Subscription services are becoming more and more popular. The best part of a subscription service is that you can get content and items that others can’t always get. Plus, a subscription box can be the perfect gift because it keeps giving all year long!
I have given a few subscription boxes over the years and it is a great way to give a gift to someone if you know the recipient loves a certain thing. For example, my brother loves coffee and so for a while I got him a subscription for a coffee box. When my son started a new hobby of fishing a few years ago, we got Bait Box for him for a while. A box that featured different action figures was a great gift for our other son.
There are huge subscription box services like Dollar Shave Club, Stitch Fix, and Trunk Club. Many people are familiar with those and they are each great in their own way. However, there are oodles of fun, smaller subscription boxes that focus on anything you can imagine: beauty products, monthly deliveries of favorite scents, essential oils, fashion accessories, greeting cards, candle subscriptions, wellness products, and a subscription box can be an easy way for small businesses to share their new products.
The subscription box that I created and curate, ConseCrate Subscription Box, http://consecrate.cratejoy.com is a themed box that corresponds with the seasons of the church year and has a curated selection of items for ministers. I started it because I wanted to create something fun for women in ministry and also support the many talented ministers and small business owners out there. I love finding the unique items made by ministers and other small business to share with subscribers on a monthly basis.
Past ConseCrates have featured books, original art, photography, pottery, stickers, notebooks, cards, and personal products all made by ministers. I love supporting the side hustles of fellow ministers and sharing their beautiful work. I also curate items that will be of interest specifically to ministers, like anointing oil, prayer beads, new liturgical and Christian Education resources, and offers/discounts from resources that are useful to those in ministry.
Sending out monthly boxes is not an easy task. Keeping the box at a price point that customers can afford and also being able to put 5-6 items in each box plus pay for the postage AND make any profit at all is a puzzle. However, I really enjoy making these monthly subscription boxes just for ministers.
In my shop at my website I also sell one-time boxes which is often a more affordable way for ministers to try out the ConseCrate boxes. I also have new boxes for Vacation Bible School & Sunday School teachers which have been very popular in the summer. I can also sell mini-boxes for people to give as gifts at retreats or conferences. These mini-boxes have at least three curated items (all the same kinds of items in the regular ConseCrates – fun and useful items created by ministers and small businesses) and are at very affordable prices.
Sure, there are drawbacks when it comes to trying out a subscription box. There can a big price range when you are looking at the monthly fee of all the various boxes. In addition, some clothing boxes have a “styling fee” that is usually not refundable. However, the monthly surprise, exposure to new things, and receiving that bit of “happy mail” every few weeks can be the perfect way to give yourself or a loved one a treat with minimal effort.
If you are interested in finding a great subscription box for yourself or a loved one, don’t just read the list of the top ten subscription boxes and go with one of those. Instead, look at Cratejoy.com where you can peruse through the wide variety of boxes out there, sort through them by topic, and maybe discover a hidden treasure.
(As the owner of one of those small box businesses, I can tell you your business means more than you can know.)