Most people remember the good times spent with friends when throwing a party, not the amount of preparation and planning that went into making it happen.
Frisco-based Moments By Design, a maker of all-in-one party boxes, was created to let people focus on the moments rather than the work needed to make them happen. Part of the inspiration for the startup was born during the stress of rushing around to get party supplies across the Metroplex. CEO and founder Leslie Flores found herself picking up the slack after realizing her husband may not have been the best planner for a combined New Year’s Eve and birthday party.
“I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, this is why we stopped entertaining, because… entertaining is work, and especially if you like to do it the way I like to do it,’” Flores said. “I started looking for solutions. Was there something easier than what I had just had to go through? For somebody who doesn’t have the time, is there just one-box solution, like here is everything you need?”
While working on research and laying the groundwork for what would become Moments By Design, Flores noticed that many other similar products were either made with low-quality materials, were mass produced by large manufacturers overseas, or simply just didn’t have all the pieces she was looking for. In response, Moments By Design uses sustainable, reusable materials sourced from the U.S., whenever possible.
“The fact that we're able to produce more manufacturing jobs here in the states, for us, makes us feel good,” Flores said. “We have that sustainability because at the end of the day, we should be looking to have a future planet for the future generations to come.”
Working with a team of six contracted graphic designers and two operational staff, Moments by Design’s party boxes include cups, plates, gift bags, and decorations all in one place. The company currently offers 13 trademarked designs, based around themes like birthdays, baby showers and masquerades, as well as offering custom boxes and boxes for larger corporate events.
"Our quote is, ‘life is about moments, let’s create them.'"
“We’re for anyone who wants to have fun,” Flores said. “There’s a ton of people out there who are like me, who want to do these fabulous things, but just don’t have the time.”
The startup launched in early May of this year and has been self-funded ever since. In that time, Flores said the company now receives about 30 theme orders per month and about five custom orders. Although, she said the B2B division has been the one taking off recently, with a number of large, national clients. The growing interest has brought potential investors to Flores. However, she said at the moment, the company is a passion, and she is not ready to give up equity. She added that the company will likely start speaking with investors in the near future though.
With already more than 200 new themes already created by the startup’s graphics design team, Flores said she wants Moments By Design to grow into a household name, with nationwide and international customers. She also hopes that by doing so, she will be able to use the company to help others.
“It’s by far the most difficult thing I’ve ever done, but it’s also the most fun I’ve ever had,” Flores said. “As much as this can drive me crazy… I have never enjoyed doing something more than I have had building this company.”
As Moments By Design grows, Flores said she hopes the operational side of the business – the creation, packaging and shipping of the product – becomes the “heart and soul” of the company. As the startup grows, Flores hopes that in addition to helping create U.S. jobs, she will be able to create jobs for residents on the autism spectrum, because some symptoms of those kinds of disabilities allow people to do “amazingly well” at repetitive tasks with little human interaction.
“I think if I can do that... I feel like have built a complete and successful company,” Flores said. “Our quote is, ‘life is about moments, let’s create them,’ because we want everyone to remember. Because I forgot it in corporate [settings] that life is more than the money and the paycheck… it’s about the time that I get to spend with the people that I love and the people I hold dear to me. Why should you have to take from the other facets in your life to throw an event to make memories with your nearest and dearest?”
