This transcript was generated from the episode audio and may contain minor errors.
[Music]
Hey, Side Hustle School listeners. You're looking good today. You're looking good over there. Thanks for tuning in. In this episode, Olivia from San Francisco is the creative force behind a handmade soap and bath product business using natural ingredients.
She is considering adding a subscription box service to her business model. We've seen subscription boxes before. Those could be a really powerful tool for just creating some recurring revenue and ongoing engagement, but they also come with some challenges as well. Now in this subscription box for Olivia, customers will receive a curated selection of products every month. I'm guessing, you know, something to do with soap, perhaps.
And she's seeking advice on making the service stand out in the market as well as managing the logistics and costs. So let's dive in and help her make this service not only appealing, but also sustainable for her business. Quick shout out to our sponsor then, Olivia. [Music]
Hey there, my name is Olivia from San Francisco. I run a side hustle creating and selling handmade soaps and bath products using natural ingredients.
And recently I've been considering adding a subscription box service to my business model where customers receive a curated selection of products every month. What do you think about this idea? And how can I create an appealing subscription service that stands out in the market? Also, I'm concerned about the logistics and costs involved in this model. So any advice on managing those aspects would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you for the show and for your books. [Music]
All right, Olivia. I love that you're looking for ways to keep your subscribers engaged and excited. And I think perhaps offering personalized options could be a good strategy. Like we don't know until we try, but definitely could be a good strategy.
So how can you approach personalization without overcomplicating the process? So first things first, you're gonna create a subscriber profile. Maybe start by asking your subscribers to fill out a little questionnaire, just like right when they sign up for your service, or maybe a little bit later. Try to gather some information, preferences, favorite colors, materials, themes, and use this data to create a subscriber profile you can refer to when curating their boxes. And there's some databases that make this process easy, or at least easier.
Now second, I wanna encourage you to offer limited customization options. Now, of course, we're talking about personalization, customization, but maybe just a few customizable elements in each box. This will help you maintain control over the contents while still providing that important personalized touch. You may also wanna curate themed boxes, themed boxes like seasonal or holiday. By doing that, you're gonna create a more personalized feel without having to tailor every single item, perhaps.
Last but not least, monitor and adjust, tweak, iterate, try different things, see what happens. Keep track of your subscribers preferences, their satisfaction levels, maybe get them to rate each box on like a one to 10 scale. You can analyze that data over time to identify trends and areas in which you can improve personalization, again, without overcomplicating your process. That is so, so important. I think it's almost more important to avoid overcomplication than it is to add more personalization.
But that, of course, is a debate. So, Olivia, good luck. I wish you well with your subscription box service and all else listeners, I wish you well as well. If you've got a question or some comments or anything else, site us on scroll.com/questions. Take care of yourself out there.
Of course, there's a new episode coming out tomorrow. My name is Chris Guillebeau, this is "Side Hustle School." [Music]
- From the Onward Project.
