If you are a current Bush Order Supporter you know that for the last couple of weeks we have been mentioning potential incoming changes, and seeking your feedback on our Bush Order Supporter model.
As a few people mentioned, the Bush Order Supporter model was originally set up as a way for those who believe in our mission and values, to show a small token of their support as we started up. Over time, as our operation grew we added certain perks for those supporters, such as access to supporter-only content, product discounts and early access to some Bush Order products.
For the longest time, we did not see much of an increase in the number of Bush Order Supporters so there was never much concern about capacity. Recently, however, word has gotten out about our pre-order option and delivery service.
Barriers we are encountering.
With the increased popularity of the pre-orders and deliveries, we started to encounter several barriers which have ultimately stretched us too thin and have not been fully thought out. Here are some of them:
- The time managing the website, product stock, new products and online orders has significantly increased.
- The time involved on a busy Saturday morning to package all orders while also making sure all products are baked properly has become a significant stressor.
- Due to increased online orders, less product go onto the shelves in our Farm Store (and the co-op), which is also seeing an increase in popularity.
- With Supporter products being discounted, we have also started to lose revenue due to larger and more frequent orders.
Changes to the Bush Order Supporters model.
Starting today we are excited to share that we will now be offering two levels of Bush Order Supporter subscriptions. What was once just the Bush Order Supporter level will now be the Bush Order Patron Supporter, staying at $4.99/month, and will return to what it originally was meant to be, an expression of support for the Bush Order mission and vision, along with supporter-only online content.
New today is the Bush Order Premium Supporter, which on top of all the perks of the Patron level, and access to supporter-only online content, will also include the ability for online pre-orders, a delivery option, and a 10% discount on Bush Order products in-store. The Bush Order Premium Supporter will start at $14.99/month.
Patron Supporter
Starting at $4.99/month
Bush Order Provisions sticker
Access to Supporter-Only
Online Content
Support towards Long Term
Bush Order Goals
Premium Supporter
Starting at $14.99/month
All Bush Order Patron Perks
Access to Online Pre-Ordering
and Delivery Option
10% Discount on Bush Order
products in-store
How do I upgrade or downgrade my supporter subscription?
As of today, everyone is a Bush Order Patron Supporter. If you wish to change your subscription, follow the steps below.
We have tried to make it as easy as possible for those wishing to upgrade, or downgrade, their subscription. There are ultimately three ways of doing it.
1. Change your subscription through your account.
What should be the most seamless option is simply logging into your Bush Order website account (use the Lost Password link if you have forgotten it), navigating to My Account > Back to Dashboard/Dashboard > My Subscriptions and select to upgrade or downgrade your subscription. You should be presented with the option of switching to another subscription, which should be pro-rated until the end of your current monthly subscription period.
If this seems complicated don’t worry, we have written a how-to guide with screenshots to walk you through it. You can find the how-to guide on upgrading and downgrading Bush Order Supporter levels here.
2. Purchase a new Bush Order Supporter subscription and cancel the old one.
If the first option sounds too cumbersome simply navigate to the new Bush Order Premium Supporter product page and re-subscribe.
Then in your Bush Order Account, look under the My Subscriptions tab and cancel the old one. Or send us an email and we’ll cancel your old one manually.
3. Have us manually change your subscription level.
If all that is still too much of a bother for you, don’t worry we get it, send us an email and we will manually change your subscription order. In your email to us, please indicate which Bush Order Supporter level you would like to move to and at what quantity.
Note that at any time you can cancel your subscription too. If all you wanted was pre-order and the new price is too steep, we completely understand. We too are always seeking a balance, trying to please everyone, make this venture sustainable, while not always working 16-hour days.
Where do the Supporter funds go?
So what do we do with the Support funds that we collect? Well, we have decided to start separating these funds from regular revenue and to use them towards larger purchases that will help Bush Order grow and innovate.
We have written an entire journal post on how we track the funds and what they will go towards. You can read “What Do Bush Order Supporter Funds Go Towards” here.
These changes have taken us a long time to figure out as we navigate how we want to shape Bush Order. More changes may very well come again as we further learn what works and what doesn’t. We have chosen to keep pre-orders on the same day as our Farm Store because we also want to focus on providing a sustainable wholesale service during the rest of the week.
If you have any questions, reach out to us.
Kyle and Marie.