As we close out 2023, I feel excited and inspired for 2024. I know it is merely perspective, but each new year fills me with hope, inspiration, and the feeling that good things are coming. This year, I am excited for our small family business. I have a few new ideas that I am hoping to bring to fruition. I have A LOT of ideas. The Bibbed Wonder calls me the idea factory. Not all my ideas are feasible, but boy, they sound great in my head. I struggle with practicality, according to my very practical husband. However, it does not deter me from getting excited and sharing my ideas with him. For every ten ideas I come up with, he jumps on board with maybe one…or two. The Bibbed Wonder needs time to process, think, and readjust to new ideas. I know that when I pitch an idea to him, it may take two to three years for him to say, “Okay, let’s do this.” Eventually, he comes around to my way of thinking. Eventually.
Several years ago, I had the idea of subscription boxes. When I say several years ago, I mean like 2017-2018. My thoughts, drafts, and files are still locked inside a now-dead Bernice…my old laptop. I continue to drive around with Bernice in my backseat. I just can’t give her up. Actually, I keep her because I hope to take her somewhere so that some tech genius can retrieve all my files before I recycle her. However, I have put that idea on the back burner and tend to forget. Anyhow, the idea of subscription boxes has been a long time coming.
I pitched the idea to The Bibbed Wonder, and, of course, it was picked apart, dissected, and cast off to the Too Complicated To Make This Happen file. My bib overall-wearing buddy tends to complicate and overthink the implementation of my ideas. In my little head, I imagined uncomplicated monthly subscription boxes with preset scents and products. The Bibbed Wonder thought that was a bad idea. However, giving the option of customizing and choosing scents and products proved far too complicated. The idea was filed away; occasionally, it would be revisited, but it was not until recently that it was deemed a good idea.
We now offer lovely monthly subscription boxes to those who love our products, like being the first to try new products, and don’t want the complication of shopping for individual orders every month. If one subscribes, one saves. I love subscriptions. I love magazine subscriptions. Yes, I am one of those people who love to hold and read a physical magazine. I love book club subscriptions. It’s like a present delivered to me every month. I love the monthly shipment options for household goods like laundry detergent, paper products, and cleaning supplies. If I were to receive a soap subscription, I would be thrilled. I would probably even devise a rhyme or song and do a funny dance when my soap subscription arrived. But that’s just me.
Subscriptions are a gift that lasts the entire year, six months, or a quarter…one can choose how long the subscription lasts. I know that with my rather childish approach to life, subscriptions are like happy little surprises to look forward to each month. My friend, Jenna, got me The Book Of The Month subscription for a year. It was literally the highlight of my month. For one full year, I always had a new book to look forward to reading. I feel the same about a subscription of soap. It’s the experience of the subscription, the anticipation, and the surprise element that makes it a wonderful option.
We have put a lot of time, thought, and effort into planning our subscription boxes. My goals were: the boxes have to add value to the lives of the recipients, be beautifully presented, give someone a reason to smile every month, and be something the recipient looks forward to receiving. When I look at our subscription boxes, I think I have checked off every goal on my list. I love the subscription boxes. As a consumer, I look at our subscription boxes and wonder if this would make me smile when I open them. Would I be thrilled to receive this every month? Is the time and care we put into our products reflected in the presentation? I believe I can answer yes to all of these questions.
2024 will be the year of the subscription box at The Smiling Goat Soap Company. We will tweak and nurture this idea, ask for your input, and gauge the level of happiness one experiences when receiving a subscription box. The goal of our company is to make you smile; I take this personally. We rely heavily on feedback and appreciate constructive feedback. If you have constructive feedback, please share. I gently encourage you to check out our subscription options, see what you think, and don’t be afraid to share your ideas and insights. On this overcast, unseasonably warm December Wednesday, stay safe, be smart, check out our subscription boxes, and keep washing your hands.
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