It’s easy to get excited about starting a subscription box business. This is why there are so many products and services flooding the market — and why it can be difficult to work out how you’ll be different. Despite all your enthusiasm, coming up with an idea for a unique subscription box can be a huge challenge. 

Worry not! We’re here to help you make your decision and get started on your business in earnest. In this article, we’ll run you through:

• How to get your creative juices flowing
• How to find the niche that makes sense for you
• Where to go from here

So pull out your notebook and let’s get down to it!

Set the Stage for Creative Thinking

You’re more likely to have eureka moments if you develop the right mindset and put yourself in the right environment. Here’s how you can do this to come up with a unique subscription box idea.

Address Pain Points

This is a piece of advice you may have heard many times, but it’s still valuable. You can attract customers to your business by solving their problems. Even simple issues can create exciting opportunities. The key is to come up with an effective solution to an everyday problem. 

Keep your eyes open for these opportunities. Start right now by thinking of everyday things that may be causing you frustration. You can also ask your friends and family or even send out a questionnaire to online communities and your social media followers. 

Consider Your Skillset

What are you good at, and where does your experience lie? You’re more likely to succeed in business if you’re using the skills you already have. This also makes it easier to keep your business running when employees leave. 

Think of ways you can turn your know-how into a packaged product. For example, if you’ve spent a lot of time learning to care for a family member, you could create a box that helps people in the same position.

Explore Unoriginal Ideas

Entrepreneurs should aim to be original, right? But that doesn’t mean you should ignore business ideas that are already out there. Think about it: we already had Friendster when Facebook came onto the scene, and Google wasn’t the first search engine.

Just because a business already exists doesn’t mean you can’t create your own original version of it. Think of the businesses that inspire you or fire your passion, then explore how you can give them your own unique twist. If you’re stuck, check out existing box ideas to get inspired.

Strengthen Your Idea Muscles

Here’s something else you’ve heard before, but it’s still worth repeating — practice makes perfect! Even if you don’t feel that you’re a creative thinker, the more you flex your “idea muscles,” the stronger they’ll get.

Get into the practice of regularly brainstorming as many ideas as you can. You can even set a daily goal of, say, ten ideas. Before you know it, coming up with unique ideas will be second nature. You’ll also develop an “eye” for spotting the opportunities around you.

Create the Right Environment

A new environment or a change of pace can set you up for creative thinking. You can get a literal change of scene by traveling to a new location, or you can simply allow your mind to wander by taking a break and focusing on something else. 

The trick is to expose yourself to new things and then allow your mind to create its own associations. The best ideas come when we’re not actively thinking about them!

Find a Niche

Once you’ve set your creative gears in motion, it’s time to get down to finding a niche. Establishing a niche or specialty can help you clarify your target market and create your competitive advantage. 

Here are some ideas to help you explore the best niche for your subscription business.

Join People on Their Health Journey 

People don’t just decide to be healthy, then wake up with a fitter body. Achieving health takes time and effort. This makes the health sector an ideal market for subscription services. 

Think of products and services that health enthusiasts will love to receive periodically. How about sending out monthly workout videos and gear? People are always switching up their exercise routines to avoid hitting a plateau, so there’ll never be a shortage of demand in this area.

Or what about food? People who want to eat more healthily often struggle to find the right ingredients and recipe ideas. They also find it difficult to fit cooking into their busy schedule. You could deliver meal subscription boxes that include pre-measured ingredients and an easy-to-prepare recipe. 

Encourage Personal Growth

Working professionals and entrepreneurs are always looking to upskill. Your unique box could support these life-long learners with a steady stream of self-help books, inspiring novels, conference tickets, and productivity tools. Opening a box of surprises will be a welcome break from their daily grind. 

Support Hobbies

Many people turned to hobbies, crafts, and games to stay occupied during pandemic lockdowns. You can create a box that rides this trend. How about creating subscription services for board games or new games wrapped in mystery boxes? You can also support traditional pastimes like cross-stitch, woodwork, and scrapbooking. 

Promote Style 

The right outfit can make people feel more confident, but not everyone has a keen sense of what suits them. Why not help out by offering your styling services? You can do this by sending out subscription boxes with specially curated outfits for each customer or by putting together clothes and accessories for different seasons and occasions.

Win the Hearts of Connoisseurs 

Connoisseurs are generally hard to please and rarely satisfied with what’s at the local supermarket. That’s where your unique subscription box could come in. 

You can source whiskey from hard-to-find distilleries, curate craft beers, and offer the best wine and cheese combinations. Make sure you’re passionate about your products so you can have fun scouring suppliers for the best offerings. 

Stick to the Essentials

You don’t even have to use high-value products to make subscribers happy. Remember how the Dollar Shave Club turned razors into a fun subscription product? You can do the same for other essential items, such as toothbrushes, skincare products, and cleaning items. 

It’s all about the right marketing and making people’s lives easier. You can also stand out with earth-friendly products.

Keep the Romance Alive

Date nights help keep the fire of love burning for couples. However, people in long-term relationships often neglect this important activity. You can help bring excitement back into their relationship by providing interesting and new ways to enjoy date nights. 

Consider connecting with a network of businesses and suppliers to create a fun evening experience. How about a box of wine, steak, and flowers? Or a board game with craft beer and snacks? 

Strengthen Family Ties 

Just like couples, families need to spend time together to strengthen their relationships. Your subscription box could be a great way to make the family time memorable. Think of traditional activities such as game nights, picnics in the backyard, and staycations. Make sure you create boxes that will bring joy to both adults and kids in the family.

Help Care for Children

Busy parents struggle to balance their time between work and caring for their children. You can take a huge load off their shoulders by providing ready-to-eat, healthy meals for kids and teens. You can also send age-appropriate educational toys to encourage child development.

Don’t Overlook the Elderly

Care packages aren’t just for college kids. Grandma and Grandpa love them, too! Fill boxes with goodies, and personalize them to match the recipients’ specific tastes and preferences. You could include photos and reminders of things that take people on a pleasurable trip down memory lane. Add in some fun games designed to keep their mind and brain sharp.

A Final Tip

Cooking up a unique subscription box idea is challenging, but it can also be loads of fun. Just allow your creative mind and passion to do most of the talking, and before you know it, you’ll have a winning idea that you simply must turn into reality! 

Still, great ideas are only seeds that can grow into successful businesses. They’re not enough to guarantee that you’ll thrive. At the end of the day, it’s the right execution that matters.

Complete with all the features you need, Subbly can help make that happen. Getting started is easy, and the best part is that the platform allows you to test out your idea with a 14-day trial. Click here to get on board today!