage in the hospitality industry by attracting two main groups: experienced hospitality professionals who prefer not to work full-time and individuals from other industries seeking additional income, including underserved groups and students. By offering flexible, well-paid engagements, the platform taps into these diverse talent pools, ensuring a steady supply of freelancers while providing opportunities for those who need flexible work arrangements.

FlairMakers addresses inconsistent service quality by implementing a robust rating system and investing in training for freelancers. The rating system ensures that only top-performing professionals are recognized and rewarded, allowing businesses to choose high-quality talent. Additionally, FlairMakers invests in training to upskill freelancers, enhancing their ability to deliver consistent great service.

Fundamentally, FlairMakers is addressing two key issues in the hospitality industry: a shortage of skilled talent and inconsistent service quality.

4. How do you scale FlairMakers’ business model?

To scale FlairMakers, the focus is on two key strategies:

• Geographical Expansion for in-person engagements: Targeting countries with strong hospitality sectors (such as Spain, France, Greece), FlairMakers will establish a local presence to meet the demand for skilled freelancers, ensuring compliance with local regulations and practices. To accelerate this expansion, pursuing mergers and acquisitions of small regional players in the field is a strategic option.
• Global Expansion for remote engagements: By enabling global engagements, such as an event planner in Dubai working for a hotel in London, FlairMakers expands its reach and offers businesses access to top-tier talent worldwide, regardless of location, thus enhancing its global footprint.

Viewing talent globally, rather than locally, is essential in today’s interconnected world. This approach addresses labor shortages by accessing a diverse, specialized talent pool beyond local limits. As remote work grows, leveraging global talent will be key to driving innovation, resilience, and sustainable growth.

5. How does FlairMakers guide and empower hospitality businesses and freelancers to make informed decisions about their engagements?

FlairMakers guides and empowers hospitality businesses and freelancers through several key features designed to facilitate informed decision-making:

• Transparent Engagement Details: The platform provides detailed information about each engagement, including job requirements, expected tasks, and compensation. This transparency allows freelancers to evaluate whether a gig aligns with their skills and preferences, while businesses can clearly outline their expectations to attract suitable candidates.
• Personalised Notifications: The platform analyses the backgrounds of freelancers and automatically sends notifications to those whose experience aligns with the requirements of newly posted gigs. This ensures that freelancers with the most relevant skills are informed about opportunities that match their expertise, increasing the likelihood of successful engagements.
• Comprehensive Rating System: FlairMakers implements a robust rating system where both businesses and freelancers can evaluate each other after each engagement. This system ensures transparency and helps users make decisions based on the performance and reliability of potential partners. High ratings and positive reviews build trust, allowing businesses to select top-rated freelancers and freelancers to choose reputable businesses.

6. How do you envision FlairMakers' future growth?

I envision FlairMakers' future growth as a strategic expansion driven by two key pathways: global reach and technological innovation.

• Global Reach: FlairMakers will expand into markets with strong hospitality sectors but talent shortages, adapting services to local needs. One way of doing this is through M&A as there are a lot of small traditional players.

More than this, by leveraging the trend of globalization of talent—viewing the global market on a local scale—FlairMakers will connect freelancers with opportunities worldwide. For example, a Michelin-starred chef from France could remotely design a hotel's restaurant menu in London, train the kitchen staff virtually, and then fly in to oversee kitchen operations during the hotel's first week, ensuring culinary excellence.

• Technological Innovation: Continued investment in AI, data analytics, and a user-friendly platform will drive scalable growth, offering personalized job matches and empowering informed decisions for both freelancers and businesses. This adaptability will ensure FlairMakers remains competitive in a dynamic market.

7. What are potential exit scenarios for investors supporting FlairMakers?

Potential exit scenarios for investors supporting FlairMakers could include the following:

• Acquisition by a larger player (potential time frame 2 years): FlairMakers could be an attractive acquisition target for larger companies in the hospitality, HR tech, or other gig economy players. For example, big hospitality job boards might seek to acquire FlairMakers to integrate its platform and expand its service offerings, particularly if they are looking to enhance their talent solutions or enter new markets.
• Secondary buyout (potential time frame 2 -4 years): A private equity firm or another investor buys out the current investors. This is our preferred strategy.
• Initial public offering - IPO (potential time frame above 5 years): As FlairMakers scales globally and achieves substantial market penetration, an IPO could be a viable exit strategy. Going public would provide liquidity to investors and could help raise additional capital for further expansion.

These exit strategies provide solid avenues for investors to realize returns on their investments, depending on the company’s growth trajectory and market conditions.

8. Do you have a mentor or figure whom you admire and draw inspiration from?

Yes, I have several mentors who have deeply influenced my journey, starting with my family. My mother taught me resilience and the importance of empathy in leadership, while my father instilled in me the value of hard work and integrity. Both of my grandmothers showed me the power of perseverance and creativity, especially in the face of adversity. Their wisdom has been a guiding force throughout my life.

Beyond my family, I also admire the highly successful entrepreneurs & experts who are part of the FlairMakers advisory board, known for their excellence, business acumen, and boundary-pushing in tech and hospitality. They continue to inspire me to evolve FlairMakers and stay ahead in the industry. As I stand on the shoulders of giants, I'm able to see so many opportunities that once seemed out of reach. For this, I am deeply grateful.

9. Why should investors consider being part of FlairMakers' journey?

When considering being part of FlairMakers' journey investors should focus on market demand, scalability, social impact, and the exit strategy:

• Market Demand: FlairMakers is addressing a significant and persistent market need for the hospitality world. We are offering a product for which we don’t need to generate the demand per say; it exists and it is global (up to £52bn).
• Scalability: The business model of FlairMakers is designed for scalability. As the company grows, the marginal cost of adding new customers or expanding into new markets is low, meaning that profitability can increase significantly as the company scales, making it an attractive investment opportunity.
• Social Impact: FlairMakers, a woman-founded and woman-led company, is dedicated to promoting equality through fair pay (performance-driven freelancers rates), career growth (investing in the service education and development of freelancers), and inclusion for all (welcoming talent from all walks of life). We focus on tackling illegal labor, ensuring fair compensation, promoting diversity, providing training, and practicing responsible sourcing. This commitment to social impact enhances consumer preference, reduces customer acquisition costs, and builds long-term loyalty, strengthening the company’s market position and revenue potential.
• Exit Strategy: Investors have a compelling exit strategy with FlairMakers, with the potential for up to 10X returns. The company is strategically positioned for an acquisition by a larger player in the industry, or it may pursue an IPO as it scales. The combination of strong market demand, a scalable business model, and social impact makes FlairMakers an attractive target for acquisition.

In essence, FlairMakers offers a rare blend of addressing high market demand, scalability, meaningful social impact, and a lucrative exit strategy, making it a compelling investment for those looking for significant returns.

Join the live pitch with Raluca Epureanu on September 2nd, 4PM, to learn more about how she developed the FlairMakers solution. Register here.