We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Sarah Williams a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Sarah, thanks for joining us today. How did you scale up? What were the strategies, tactics, meaningful moments, twists/turns, obstacles, mistakes along the way? The world needs to hear more realistic, actionable stories about this critical part of the business building journey. Tell us your scaling up story – bring us along so we can understand what it was like making the decisions you had, implementing the strategies/tactics etc.

One day, a woman came into my retail shop and asked if I could monogram a Yeti cup for her, so I created a vinyl monogram for her, and she loved it. Soon I began monogramming anything anyone brought me. I got a wholesale license and started selling Yetis and other products in the store.

Eventually I outgrew the small shop I was in and moved into a 4,000-square-foot shop where I could partner with other local boutiques and teach art classes. But I had a problem. As soon as I posted new product pictures and videos on social media, we’d sell out instantly. My long-time customers would come in a few days later and be disappointed. I felt terrible, but I found a solution.

I had been thinking about offering a subscription box as a good way to show my appreciation to my long-time customers and ensure they received all the best stuff. But I had no idea where to start. One day I asked my web developer if he could help me figure out the logistics of offering a subscription box. We talked through how to set up recurring monthly payments and how to create an order page on the website. He told me it would take three months. I had about 90 days to learn everything I could about subscription boxes.

I set a goal of getting 50 people to sign up for that first box, and began researching what to put in each box and how to package them. By the time the three months were up we were ready to launch.

At the time I didn’t know anything about marketing or ads. I just announced on Facebook that I was starting a subscription box. The products I picked for that first box were all bestsellers in my store with a brand-new design. They included a stainless-steel tumbler, a monogrammed cosmetic bag, and phone charger wraps all in the same color palette. I purchased 50 of everything and set the price at $40.

Before the first boxes were ready, 44 people had subscribed. Everything I did was still local, so people had to either come to the shop for pickup or I hand-delivered a few of them. That first day, people were lined up waiting for the shop to open when I arrived. Seeing their reactions as they opened the boxes was the coolest experience. They loved getting a surprise gift that felt like it was made just for them, because it was. The love I have for those original customers is something that continues to fuel everything I do today.

The next month I planned for 75 boxes and when those sold out, I started a waiting list. The next month I packed 100 boxes, and by the end of the year I had over 300 subscribers. Thinking up things to put in my boxes for my most loyal and beloved customers became my favorite part of the business. I was also starting to realize the tremendous advantages of having predictable, regularly recurring income, which is hard to come by in retail.

I started to see more and more people from outside my area subscribing. One subscriber in Utah told her friends, and within a few months I had eight subscribers in Utah. Within three years, I had over 600 subscribers, and subscription boxes had taken over every inch of my workroom.

During this time, I had two children, a son and a daughter, after six years of trying. I wanted to be the kind of mom I had dreamed of being for so long and be able to attend all their playdates, see all their school events, and help them with their homework. Our growing subscription box business gave me the freedom and flexibility to live that dream.

Our online sales were already outperforming our brick-and-mortar business. I wasn’t ready to close my shop, but when the pandemic happened, I had no choice. But I was determined to not lay off any of my employees. I kept showing up at the shop and on Facebook Live, and my subscriptions continued to grow. People told me that our boxes gave them something to look forward to during a dark time. People couldn’t go shopping, so I went shopping for them. I curated the boxes to be even more hopeful and inspirational than usual. My employees and I even posted pictures of us packaging T-shirts on our living room floors with our kids running around.

When the worst of the pandemic was finally over, I reopened my store for a little while but it was never the same. Eventually we closed for good and moved the business entirely online. Today, I have thousands of subscribers.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I had to teach myself everything I needed to know about running a subscription box with no one to turn to for guidance and lots of trial and error. When that part of my business exploded, people started asking me for advice on how to start their own subscription boxes. I started coaching a few clients, and I felt so fired up and fulfilled by seeing them succeed. That’s how I became a business coach. I started my Launch Your Box membership program to teach small business owners and entrepreneurs the strategies and tactics I’ve learned to launch, grow, and scale a subscription box business. I also cover this in my new book “One Box at a Time: How to Build and Grow a Thriving Subscription Box Business.”

