This is part of uOpen’s 'Industry Insights' interview series - a valuable collection of informative and intelligent insights into how some of the UK's best-known and most-loved subscription box businesses came to be and got to where they are - all shared by the very people who made it happen...

Covering customer acquisition to fulfilment, this blog series offers a behind the scenes look at how the many moving parts of these complex, yet successful operations come together each month to satisfy the ever-growing demand of subscription box customers in the UK.

How did the idea for your subscription box come about?

It all started with an operation I had, which was going to limit my food intake for a while, and I was concerned about nutritional deficiencies. Reading about (horrible) potential side effects like hair loss, illness and mood swings, I wanted to, of course, avoid that as much as possible.

We all know there's nothing more important than a healthy diet, but since that would be difficult for me, I looked to supplements to avoid deficiencies. But then where do you start?

I started researching myself, which was confusing and it was overwhelming. Just try searching 'supplements' online and there are a gazillion results. Each article contradicts the next, each magazine has its own viewpoint, and every week there is a new hyped miracle cure. I just wanted someone to tell me 'This is what you need to take to cover the bases'.  

At the time I was in a very challenging corporate job, with a big team, working day and night, lacking the time or patience to sort it out. In the end I paid a lot of money to see a specialist, who told me exactly what I should be taking. Feeling great, armed with my list of "essential" nutrients, I went to a health store, but there it gets much more confusing, as there are thousands of different bottles and hundreds of versions of each supplement.

I ended up with an overflowing pile of bottles, jars, sachets, and powders, and began manually preparing my daily mix. I had to double up some pills and chop others in half to meet my daily requirements.

After 2 weeks, one of the pots ran out. Then one of the other supplements made me nauseous and needed to be swapped. Then a different pot runs out and requires a trip to the shop all over again. It was a logistical nightmare. After 3 weeks I gave up - surely there is an easier solution to this. The idea for Upplement was born.

That's where my journey started. I became a certified advanced dietary supplement advisor and nutritional therapist. I discovered it's quite shocking what some companies get away with, the ingredients they use and their origin.

Aiming to be as clear and simple as possible, we combined EU guidelines with scientific research, cutting through the marketing hot air. We stripped everything that's not necessary to get to the core, together with GPs and dieticians.

Our health-defining Protocols are a quick and easy framework, giving you exactly what you need, each day. Every month, a box full of ready-to-go daily packets will magically appear in your letterbox. Just grab a daily pack on the way out of the door, pop them in your bag or just keep in your desk drawer at work. Supplements, simplified!

What attracted you to the subscription box model?

To actually fulfil a need. It was the most logical solution for a problem I experienced myself.

How did you validate your idea and test the market?

It started casually with friends, family and work colleagues, but quickly turned into more formal market research, with lots and lots of consumer interviews, and a long beta period before launch.

How did you acquire your first customers?

Again, through friends and family, and because of their good results, the concept spreads quickly through word-of-mouth. Instagram was a big part of finding our first customers as well.

Did you raise any seed or investor funding to help you grow?

Not yet, at the moment everything is privately-funded.

How long have you been running now and what are your most successful achievements and milestones so far?

Market and product research started about 2.5 years ago, that's also when the company was founded. But, we've been officially live for 6 months now! Finalising the product last year was a big milestone, and of course launching the website.

With the rise of new boxes launching all the time, what do you see as your USP that sets you apart from your competitors?

Our vitamin protocols actually fix a problem. We're making people's lives easier by providing a ready-to-go, top-notch product, without the logistical nightmare traditional vitamin regimes bring with them, let alone the research time the customer can save.

We're not just selling other brands' products. These dietary supplements are of the highest quality, targeting direct health goals, are all made in Europe and packed in London. That's a lot to compete with!

How does your business continue to find new and exciting products to keep your customers engaged and excited every month?

We are currently focussing on our four different vitamin ‘Protocols’ - Essential, Balance, Brain and Beauty - these came out as most needed in our market research. Customers can switch Protocols whenever they want if their needs would change. On top of this, we also developing new and more custom solutions that will be released in the future.

Have there been any particularly pivotal moments so far that have required you to make changes to how you operate?

It's still early days, so everything is going according to plan (knocking on wood).

How large is your team? What type of roles do they have?

It's just me at the moment, working with several consultants and freelancers until we've reached a certain number of subscribers, at which point we can take on full-time staff to keep growing.

Across all operational areas of your business, what do you manage in-house and what do you outsource to external suppliers to support you with - and why is this?

Our supplements are manufactured by leading European producers, so besides this and accountancy, everything is managed in-house!

What types of challenges do you face with fulfilment, delivery and customer service?

No major challenges yet. The supplement industry can be overwhelming, so we try to be as approachable and educational as possible. 12 hours/day live chat support on our website, an informational drip campaign, and an ever expanding blog all help with this.

How do you see the subscription box industry is evolving and what do you believe are going to be your biggest challenges over the next 12 months?

The industry is growing, lots of starters will realise early on it is not as easy as it might initially look. Large market players will probably start experimenting with the model as well. We're just going to keep producing quality solutions with a very personalised service.

What do you enjoy most about running your subscription box business?

Seeing and hearing about the effects of our Protocols on our customers, and how they are enjoying the results is my main motivation. It's very satisfying to hear about how our product is changing people's lives for the better!

What excites you about uOpen, and how do you see the marketplace featuring in your business' future?

Hoping to increase our reach so more people can experience the Upplement difference!