About the business: Founded by Mora and Henry Reed, Zoe & Co. Candle Co. creates and sells 100% soy wax candles in a range of sizes, in addition to wick trimmers, customized matchbooks, home fragrances, reed diffusers, and other related items. The couple’s customers range from homeowners to Guinness beer drinkers to area Realtors, who include the candles in gift bags or use them at open houses.
How it started: Mora and Henry had started hand pouring their own toxin-free candles in 2017 as they awaited the arrival of their daughter, but that hobby emerged as a key income generator three years later.
In early 2020, as Covid-19 spread globally, Mora was laid off from her job and Henry was working part-time in another.
“We took what we love to do, candles, and said ‘Let’s go for it. Let’s start a business doing what we love,” Mora said.
They started accepting orders in April and May 2020 through Facebook and Instagram. By June, their website was live, and “ever since, we’ve been killing it,” Mora said.
They named the company Zoe, after their daughter.
Every inch of their Towson home is used for the business, Mora said. Storage is in the back of the basement. They melt and pour the wax in the kitchen. They print the labels in the office and package in the dining room. The folks at the Post Office know the couple well.
The pandemic effect: Zoe & Co. was born of the pandemic and a related surge in e-commerce. The couple has invested a great deal of time building a following through social media — getting its candles in front of TV hosts and artists, for example. Many of its orders arrive through Instagram and Facebook.
That’s not to say, as Covid-19 restrictions eased, that Henry and Mora haven’t gotten out for in-person pitching. They participated in the Makers Market hosted by Silver Spring’s Plants Alive! and set up a table at the Guinness Open Gate Brewery in Baltimore on St. Patrick’s Day. They’ve traveled to nurseries and are constantly booking vendor shows.
“There’s more candle lovers than you’d believe,” Henry said.
Zoe & Co.'s average order contains three candles and 57% of its customers are returning, Mora said. While she didn’t disclose revenue, Mora said Zoe & Co.'s sales increased 9% from its first to its second year, and are up another 9% in the first quarter of 2022.
The challenge today: The budding company has certainly felt the effects of inflation and supply-side hurdles. Last year, Mora said, it was a glass shortage, so they transitioned to new jars. They’ve bulked up where they can on key materials like jars, lids, wicks and wick stickers.
“You have to move quickly when your vendors have them in stock,” she said.
As for soy, the price has skyrocketed 34% per box, Mora said, which has forced Zoe & Co. to reevaluate the cost of its candles. Fortunately, there’s been no exodus of customers.
“Our candles range from $15 to $30,” she said. “We’re not selling $100 candles.”
And then there’s time. Henry and Mora both work full-time jobs — Henry at the University of Maryland Medical Center, and Mora in property management. They’re checking orders, labeling, prepping wicks at every spare moment. It’s all hands on deck. Even Zoe, now 4, pitches in.
What’s next: “We would love to hire, even if it’s an intern to help us, even with marketing,” Mora said.
Beyond that, Zoe & Co. is looking to build its brand, grow its partnerships with small businesses, and expand its product lines. In the long-term, Mora hopes to open a coffee shop with a connected boutique.
“We’ll see what’s next,” she said. “It’s just exciting."
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