Sign Up, Sign Up
Toilet paper, Spotify, mystery boxes, your best mate’s sister’s husband’s travel newsletter — you can subscribe to just about anything these days. But for a subscription service to really work, a lot of effort needs to be put into creating something that keeps people coming back for more. The reward? A steady income stream. From newsletter creators to food brands, here are four examples.
DABBADROP:
Takeaways
In 2018, friends Anshu Ahuja and Renée Williams launched a new takeaway service, DabbaDrop. But instead of relying on customers giving in to cravings, it asks people to subscribe to a regular weekly (or fortnightly) treat. “We wanted to do something that felt less ‘order and forget’ and more about becoming part of someone’s weekly rhythm,” says Williams. “Subscriptions let us do that.”
Predictable cash flow makes it easier to streamline things like how much food to prepare and even how many staff to hire. “We know exactly how many meals we’re making, so there’s no guessing or waste,” says Williams. “It’s a lifesaver. It keeps things smooth, steady and far less stressful.”
DabbaDrop currently has about 1,500 subscribers; the goal is to double that number this year. But it’s not easy convincing people to sign up to a £30 per-dinnerfor-two subscription. DabbaDrop is constantly marketing to bring new customers on board, and once people have signed up, there’s no room for error. “We have to deliver on our promises every single week,” says Williams.
@dabbadrop
HARD LINES:
Coffee
Cardiff-based coffee shop and roastery Hard Lines opened in 2016, but it wasn’t until 2020 that it asked customers to sign up. The pandemic showed how important it was to get coffee into people’s hands without them visting the café, and a subscription was the obvious format.
“Subscriptions are prominent now — whether that’s telly, veg boxes, vitamins, whatever,” says Matthew Jones, Hard Lines’ co-founder. Coffee, something people reach for most mornings, makes sense to send regularly in the post. Subscribers get free shipping, as well as the opportunity to try new roasts first. “You have to work quite hard on growing subscribers,” says Jones. “[Ours] are always getting the freshest and newest coffees — it’s a good deal.”
The subscription service started off as an Excel spreadsheet. Last year, Hard Lines upgraded to a Shopify website,and it now uses the app Seal Subscriptions, which makes it easier for customers to pause, skip or increase deliveries.
Subscribers now make up around 50% of Hard Lines’ online revenue — a nice top-up to other income streams like the café, wholesale and general online sales. “In this current economy, subscriptions are a no-brainer,” says Jones. “People want minimal fuss with maximum reward for their money.
@hardlinescoffee
WOODEN CITY:
Newsletter
Isaac Rangaswami launched his newsletter Wooden City in 2024, and charges subscribers £3.50 a month or £30 a year. He’d already built an audience via his Instagram, @caffs_not_cafes, which started as a hobby in 2019. “My theory was that as long as I offered something valuable, beyond what I was publishing on Instagram for free, a subset of my existing audience would be willing to pay.”
Each fortnightly edition is deeply researched — recent issues have covered topics like where toeat in Ilford for under £7, and the history of London institution Regency Cafe.
Rangaswami publishes on Substack, where writers recommend each other’s newsletters. Wooden City is plugged by 29 other newsletters, which has generated about half of his overall subscribers. “I reckon the other half have come via my Instagram.”
Rangaswami still takes freelance gigs, but his newsletter now provides most of his income.“It’s got me to a point where I can make a living solely from writing, something I’ve dreamed of doing for years,” he says. “Before Wooden City, I’d only have time to research during weekends, evenings and lunch breaks.”
@caffs_not_cafes
BESOPHRO:
Mindfulness
Since she was 15 years old, Dominique Antiglio has practised sophrology — which combines movement and mindfulness — eventually training to become a sophrologist herself. Her clinic, BeSophro, opened in London in 2011. The problem: there are only so many hours in the day that she and her fellow practitioners can spend giving sophrology sessions.
Following in the footsteps of mindfulness apps like Calm and Headspace, Antiglio decided to launch the BeSophro web app in December 2024. It made sense from a business model perspective, but also in terms of how sophrology is practised. “One of the pillars of sophrology is repetition,” she says. For £12.99 a month, BeSophro subscribers get access to a web app full of 10-minute videos to help improve sleep, confidence and more. It’s far more affordable than regular hourly classes — plus, it means BeSophro can serve an even wider pool of customers.
Creating the app was easy.“The platforms available these days means you can quickly put something online that looks [professional] without having to invest a huge amount of money,” she says. “It’s about knowing where to start, and starting with the right product.”
@besophrolondon
FIVE QUICK STEPS TO LAUNCHING A SUBSCRIPTION
1. What’s your angle?
Not every business was born to be sold via subscription. If you offer products people use regularly, like skincare, pet food or workout plans, a set-andforget offering might make sense. Content creators can package up exclusive material, and curators can deliver regular finds. But if you’re in the business of candles or furniture? It might not be the right choice.
2. ADD VALUE
Subscribers need to feel like they’re getting more bang for their buck than they would if they bought your product or service as a one-off. Free postage, exclusive perks and other extras can encourage them to bite.
3. Choose the right tools
Platforms like Substack, Patreon, Kajabi or Shopify make it easy to manage sign-ups, payments and customer comms. Do your research to see which platform is best tailored to what you’re selling.
4. LEVERAGE YOUR AUDIENCE
You don’t need a huge following to have success with a subscription, but your first subscribers will likely come from your existing customer or social media base. Offering a discount, freebies or other incentives can be a way to reward long-term followers, while also building your subscriber numbers. If you’ve never charged your followers before, make sure to explain what the subscription will allow you to do for them, so they are happy to keep supporting.
5. Keep it up
It’s easier to keep your existing customers than it is to find brand new ones. Providing good value and being reliable are the secrets to achieving this. Make sure your product goes out when you say it will, and that it’s top-notch every time to build trust.