I approach my business with a focus on building relationships over selling. I create genuine, personal connections with the people I serve, whether they are just starting out in business or looking to scale up. I love sharing my own journey and helping others achieve their business goals and dreams, and I love collaborating with the strong team of smart people we’ve built to serve our customers and clients. The relationships we’ve built with them and each other, and our focus points — being agile, adapting, and finding opportunity in adversity — grew out of the pandemic.

When it hit, I had no choice but to shut down my retail store like all other nonessential businesses. I had no idea how long that closure would last. My team and I weren’t allowed to work in the store prepping and packing the subscription boxes. I worried whether my business could survive or if this was going to be the end of all of my hard work. I quickly pivoted and moved all of my inventory online, adding many products to what had been a very small online store. With everyone home, my online store took off. I spent a lot of time live on social media, connecting with my audience. I wasn’t selling, but simply serving them by being there.

My team showed up big for me, taking inventory home to prep and pack boxes from their kitchens, living rooms, and spare rooms. I needed that subscription box revenue to pay the bills for my business and to pay my employees while they had to stay home. My store was only closed for 45 days, but those days taught me a lot. They showed me the power of having an online store and how successful we could be without having a physical location for people to shop. They showed me how valuable my subscription box was to my overall business security and success. And they showed me how much I valued having more time away from my business and more time with my family.

When I saw the possibility of having this business without the brick-and-mortar store, I was excited. I decided to close the retail store and move into a large warehouse space ideally suited for all the things we needed to make the subscription box side of the business run as smoothly and efficiently as possible. The best part was that I was able to design a work schedule around my needs and the needs of my team. We’re all moms of school-age kids. That meant we all had carpool drop-off and pickup responsibilities as well as kids’ activities and special events to manage and attend. Creating a work schedule that begins after school starts in the morning and ends by three in the afternoon means I can provide well-paying, flexible jobs for an amazing group of moms who can be there for their families just like I can be for mine.

I dreamed of building a business that reflected my love for creativity and fun and trendy fashions and accessories that also supported my family. I’m proud to say I’ve done that. I worked hard and made my dream come true. When I have a new idea, which happens multiple times a day, I ask myself whether adding that option would serve my goals. If it doesn’t, it can wait. No amount of money is worth sacrificing the life I’ve designed for myself and my employees.

In my coaching business, I teach our students the riches are in the niches, and I practice this principle every day. Rather than coaching clients on all the different aspects of starting and running a business, I chose to focus solely on coaching subscription box owners, intentionally focusing on a single niche. This has led to massive growth in my business and for many of the clients I teach.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

Starting a Facebook business page from scratch, or even growing an existing page, can be hard, but it’s a critical part in audience building. And getting those first 1000 Facebook followers is the hardest. It feels like watching your grass grow. Once you hit that sweet spot of 1,000, the next thousand comes a lot easier, and then pretty soon you’re at five, six, even ten thousand followers.
When I built my first Facebook retail page back in the day, Facebook was newer and I was able to get a lot of traction very easily. Then in 2020, I started my second business and my “how to start a subscription box page” on Facebook. You would’ve thought it would’ve been easy for me to grow in that year because so many people were at home and on social media, but it wasn’t. I knew who my ideal customer was and I knew that I could create content for them. I wanted to find lots of them, but it meant I had to gain followers. Yet I spent the first six months of 2020 not gaining a ton of Facebook followers — despite the fact my business was rocking. I was building my email list simultaneously and there was a point where I actually had more members than I had Facebook followers. So after six months I stepped back to take a close look at what I was doing and what I wasn’t doing. Out of that I came up with a four-part action plan on how to get my first 1000 followers before the end of the year. If you put some structure behind this you will see progress. By building your following you build your audience, and that’s how you can build your business.

1. Post regularly: If you want to build an audience, you have to post consistently. You can’t post three posts today and then ghost your page for four days. When I started my “how to start a subscription box” page, I was so busy building content for my members and working on the business that I was only posting once or twice a week, and it wasn’t enough. So I had to step up my game and create a template for what I was going to post every single day. Creating a content plan saves you time and brainpower. Share pictures of yourself doing what you’re doing. It does not have to be your product. It could be something funny, like I posted a picture of a birthday cake my dog ate part of after it was left out on the counter. It could be pictures of you behind the scenes at your business. Or you can share a giveaway, or tips or advice that will appeal to your ideal customer. Don’t be afraid to share your imperfections. When people get to know you, they’re so much more likely to be ready to buy when the time comes. Keep it simple, create a template, schedule your posts, and don’t forget to come back and engage.

