Part-Time Virtual Assistant for Marketplace Launch

We am looking for a reliable, proactive and organised Virtual Assistant to help launch a new online marketplace and business directory. We are starting with the United Kingdom and hope to expand into additional markets as the business grows. At this stage, the main objective is to prepare the marketplace, identify and recruit our first group of sellers and businesses, and ensure they are successfully onboarded before we begin a wider marketing campaign aimed at attracting sellers and buyers. This is an early-stage business, so we are looking for someone who is interested in helping build something from the ground up and who can potentially grow with the business. Your Main Initial Responsibilities 1. Website & Marketplace Review Your first responsibility will be to review the website from the perspective of a potential seller and user. You will help identify: - Any obvious problems or technical issues - Anything that is confusing or difficult to navigate - Issues with seller/vendor registration - Problems with creating business profiles or listings - Issues with the mobile or desktop experience - Areas where the overall user experience could be improved - Anything that should be addressed before we begin actively recruiting sellers You do not need to be a website developer. You should, however, be comfortable using websites and able to identify problems from a normal user’s perspective. You will document issues clearly and, where appropriate, liaise with our website developer regarding approved fixes and improvements. You will also help test changes after they have been implemented and report back on whether the issue has been resolved. Important: Significant changes to the website’s functionality, design or structure will be approved by myself before implementation. 2. Research & Identify Potential Sellers Once the platform is ready, you will help identify businesses and sellers in the UK who could benefit from joining the Marketplace. This may include: - Researching UK businesses online - Identifying suitable sellers and businesses - Researching relevant business categories - Finding contact information - Building lists of potential sellers - Identifying businesses that may be a good fit for the marketplace You will have access to AI-assisted research and prospecting tools to help make this process more efficient. You will not be expected to manually search for every business from scratch. You will be expected to use good judgement to review potential prospects and identify which businesses are most suitable. 3. Contact Potential Sellers You will help introduce potential sellers to the website and encourage suitable businesses to join the marketplace. Depending on the business, communication may take place through: - Email - WhatsApp - Social media - Other appropriate communication channels Your responsibilities will include: - Introducing Buyer & Trader - Explaining the benefits of joining - Answering basic questions - Following up with interested businesses - Keeping accurate records of outreach and responses The initial focus will be on building a strong base of quality sellers rather than simply contacting as many businesses as possible. 4. Seller Onboarding When a business is interested in joining, you will help them get started on the platform. This may include: - Guiding sellers through registration - Helping them create their business profile - Assisting them with adding products or services - Helping them understand how the marketplace works - Following up if they begin registration but do not complete it - Checking that their profiles and listings are properly set up The goal is to make the process as easy as possible for our initial sellers and to identify any problems that could affect future onboarding. 5. Feedback & Launch Preparation As you work with our first sellers, you will help identify: - Common questions sellers ask - Problems sellers experience - Areas where the onboarding process could be improved - Which types of businesses are most interested - Which categories appear to have the strongest potential - Feedback that could improve the marketplace You will provide regular updates so that we can continually improve Buyer & Trader before launching our wider buyer acquisition and advertising campaigns. What This Role Is NOT This is not primarily a social media management or advertising position. A separate marketing strategy will be developed to attract buyers once we have established a strong base of sellers and listings. Your primary focus will be: Review the marketplace → Identify improvements → Recruit sellers → Onboard sellers → Gather feedback → Prepare the marketplace for launch The Ideal Candidate You should be: - Reliable and consistent - Proactive and self-motivated - Well organised - Comfortable researching online - A good communicator in English - Comfortable using websites, email, WhatsApp and social media - Able to communicate professionally with businesses - Comfortable working independently - Willing to learn and take initiative - Interested in online businesses and marketplaces Previous experience in any of the following would be an advantage: - Virtual assistance - Lead generation - Sales - Business development - E-commerce - Online marketplaces - Customer service - Website testing or quality assurance You do not need to be an expert in all of these areas. I am primarily looking for someone who is reliable, intelligent, organised, proactive and capable of learning. Payment & Trial Period The initial budget for this role is $200 per month. The first month will be a paid trial period If the working relationship is successful and the role is a good fit for both sides, the position will continue on a monthly basis. As the company grows and the responsibilities of the role increase, there will be opportunities for increased hours, compensation and responsibility. This is intended to be a long-term opportunity for the right person. To Apply Please answer the following questions in your proposal: 1. Tell me briefly about yourself and your previous experience. 2. Have you worked as a Virtual Assistant before? 3. Have you worked with an e-commerce business, online marketplace or website? 4. How would you review a website from the perspective of a potential seller? 5. How would you find UK businesses that might be interested in joining a new marketplace? 6. How would you approach a business that has never heard of Buyer & Trader? 7. Have you used AI tools to help with research, lead generation or prospecting? If so, which ones? 8. How comfortable are you communicating directly with a website developer to report and follow up on issues? 9. How many hours per week are you available? 10. What would you focus on during your first two weeks in this role? Please provide a personalised proposal. Generic copy-and-paste applications will not be considered. I am looking for someone who is genuinely interested in helping build a business from an early stage and who could potentially grow with the company as we expand into additional international markets.