How to Start Your Own Subscription Box Business

Starting your own subscription box can feel tough. Don’t go it alone! Join Subscription School for this special 60 minute session on how to get started and ensure success with your launch.

By: Jesse Richardson in Videos

Subscription businesses offer stable recurring revenue built along a renewing product offering, usually on a monthly basis.

Join subscription entrepreneur, Jesse Richardson, for this exclusive live webinar where he’ll cover what it takes to run a successful launch for your new subscription business. Learn everything from how to build an effective teaser page and gain initial interest to funding your business with pre-sales, getting your first customers and timing your first shipment correctly.

Includes Q&A session + free downloadable resources.

Download the PDF:

About Jesse Richardson

Jesse Richardson is an author, educator and co-founder of several successful subscription businesses. He focuses on building engaging communities and has been described as "insanely customer centric." Find him in the Subscription School group or at his blog.

15 Responses

  1. Antoinette

    Hi!

    Do you recommend having a welcome email set up for the pre launch page? Meaning if someone leaves their email on the teaser page should they get a welcome email right away?

    Thank you in advance!

    1. Jesse Richardson

      Hi Antoinette,

      Definitely. You should have a whole lead nurturing campaign set up for your prelaunch subscribers, starting with a welcome email. Frame the first email around confirming they’ve joined the community, invite them to connect with you on social media, and remind them about any contest or giveaways you might be holding.

      Hope that helps!
      Jesse

  2. Patrick Barnaby

    Hi Jess Please correct the word “got” to “go” in the sentence “Don’t go[t] it alone!” This comment is not for display but just to let you know you have a grammar error, so can be deleted. Thank you.

  3. Morgan

    Hi Jessie,

    I have been listening to your webinars and trying to get all my ducks in a row. I am hoping to pre launch in a month. I was wondering with cratejoy can I do everything through them like, website, splash, referral page or do I have to outsource? I am savvy when it comes to social media but that’s about it. My pre launch is being held up because I feel lost.

    1. Felicity Fromholz

      Hi Morgan!

      I apologize for it taking a few days to get back to you. With regard to what Cratejoy can do for you in this instance, you can set up a landing page and collect emails thru us for a pre-launch but the feature set we provide is limited beyond that.

      Best,

      Felicity

  4. Andrew Perillo

    Hey Jesse! I want to start off by letting you know that I love your posts. I have read nearly all of them from marketing to entrepreneurship and find the information you provide extremely useful. The way you convey the information is easy to understand and follow, so please keep it up!

    I do have a question regarding your sales PDFs and email templates you created for Prospurly. How did you go about creating these? Are there any useful online tools or software you have discovered that you would be willing to share? Any advice on this would be greatly appreciated!

    Warm Regards,
    Andrew

  6. Brittanie Tate

    Hi, my name is Brittanie and I have an idea for a subscription box that I do not want to sit on. Now I have done quite a bit of research but I’m still unsure of where to start, is it the products or business first? And if it’s for a book box do I partner or get sponsorship from the authors or buy the books? Please Help!!

    1. Felicity Fromholz

      Hey Britanie,

      I would secure the products first so you know what your margins are and whether or not your business plan is feasible – books can be a hard game.

      Best,

      Felicity

  7. Elle Steward

    Hi, Jesse!

    I’m about to start my pre-launch but I’m unsure of the legal hoops I need to jump through. Do I need to register my business if I am using a brand name? Is LLC worth it if I am starting small?
    I’m also unsure about using Cratejoy because of the high cost. Will I really be saving myself money by avoiding setup costs on my own?

    Thanks so much!

    ~ Elle

    1. Felicity Fromholz

      Hey Elle,

      Congrats on getting your prelaunch going! If you’re starting small, I’d recommend getting a DBA (“Doing Business As”) and your EIN (Employer Identification Number) to start – though I’m not legal council so you might want to chat with a business lawyer depending on the type of subscription you’re starting up.

      With regard to Cratejoy, I’d recommend setting up your business on the marketplace ($39 + transaction fees) ASAP! The biggest obstacle we see when a sub. box is starting up is that they get all tangled up in setting up their business and never actually get it running. With the marketplace, you can get your business rolling in a matter of hours AND Cratejoy does a great job of marketing for you – they actually take the liability off of you when it comes to getting new customers (read here for more info). Once you’re up and running, you’ll have money coming in and can then decide if you’d like to upgrade with Cratejoy or build your own site.

      Best of luck!

      Felicity

  8. Dorina Waiters

    Hi,

    Is there a step-by-step outline on which videos to watch, in order, when starting a subscription store? Kinda like a to-do list in getting started.

    I’m watching videos but they are randomly chosen. I have my concept, web, FB & IG presence but I want to put my best foot forward in brand entrance.

    Thanks in advance for any advice

    1. Felicity Fromholz

      Currently, no. It’s up to you to choose which videos you need to watch and when. That’s a great idea, though! I will add it to the list of blogs we’re working on!

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