3. Provide content that encourages people to follow you. It could be asking questions, sharing blog content, posting quick tips and advice, or sharing content from your members. Ask yourself “What can I post that somebody following me would want to share on their page?” Creating content that encourages shares is a great way to reach new potential followers.

3. Create video content. I know when you are starting out that this is hard. It took me a while to get comfortable going live, and I’ve talked about this a lot and I’ve written about it in my book. I had all the fears, all the doubts, all the insecurities about the way I looked. And you might have some of those too. But I got over it because I understood how important video content is. Facebook favors video content over static posts. Start this by doing some reels and voiceovers. Short video is huge for visibility and engagement.

4. Create a simple ad that links your Facebook business page with a call to action. Your post will have that little thumbs up in it, and all people have to do is click that thumb and they’re following you. It can generate hundreds of new followers in a matter of days and or weeks depending on your budget. I posted pictures of myself in front of all my subscription boxes wearing a monogram pullover and holding a tray of earrings, with a caption that read “Hey, my name is Sarah. I’m from a small town in Texas. I love Mexican food, margaritas and monograms.” And I just told a little bit about my business, what we do, and said: “If you love monograms too, I would love for you to follow my page.” Super simple. I’m not selling anything. If they like my monograms, if they like the earrings, if they like the idea of having a subscription box, they’ll follow me, and if they’re following me, they’re more than likely to become a buyer. You don’t have to have a big budget. You could do this for $5 a day.

Getting to 1,000 Facebook followers is more than just a numbers game. It’s a way to find your ideal customer, the person that’s going to buy your subscription box. Many people prioritize building the box before they build an audience, and they struggle to make sales as a result, so build your audience first.
Building an audience takes consistency and dedication. It takes a willingness to engage and connect with people, sharing yourself and your business with them. Remember, you don’t need a huge audience — you just need the right one.

We’d love to hear about how you keep in touch with clients.

There are endless ways to create community, and they all start with creating a connection between you and your ideal customers. Some of the ways we cultivate community include:
1. Live Video is the most meaningful way to connect with people other than being in person. It was the mechanism that allowed me to reach subscribers outside of my hometown because it was the next best thing to people walking into my shop. It’s great to start with a small audience because your subscribers can get to know each other. When it’s the same few people every time popping onto your video, they’ll recognize the names and can chat in the comments. Great ideas for live video include showcasing ways to use products, subscription box reveals (after you’ve launched), and tutorials.
2. Texting. My subscribers love to receive texts from me and they’re great at replying. I ask them to share their favorite item from that month’s box or a picture of them using a product. Then I share these pics on my social media with a cute little graphic including their name, which makes them feel like a valued member of the community and provides great social proof. (Tip: always get their permission before posting.)
3. Social Media Groups allow you to implement a certain measure of privacy, where members know what they share is seen only by other group members and not the entire social media universe. This can help them feel less vulnerable about honestly sharing their thoughts, feelings, or experiences.
4. Events. We host warehouse sales complete with giveaways and food trucks. You can also host virtual events such as inviting a guest speaker on a topic of interest to your audience, teaching a skill, or inviting subscribers to share their experiences. Any kind of event that brings people together and creates conversation around a shared interest is a great way to foster community.
5. Podcasts or Shows. Our Launch Your Box podcast is one of the main ways we connect with and expand our audience. Although you aren’t interacting in real time, podcasts are a great way to get right in the eardrums of your ideal customers and connect with them. Another way to do this is to create a regular “show” on YouTube or another social media platform.

When you create community among your subscribers, you give them a sense of belonging to something, a shared experience. Subscribers who feel connected in this way are more likely to be loyal to you and your brand. Those are the customers who become more than just repeat customers — they become brand ambassadors or even raving fans.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.LaunchYourBox.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/howtostartasubbox/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SubBoxwithSarah
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarah-williams-11657b269/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@sarahwilliams5836