Is there already a subscription box like mine?

As I get ready to kick off Coaching Week 2022, I’m so excited to meet almost two thousand subscription box owners and people who want to start subscription boxes. Coaching Week is when I go all in teaching, talking, and answering questions about subscription boxes. I LOVE this week! 

One of the questions I get a lot from people who want to start a subscription box is, “But what if there’s already a subscription box like mine?” I’ve seen members of my subscription box coaching membership Launch Your Box freeze when they discover there’s another box out there similar to theirs. 

I get it. 

You spend time dreaming about your subscription box, imagining how much your ideal customer is going to love it. You research products for your soon-to-be subscription box and of course start designing the custom packaging you’ll order once you’re making enough of a profit. 

Then you come across an ad for a subscription box and it’s very similar to yours. Or you’re in a Facebook Group or membership like Launch Your Box and you see someone else is planning - or, worse already launched - a subscription box similar to yours. 

What should you do? Should you abandon your subscription box idea? Do you need to pivot and do something different? Or should you keep going? 

Let’s talk about it. 

What do subscription boxes have in common with blue cars?   

I have a theory that if you buy a blue car, you’ll suddenly start seeing blue cars everywhere you look. It seems like everyone else is driving a blue car, too and the car you were so excited about starts to feel a little less special. 

The truth? 

There aren’t any more blue cars on the road than there were before you bought your new car. You’re just hyper-aware of them. 

The same thing happens when you get an idea for a subscription box. You spend so much time thinking about your idea, you start seeing subscription boxes and things related to subscription boxes everywhere you look. 

And once you start researching ideas for your box, you’ll be targeted for online ads. Suddenly, it will seem like boxes “just like” the one you’re planning will be all over your feed. 

The truth? 

Just like other people aren’t noticing all the blue cars on the road, they’re not seeing all the information about those other subscription boxes either. 

Your blue car is special for the same reason your subscription box is special. It’s yours. 

Focus on community over competition.  

I talk a lot about the importance of mindset. Your mindset can be the difference between launching a successful subscription box and finding yourself stuck, unable to take action. One of the most important mindset beliefs for subscription box owners is that of abundance. 

An abundance mindset simply means believing there is enough business for everyone. And in the case of the subscription box industry, believing there are enough customers for everyone. 

Yes, that includes people who may have the same target audience. 

You bring your unique point of view, your passion and experience, your creativity to your subscription box. You’re working hard to attract and engage with your audience. In this blog post, I share great tips on creating connections online. 

It doesn’t matter if someone else has a subscription box similar to yours. It truly doesn’t. Don’t let yourself get discouraged or, worse yet, stop before you get started, because someone else had what sounds like the same idea. 

Inside Launch Your Box, we talk about community over competition. It’s a choice to see ourselves as a community, rather than competitors. And community is what we stand for. 

It might surprise you to know that inside Launch Your Box, there are members who have boxes just like mine. And every day, I help them grow their subscription businesses and make them stronger. 

There are members inside Launch Your Box who have established, successful subscription boxes who extend themselves to help newer members whose boxes are very similar to theirs. 

Why would we do that? 

Helping, encouraging, and supporting are obvious choices when you choose to see community, not competition. I know there is enough business for all of us and room for all of us to succeed. 

Do you believe in abundance? 

Check out this blog post for my top five mindset beliefs for subscription box success. 

There is room for your box.

It’s so important that you believe in yourself. Believe that YOU have something special to bring to your ideal customer. Something that makes your subscription box different from others that may seem similar. 

Bring your energy, your story, your ability to connect with and nurture your audience. Remember, no one else can do that like you can. 

So is there room in the market for your subscription box? Absolutely!