She Doubled Her Subscribers, Added Extra Revenue, and Finally Paid Herself | EP 257

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One of my favorite parts of coaching subscription box owners is getting to see what happens after they put a plan into action.

Earlier this year, I sat down with Launch Your Box member Beth from Small Home Comforts Book Box for a special “Ask Sarah” episode of this podcast. At the time, she was navigating one of the biggest challenges quarterly subscription box owners face - growing her business while managing cash flow.

Eight months later, Beth is back to share what's happened since our first conversation. And there's a lot to celebrate.

The Two Goals Beth Set at the Beginning of the Year

When Beth first joined me on the podcast, she had 48 subscribers and two clear goals:

• Reach 100 subscribers by the end of the third quarter.
• Start paying herself from the business instead of putting every dollar back into inventory.

Like many subscription box owners, Beth knew growth was a good problem to have, but it also created cash flow challenges. Every new subscriber meant ordering more inventory, leaving little room to take a paycheck.

So we talked through a few strategies that could help.

Adding New Revenue Between Quarterly Boxes

One of the ideas Beth decided to implement was creating additional offers between her quarterly subscription boxes.

Rather than changing her subscription model, she added seasonal, limited-time offers throughout the year, including:

• A Valentine's Day box
• A Summer Reading collection
• An anniversary sale featuring mystery boxes and special promotions
• A Christmas box

She also continues to offer a year-round "Settle In With a Story" purchase in her shop.

These smaller launches give her customers something exciting between subscription shipments while creating additional revenue throughout the year without competing with her core subscription.

The results?

Her Valentine's collection sold out in just a few days, and her Summer Reading collection nearly doubled in size, with only two boxes left by the end of the launch.

Should a Quarterly Box Become More Frequent?

During our original coaching session, I also suggested Beth consider increasing her subscription frequency from four boxes a year to six.

Before making that decision, she asked her subscribers what they wanted.

The response was overwhelmingly clear.

About 90% said they preferred receiving a quarterly box. They appreciated having time to enjoy each book, candle, and reading experience before the next shipment arrived.

Instead of changing her subscription schedule, Beth chose to keep her quarterly model and use those additional seasonal offers to bridge the gap between subscription renewals.

The Waitlist Strategy That Changed Everything

One of the biggest drivers of Beth's growth this year was implementing a waitlist strategy.

Instead of trying to sell subscriptions all year long, she consistently directed interested customers to her waitlist and built excitement leading up to each launch.

When launch time arrived, she followed the Launch Your Box launch plan, including opening the waitlist the night before launch.

Her initial inventory sold out in just 18 hours.

She reordered. That inventory sold out too.

Then, after a YouTube creator featured her box, she reordered again and sold through another round of inventory.

Reaching Her Goals Ahead of Schedule

Beth's original goal was to reach 100 subscribers by the end of the third quarter.

Instead, she hit that milestone during the first week of April.

Six months ahead of schedule.

Today, her subscription sits at around 117 subscribers and she's intentionally slowing her growth rather than continuing to add subscribers as quickly as possible.

Even better?

She reached her second goal, too.

By the two-year anniversary of her business, Beth was able to start paying herself while continuing to grow in a sustainable way.

Growing at a Pace That Works for You

Now that she's reached both of her goals, Beth isn't focused on growing as quickly as possible.

Instead, she's intentionally maintaining around 100–120 subscribers, filling any openings from her waitlist, and continuing to supplement her subscription revenue with seasonal offers throughout the year.

It's a great reminder that you don't have to grow at someone else's pace.

You get to decide what growth looks like for your business.

The Challenges That Come With Growth

Of course, rapid growth brought new challenges.

Beth shared that one of the biggest adjustments has been managing inventory across multiple vendors while continuing to deliver the customer experience she's known for.

Building stronger relationships with those vendors has helped make that process much smoother and given her greater confidence as demand has increased.

Building a Business That Supports Your Goals

Beth shared something I think every entrepreneur needs to hear.

She started her business to stay home with her kids, contribute to her family's income, and build a community around something she genuinely loves.

For Beth, success isn't about growing as fast as possible.

It's about building a business that supports the life she wants to live.

Join me for this episode as Beth shares exactly what happened after our first interview - from reaching 100 subscribers six months ahead of schedule to creating better cash flow, paying herself, and growing her business on her own terms. 

Where to find Beth: 

• Small Home Comforts on Facebook
• Small Home Comforts on Instagram
• Small Home Comforts Website