Advice for starting my own subscription box

I'm planning on starting my own subscription box similar to ipsy. I have a pretty solid idea and need suggestions for execution.

It's going to be called RainboBox and initial signup fees (your first box) will go to LGBT nonprofit youth organizations in Canada such as JersVision, Planned Parenthood and Sketches Art Center for Homeless Youth.

Each month will showcase a different colour and will contain makeup products and for more difficult colours, skin products and accessories that relate to the colour.

I'm going to contact blog owners and youtuber and offer them a discount or free box for review.

I'm applying for an Ontario Young Entrepreneurs grant, which are usually very generous. I want this to cover startup stocking and shipping.

I'll be making social networking accounts to get word out.

Boxes will include 4-6 products for about 15 dollars CDN. Shipping will go to Canada and the US.

I would like suggestions on how to contact companies to be able to include their products in the box! I don't necessarily want them for free, but maybe to get minis for higher end brands or something. Should I go email or phone? What should I say?

(I'm really sorry if this breaks TOS, delete the thread if it does, mods!)

I think that is a great idea!

Starting a subscription box company seems hard work though, so you got to be up for it!

I am not sure who you should contact, maybe ask a couple of (*indie*) subscription services and ask what they did to start theirs. It does not have to be a beauty one, but basicly any one out there.

I would sugguest emailing them (As in the company the (*indie*) subscription service told you about, but also the (*indie*) company you are trying to ask too about how they got started), but then make sure in your email to list your phone number, so they get that this is important to you.

I guess you could start it off by yourself and do all of the shipping lables, gathering information, collecting samples from compaines, and etc by yourself, but asking a subscription box company could get you on the right track. They will most likely want some value of your business though.

If I were you, I would start off by myself. Gather some cute packaging and ask some small cosmetic companies first, I highly doubt it that any big-business would give you products for free to add into your boxs. Who knows, the small cosmetic companies might ask for a share into that certain box their product was in.

I know you probbaly want well-known brands in the start, so let your costumers know that could possibly happen if your business grows.

And I would be sure to send out some boxes to well known subscription-unboxing gurus like SubscriptionBoxMom12 on Youtube and www.mysubscriptionaddiction.com/.

Good luck! I really hope this idea works well for you! /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />

I don't have any suggestions, because I'd make a terrible entrepreneur, but I wish you the best of luck and I hope you're able to get this off the ground! :wizard:

I remember liking this idea when you brainstormed it in some other thread a while back... you better ship to the States! ;-)

I don't have any specific advice about working with brands, but if you haven't already, read through all the threads regarding failed beauty boxes so you can see what a lot of them do wrong. I am not saying you haven't read them or that you would make the same mistakes, but I've definitely learned what not to do by seeing what the different businesses did horribly wrong. ^_^ /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />

BlackMagicRose said:

I don't have any specific advice about working with brands, but if you haven't already, read through all the threads regarding failed beauty boxes so you can see what a lot of them do wrong. I am not saying you haven't read them or that you would make the same mistakes, but I've definitely learned what not to do by seeing what the different businesses did horribly wrong. ^_^ /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />

Click to expand...

That is a really good idea too!