Our Supplement Business Grew 150% To $200K Per Month [Update]
This is a follow up story for Human Tonik. If you're interested in reading how they got started, published about 4 years ago, check it out here.
Hello again! Remind us who you are and what business you started.
Hey, I am the founder and CEO of Human Tonik, a superfood supplement business that has been running since 2019.
Our flagship product Supergreen Tonik has been going from strength to strength as customers resonate with our philosophy of transparency and scientific dosing.
We have expanded our range of supplements to include our Red Tonik, Synbio Tonik, and recently Magne Tonik.
In the process of introducing new brands, we pivoted our site to Human Tonik to more easily include these.
Tell us about what you’ve been up to. Has the business been growing?
We’re still a small team and have seen growth of 150% year-on-year.
Listening to our customers and releasing new products has given us additional revenue streams.
We noticed many customers were looking for a probiotic supplement. Although found in many green powders, our Supergreen Tonik doesn’t have them for the simple reason that probiotics are delicate nutrients that don’t survive well in these blends. We wanted to also include lots of prebiotic fiber, this was the inspiration for releasing Synbio Tonik.
Synbio Tonik has resonated with customers because we help get their fiber intake each day.
We have grown our partnerships in 2023/2024 and will be seeing more content developed in-house and with them in the coming weeks/months.
Our team of expert registered nutritional writers has been producing lots of content around the ingredients and benefits of our products too.
This year could be a tough one with the economy struggling in some parts but we’re confident we will hit the same if not higher turnover in 2024.
Don’t succumb to analysis paralysis when starting a business because otherwise, you won’t start anything. Of course, it makes sense to validate an idea with paying customers and not just friends, but once you have, get working.
What have been your biggest challenges in the last year?
Every year more and more products are released and this is challenging with everyone fighting to be seen and heard.
Most brands seem to be a copy of what’s already out there but some brands take a more novel approach and it’s good to see some innovation in the supplement space.
We have seen the Google landscape change significantly over the last 6- months (latter half of 2023) and so have needed to explore other traffic sources.
It has reminded us that we cannot focus on just one channel but have to expand to other sources. This is challenging in itself because each channel works differently.
As a founder, I am still very much involved in the business day-to-day but in 2023 we made a few hires to help manage operations. I still find running a team challenging but it’s been getting better and more efficient.
What have been your biggest lessons learned in the last year?
I touched on this above, we were overly reliant on one marketing channel for too long and now we’re looking to have a more diverse marketing approach.
We like to communicate with our customers more about our company and what they would like to see from us. This has been incredibly important for getting feedback on what we’re doing right, and sometimes wrong.
We’re concerned with the economy this year and the increasing cost of ingredients and shipping. This has highlighted the importance of making our products the best they can be to keep loyal customers.
Partnerships are so important in growing a business and it’s something we’re leaning into this year.
What’s in the plans for the upcoming year, and the next 5 years?
We have a few more products in the pipeline this year and will be looking to release updates to our existing range.
There will also be more user generated content along with founder based content from myself. Whilst being front and center of the brand is daunting it’s something I have been considering for some time and have some ideas on how to connect with our customers directly.
We will be opening up more fulfillment locations around the world to speed up worldwide delivery.
What’s the best thing you read in the last year?
Turning Pro: Tap Your Inner Power and Create Your Life's Work by Steven Pressfield
The Comfort Book by Matt Haig
Dopamine Nation: Finding Balance in the Age of Indulgence by Dr Anna Lembke
Founder Brand: Turn Your Story Into Your Competitive Advantage by Dave Gerhardt
Advice for other entrepreneurs who might be struggling to grow their business?
I suggest looking to join some networking groups either online or in your local area. There are many available from the Dynamite Circle to Ecommerce Fuel (even here at Starter Story) that offer a paid community of like-minded business owners looking to share tips.
I do some local meet ups to exchange ideas from time to time with other ecommerce owners. This is particularly beneficial if your current social network is not business owners!
Also, don’t succumb to analysis paralysis when starting a business because otherwise, you won’t start anything. Of course, it makes sense to validate an idea with paying customers and not just friends, but once you have, get working.
Where can we go to learn more?
If you have any questions or comments, drop a comment below!
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Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
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