Building a Subscription Box with Nicole Jenney | Episode 57

Subscribe:  SarahsPodcast.com | Apple Podcast | Spotify | IHeartRadio | Stitcher  

“Don’t let the tech stop you like it stopped me for a long time.” - Sarah 

I knew I wanted to start a subscription box. I dreamed about it every night. I planned out all the boxes, knowing exactly what I’d give my subscribers. And exactly how much they’d love it. Yet, it took me 18 months before I launched my subscription box. What held me back? The tech. 

* This post contains affiliate/referral links. I could make a commission at no charge to you if you purchase my recommended products.  Please read my disclosure and privacy policy HERE.

Tech holds SO MANY of us back. It’s the number one stumbling block for members inside Launch Your Box. And I get it. But I want to help you get past that roadblock. The best way to do that? Knowledge! 

I brought Nicole onto the podcast today to talk to us about what you need from a tech standpoint to start your subscription box. Nicole is one of our tech gurus inside Launch Your Box. She does SUCH a great job breaking things down and making them simple. Today, Nicole is talking to us about Shopify. 

Shopify is an e-commerce platform specifically created for selling products online. Shopify is Nicole’s number one choice for new subscription box owners for three reasons. 

1. It allows you to have your own platform - this means it will work for you NOW, when you’re new, and LATER when you’ve grown and are ready to scale. 
2. Shopify is built for e-commerce. You don’t have to patch things together or design workarounds. Shopify is already set up to do what you need it to do. 
3. Shopify integrates with subscription boxes with easy-to-use apps. 

You will need to add an app to Shopify in order to run recurring payments. Nicole recommends Paywhirl. She raved about their customer service and new features that make it even easier to use. 

Shopify is a budget-friendly option at only $29/month and is truly user-friendly. Many members of Launch Your Box have successfully created their subscription box websites using Shopify. 

Because she believes in Shopify so strongly and is so dedicated to the members of Launch Your Box, Nicole developed a training course specifically for us called Shopify Simplified. This self-paced course guides you through everything you need to get the tech side of your subscription box up and running in only eight weeks. Note: you can - and people do - work through it faster! 

Nicole and I also talked briefly about two other pieces of tech to have in place. You need a CRM or customer relationship management system. We recommend Klaviyo - it is the BEST for managing email lists and maintaining connections with your audience. Klaviyo also now offers SMS which allows you to take full advantage of all the benefits of text marketing. And for shipping? It’s Shipstation all the way. They make it sooo easy. My shipping process is streamlined and efficient. With one push of a button, all my shipping labels print out.  

Join me for this episode as Nicole takes the fear and mystery out of tech. This is a part of your business that is too important not to pay attention to. And your subscription box dreams are too important to let tech slow you down or stop you from moving ahead. Nicole is here to help. Grab a notebook and get ready to learn!    

Important Links: 

• Shopify Website
• Paywhirl Subscriptions Website
• Klaviyo Website
• Shipstation Website 

Find and follow Nicole: 

• GPig Box on Facebook
• GPig Box on Instagram
• GPig Box Website 
• Shopify Simplified Course