Operations Consultant for Startup

We are a consumer discovery app launching in Montana. We connect shoppers to exclusively with verified, locally owned business - no franchises, no chains. Every business on our platform is confirmed though the state as locally owned before they can purchase a subscription. We plan on expanding state by state across the us with a clear growth model in place. What we are looking for: We need an experienced operations consultant who has built the back-office systems for a discovery-marketplace before. We do not want someone who will learn on our project. We want someone who has done this, has opinions about the right systems, can recommend what we need and then set it up and train us on it and hand it off cleanly. We would like the consultant to be available to consult if need in future growth. Our COO has strong business operations experience but not a tec background. you will need to be able to explain every decision and every tool in plain English. What we already have: - Consumer discovery app being built by our development team (iOS and Android) - Business application form already built and collecting all required fields including subscription tier selection. - Squarespace website - Strip account (development team linking Squarespace and Strip) - QuickBooks Online - Google Workspace - Quo business phone What we need you to do: First - Review what we have, recommend the right tolls and workflow for everything listed. Second - Set it all up: 1. 1. Connect our application form submissions to a review dashboard so our team can see each application, uploaded documents, and subscription tier in one place. Must be simple enough for a non-technical team member to use. 2. Create a state verification workflow so our team can confirm each business is registered and in good standing through the Secretary of State database. Starting with Montana, built to add new states as we expand. 3. Set up Stripe payment links for each subscription tier so we can email the correct link to an approved business. Stripe handles recurring monthly billing automatically from that point. 4. Connect Stripe to QuickBooks so subscription revenue flows into our books automatically with no manual entry. 5. Set up a help desk with two separate support queues — one for business onboarding support and one for app user support. Include canned reply templates for the most common questions in each queue. 6. Set up a CRM to track our business waitlist organized by state so we know when each state is approaching our expansion threshold. 7. Write approval and decline email templates for our review team to send after each application decision. 8. Document every process in plain English so our team can run everything without you when the project is complete. This is a required deliverable for final payment. What You Must Have - Hands-on experience setting up operations for a marketplace or two-sided platform — please describe this in your application - Stripe Connect experience — you have done multi-seller payouts before - Experience connecting Stripe to QuickBooks - Experience setting up a CRM for multi-market or multi-location growth - Ability to recommend the right tools before setting them up — we want your expertise, not just your execution - Clear, plain-English communication with non-technical founders — this is non-negotiable Engagement Terms - Project-based, fully remote - Payment in three parts: one third to start, one third at midpoint, one third on completion and handoff - NDA required before project details are shared - All system access removed upon project completion - Everything built belongs to our company To Apply Please answer these three questions in your proposal: 1. Describe a marketplace or two-sided platform you have set up operations for. What did you build, what tools did you use, and what did the handoff look like? 2. What tools would you recommend for our review dashboard and CRM, and why? 3. What is your quoted price and estimated timeline for this project? Proposals that do not answer all three questions will not be considered.