Episode 125: Building a Baking Subscription Business with Kristen Baileys at Bake Eat Love Box

Jul 24

Kristen Baileys, Co-Founder and CEO at Bake Eat Love Box (BEL Box), embarked on a mission to brighten people's days through the joy of baking. From her early passion for baking to building a subscription-based business, Kristen's story highlights the power of perseverance and creativity in the world of entrepreneurship.

Discovering the magic of baking

Kristen's love for baking ignited when she realized the transformative impact a simple cupcake could have on someone's day. This experience inspired her to seek a career path where she could continue to bring joy through baking. However, finding the right avenue to pursue this passion was put on hold as she landed a marketing role working with companies like Zillow and Zulily during her time in Seattle. Despite this, the desire to enhance her baking skills remained, and a fortuitous event would later set her on the path to founding BEL Box.

During her time at a B2B SaaS company, Kristen's mother asked her what she wanted for the holidays. Thinking about a work baking group they were part of, Kristen expressed her desire to become a better baker and tackle the desserts they often struggled to perfect. While considering options to enhance her baking skills, Kristen realized there was a gap in the market for a subscription-based baking box. This sparked the idea for BEL Box, where members could receive monthly boxes containing curated ingredients and recipes to help them improve their baking abilities.

Tech stack integration

Having experience in the subscription-based business model through her work in the B2B SaaS industry, Kristen recognized its benefits and decided that BEL Box would operate as a subscription business from the start. As she embarked on this venture, one of her main concerns was integrating a tech stack that would automate operations without requiring her to quit her day job. After thorough research, Kristen found Cratejoy, a platform that provided an end-to-end tech stack solution with integrated customer relationship management (CRM) capabilities. Implementing the Cratejoy platform allowed Kristen to focus on product development and business growth.

While Cratejoy initially served BEL Box's needs, a shift occurred in 2022. Recognizing the need for flexibility and scalability, Kristen migrated BEL Box to Shopify, a platform that offers the ability to sell individual products as well as subscriptions. By incorporating the Recharge plugin, BEL Box gained subscription automation capabilities, enabling streamlined operations and better customer management. This transition also empowered BEL Box to effectively handle inventory, forecast demand, and merchandise their products through minimal custom code implementation.

Leveraging partnerships and PR

Operating as a bootstrapped company, BEL Box allocated resources strategically with limited advertising budgets. Kristen relied on her marketing experience to create and execute a marketing plan that did not heavily rely on advertising expenditures. Instead, she focused on building awareness through partnerships.

Collaborating with vendors allows BEL Box to offer co-marketing initiatives, such as giveaways, which expand their reach and attract new customers. Additionally, Kristen allocates a budget for PR efforts with a digital and SEO-driven focus. This approach ensures strong online visibility and allows them to secure prominent positions on search engine results pages.

Central to BEL Box's success is its meticulous recipe creation process. Kristen and her team plan recipes six months in advance, carefully curating each one to provide an exciting challenge for subscribers. Finding the right vendors to partner with is critical, as BEL Box aims to include ingredients that subscribers are unlikely to have in their own kitchens. Through collaboration and sample testing, Kristen can control the quality and suitability of the ingredients, creating a delightful and rewarding baking experience for their customers.

BEL Box's target audience goes beyond the stereotypical hobbyist bakers. When she started, Kristen assumed, as many entrepreneurs do, that their customer base would be just like her, females in the late 20s to early 40s demographic. As it turns out, many of their customers are grandparents or parents seeking to bond with their children or grandchildren through baking. Tweens and teens are the primary users of BEL Box's products, engaging in the baking process with their loved ones. This unique demographic insight has allowed BEL Box to tailor their marketing and product offerings to suit their customers' needs and preferences.

Navigating the pandemic

BEL Box's timing proved fortunate, as they started their venture before the pandemic struck. However, the surge in demand caught them by surprise. While they had planned to outsource production when consistently exceeding 200 boxes per month, the unexpected increase in orders forced them to expedite this transition. Despite challenges with flour shortages and high demand, BEL Box adapted quickly, emphasizing the importance of always having a plan in place and being prepared for rapid growth opportunities.

Customer retention and product innovation

BEL Box boasts strong customer retention numbers, which can be attributed to its innovative approach to keeping subscribers engaged. By offering new challenges each month and focusing on quarterly themes, BEL Box ensures subscribers are continually excited about their baking journey.

Incorporating customer feedback through surveys allows them to fine-tune their offerings and exceed expectations. BEL Box's commitment to providing an exceptional baking experience and listening to its customers' needs is central to its success.

In the realm of baking, shipping liquids presents unique challenges. Kristen learned firsthand the difficulties associated with shipping liquid products such as vanilla extract or food dyes. Despite having tested and shipped thousands of boxes with liquid ingredients, Kristen realized the potential risks of product damage and labor-intensive packaging.

Consequently, BEL Box decided to avoid shipping liquids altogether, opting for powder-based dyes and extracts as alternatives. This adjustment not only ensures product integrity but also enhances the overall customer experience.

Kristen Baileys' journey with BEL Box exemplifies the power of passion, resourcefulness and adaptation in entrepreneurship. From her initial love for baking to the founding of BEL Box, Kristen's dedication to empowering home bakers shines through.

By embracing the subscription model and leveraging strategic partnerships, BEL Box has carved a niche in the market, catering to a customer base that values the joy of baking and family connections. With a continued focus on recipe innovation, customer engagement, and efficient operations, BEL Box is poised for further growth and success.

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