Freshentials is a small business that I started in 2014, partially for some extra income, but mostly as a learning project. In both respects it has more than fulfilled its requirements.
Always fresh
Freshentials is a service where people can sign up and they’ll receive a new toothbrush every three months. That way, you don’t have to worry about bacteria and other nasty things, because you’re always brushing with a fresh new toothbrush!
The idea is not entirely original, but I started the business myself. That means I was responsible for everything: not only the design, but also administration, PR, and everything else that’s involved with starting a web shop. After a few weeks of planning (and waiting for the first shipment), I launched the site in April of 2014.
The “Always fresh” slogan is obviously about the product, but it’s actually also about the design. The main colors are a fresh blue and green, and the website is quite minimalist—there is no unnecessary information. This makes it easy to understand the concept and use the site.
Another important element of the design is accessibility. That’s why there’s not only a Dutch version (freshentials.nl), but also an international version (freshentials.eu). And of course the website is accessible from all kinds of different devices with different screen sizes.
Lessons learned
By now, Freshentials has quite a few customers, so the goal of creating a little extra income has been reached. The second goal, learning about entrepreneurship has proved perhaps even more valuable. There are so many things one has to do when setting up a business. I am not an expert, but I do feel like I have learned a number of lessons that can help me with future projects. For instance about the importance of communication with customers and users, or getting new visitors to the site. I could write a whole other article about that—which I might—but that’s too much for this page. I did sum up some tips for online stores in this short article about WooCommerce. Inmiddels heeft Freshentials een aantal klanten, dus het het doel om iets extra bij te verdienen is bereikt. Het tweede doel, leren over
In any case, starting Freshentials has been more than worth it!
Want to see more, or order your own toothbrush? Check out freshentials.eu.