Start A Subscription Box Business
About
Starting a subscription box business requires a great deal of effort, dedication, and most importantly passion.
If you're interested in how to sell subscription box, or selling subscription box online, you can use this page as a guide for everything you'll need to know.
Want to learn more? You can check out our full guide on how to start a subscription box business ➜
Key stats
Startup Costs
| Min Startup Costs | Max Startup Costs | |
|---|---|---|
| Office Space Expenses | $35 | $3,250 |
| Employee & Freelancer Expenses | $0 | $5,500 |
| Equipment & Supply Expenses | $500 | $5,000 |
| Website Costs | $232 | $6,500 |
| Business Formation Fees | $5,600 | $20,400 |
| Inventory Expenses | $300 | $5,000 |
| Software Expenses | $150 | $3,044 |
| Total Startup Costs | $6,817 | $48,694 |
Case Studies
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$10K/mo
•
$10K/mo
•
$35K/mo
•
$6.5K/mo
Successful Businesses
| Business | URL | Rank | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
VSCO® | vsco.co | #4,235 |
|
Smithsonian Magazine | smithsonianmag.com | #6,893 |
|
Vikatan | vikatan.com | #17,948 |
|
Colorado Springs Gazette | gazette.com | #55,763 |
|
Flaviar | flaviar.com | #56,813 |
|
BOX | box.co.uk | #57,756 |
|
Loot Crate | lootcrate.com | #59,584 |
|
Packola: Design & Order Custom Boxes & Packaging | packola.com | #62,832 |
|
Daily High Club | dailyhighclub.com | #130,248 |
|
Revive Superfoods | revivesuperfoods.com | #134,244 |
|
LightBox | lightboxre.com | #142,080 |
Pros & Cons
| Pros | Description |
|---|---|
| Flexibility | You can put as much time into the business as you'd like. If you like the work and have some initial experience, you can start small and manage all aspects of the business on your own. |
| Ability to start your business from home | It's not necessary to have a physical storefront or office space to get your business started. You can do everything from the comfort of your own home, at least in the beginning! |
| Little startup costs required | The cost to start a subscription box business costs significantly less money than most businesses, ranging anywhere from 6,817 to 48,694. |
| Rewarding work | Starting a subscription box business can be really rewarding work. After all, you are solving an immediate issue for your customer and you're working on something you truly care about. |
| Cons | Description |
|---|---|
| Crowded Space | Competition is high when it comes to your subscription box business, so it's important that you spend a good amount of time analyzing the market and understanding where the demand lies. |
| Finding The Right Supplier | Most businesses in this space go the supplier/manufacturer route, which isn't a bad thing! However, finding the right supplier can take a lot of time, energy and trial/error. If done properly, this process can save you months (if not years) of time and energy. More on this below in the "finding a supplier" section. |
Marketing Ideas
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1
Affiliate program
An affiliate program is a way to reward people outside your organization to share your product.
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2
Direct sales
You may find yourself in a spot where you're ready to hire a few (or many) salespeople to support the sales conversion process. Regardless if you have one or thirty salespeople, it's critical that you assign them specific roles and responsibilities to nurture the client and provide excellent support.
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3
Word of mouth
The most tried and true way to grow a subscription box business is through word of mouth - some entrepreneurs would say it's more important than all social media.
"An amazing network of founders that truly want to help each other grow their business."
