As the saying goes: Home is where the heart is. Most people take a lot of pride in their homes and are always looking for ways to improve their surroundings. Whether that’s a bit of DIY, ensuring it is spick-and-span, or tending to a lovely herb garden, it’s the little things that make a house a home. And subscription boxes can be just the ingredient to help.
1. Gardening supplies and tools box
Grow your subscription box business while your customers grow their gardens. Whether it’s a veggie patch, a vertical garden or some beautiful flower beds, your subscription boxes can provide the seeds and tools to help create a magical green wonderland for your customers. It’s best to focus on something specific, such as flowers, herbs or seeds, so you can really keep your (and your customer’s) costs down. You can even add a different gardening tool into the box each month to help your customers grow their collection. And don’t forget to include instructions.
2. Seedlings box
Following on from the gardening supplies, perhaps you’d consider a seedling-specific box. These can be either outdoor seedlings or indoor ones, seedlings that grow in the soil or some that grow in pots. You can choose herbs, flowers, or even vegetables. Whatever you choose to focus on, you’ll be helping your customers improve their green thumbs.
3. Cleaning supplies
While some of the big names such as Amazon and Target offer subscription boxes, that shouldn’t put you off. You need to ensure that you have a product that people love and something that can’t be found elsewhere. For example, organic or chemical-free products, cleaning products to ensure your baby is safe or sustainably-sourced products. The good thing about cleaning supplies is that they fall into the replenishment goods. By analyzing some data, you’ll probably be able to preempt your customer’s need for a new product, which takes the hassle out of their shopping even more.
4. Interior design inspiration
As we said before, it’s the little things that make a house a home. Ask anyone who has just moved into a new house and they’ll tell you that it didn’t feel like home until all the knickknacks were in place. So why not give them what they’re searching for? Create a subscription box with interior design inspiration. Whether it’s photo frames, bookends, or on the bigger end of the spectrum, like storage solutions, customers are sure to love the little bits and pieces.
Setting up your subscription box business
Setting up a subscription box business can be tricky. But luckily for you, we’re here to help you out.
First things first, cement your idea. Research online to see who else is creating boxes in your niche. If there are a lot of options out there already, either find a point of difference or perhaps reconsider your focus. Remember though, competitors aren’t necessarily a bad thing. If anything, they help you to improve your services and your price point so you remain a competitive member of the community.
Remember also to make sure your idea is sustainable. This means making sure it hits at leastthree or four of the seven properties all successful subscription box businesses need.
Once you’ve settled on your idea and ensured it is sustainable, there are some simple steps to follow to set up your business.
- Price your box. Take into account every single element of the box from the products themselves to your time and through to your monthly expenses such as email and accounting software. If you need some guidance, have a look at what your competitors are doing. You can use Cratejoy’s pricing calculators to do so. While you’re doing this, it’s also a good idea to source your boxes themselves and the packing materials as this will impact your price point.
- Test the waters. To do this, you can build a sample box. Use this sample box to get some feedback from friends and family, and even your broader community if you wish. This way, you can iron out any issues that may arise before you officially launch. Ask your samplers for honest and constructive feedback to ensure you’re making the most of the sample box.
- Take pictures and start marketing. Once you’ve ironed out any issues that have arisen, taken some professional photos of your box and set up your website and social media channels! This is most likely where you’ll do most of your marketing so it’s important to get these spaces correct. Start fleshing out your marketing online and promoting the product. At this stage, it’s all about building hype around your subscription box.
- Choose a launch date! Pick a date and officially launch your product.
Most importantly of all, have fun throughout the journey.
Why you should start a home and living subscription box
If you live and breathe everything domestic, then this passion will resonate through your subscription box. Turning our hobbies into a career, whether it’s full-time, part-time, or on the side, lets us truly enjoy what we do.
