General Assistant at an online plant shop (right hand man)

Company: Pafe Plants, a houseplant delivery company
Position: General Assistant, right hand man (heavy lifting up to 100lbs required)
Location: 707 Sampton Ave, South Plainfield, NJ, 07080 (a greenhouse)
Compensation: fixed rate, $1050-1500 per week starting rate with opportunity to grow

****Work Hours: 8AM to however long is needed.******* our work hours varies and sometimes it ends at 6-7, but sometimes we'd be ending at 3-4, and I've seen as late as 9PM. The hours vary but the pay is fixed. THIS IS A CONTRACTOR JOB, you will get a 1099, not a W2!! Please be prepared for that before you apply.

Job Overview:
This job comes with all the challenges of working with a small business so do not apply if you're looking for a typical 8-4 where you only focus on doing one thing.

I need another right hand to help me lessen my work load and keep me efficient. Ie; if a big order comes in you'll be dragging big heavy plants and loading them into a driver's van, if a customer was calling, you'd filter the ones that were just complaining and resolve for yourself. If I made a sale, you'll be doing the invoicing and coordination, if the printer doesn't work and packaging cannot print orders you'll search how to fix it and fix it, if our shipping carrier decides to raise prices you'll find another carrier and line up the options for me, if I am sleepy you'll run to get my coffee.

If I was Batman, I'm looking for Robin.

If I was Michael, I'm looking for Dwight.

Key Responsibilities:

That would include but not limited to:

• Answering calls, you will be the first line of defense when calls come in. You are to field their inquiry (pass it along to me if it's sales related), solve their inquiry and get back to what you were doing before you answered the call.
• Physical labor you don't usually expect that in an assistant role but yes you will need to do physical labor, such as moving very BIG AND HEAVY plants from point A to point B. Or driving a forklift to load/unload pallets. Sometimes you'd be helping with packaging, potting 7-8ft big floor plants into heavy ceramic planters and loading into the drivers trucks for them. This is not an office assistant job, it is much more intense and physical.
• Online work, this is a very general description and it's meant to be kept opened. You will be doing a wide range of things such as but not limited to researching new vendors, or minor tweaks to our website, or uploading our new products. We are an online company, so the online footwork is heavy.
• Administrative work such as organizing important due dates, filing out forms, scheduling meetings, following up with our clients to get them to pay. We use clickup as the main work management platform so it'll be easy for you to get streamlined.
• Others- misc, ie; putting together the delivery route by using our dispatch system, and updating plant inventory using our online inventory management system.
• A job description for a business/team our size is very hard to be put in words and all sorts of things will come up here and there to be tackled, this job is by no means a fixed role therefore by adding this line of description I hope to get it across clearly that the responsibilities are not definitely defined.

Qualifications, you would fit in here if you are.... (or else don't waste your time, or mine- please.)

• Technically inclined; you will be asked to do website work, nothing crazy like hardcore coding but you'd at least need to know how to operate on shopify or wix or major website hosts that are similar.
• Not afraid to take calls; it's a no brainer. My time cannot be wasted on over the phone trying to console a crazy customer. You need to be able to face backlash, take complaints, remain calm and composed to de-escalate and resolve issues.
• Physically capable; be prepared to lug hundred lbs floor plants across a 10,000sqft greenhouse, or run around to gather big ceramic planters, or knowing how to drive a forklift.
• Collaborative & agreeable- this is very important. I am someone who values a peaceful working environment I need my right hand man to have a calm demeanor and have BIG PAITENCE. You need to able to hold peace in frustrating circumstances. If you're not known for being the most patient person in your circle, this isn't the right fit for you.
• Responsible & punctual ie; gets here on time and will follow through and do what was agreed.
• Organized- we have lots of things to do every day. You will only be able to keep up IF you know how to divide the load, know what to do first & what next, and able to keep your space tidy and your action points clear
• Thoroughness; though there are many tasks to do everyday I expect my right hand man to be thorough at core. You'll be catching my slacks so you can't be someone that leaves more slacks. You should be someone that cannot sleep if something isn't finished thoroughly. That last detail on a polish, that last step to perfection you should be someone that tends to finish a task 110%.
• Self motivated, self starter, ability to self start and move in a fast pace environment with no clear cut direction ie; you don't sit around and wait, instead you do whatever you see you can get your hands on if there's no direction.
• opened to taking on new responsibilities when needed, we're not looking for people that is stuck within a single set of things to do, we're a small business- everyone needs to take on tasks that are outside of their norm.

Compensation:
This role offers a fixed weekly pay of $1050-1500 and will range anywhere from 30-65 hours weekly. Work time depends on the week's workload fluctuation and pay depends on your experience and qualifications.

When you just start out, we will pay you $1050/wk for you to train - learn about me, my habits, my work, what I most lack on. And pick up on it.

When I am able to fully rely on you and delegate without hesitate, and you are fully capable of getting everything done, and we are a smooth well oiled machine, you will then be started off at $1400. You will then be evaluated and bumped up from there accordingly.

If you are ready for a long term job and an adventurous time we want to hear from you!

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $1,050.00 - $1,500.00 per week

Benefits:

• Employee discount
• Paid time off

Application Question(s):

• Please read and confirm: we are in south plainfield, NJ- search it up now. You will have to report to this location Monday through Friday- confirm that you can make it here by 8AM every day.
• Please read and repeat the following statement: I understand that this is a job that requires me to leave only when the work is done for the day. I understand that sometimes that is as late as 7-9PM or sometimes as early as 3-4PM. I also understand that the pay is a fixed rate per week.

• Please read and repeat: I have done my research and understand the contractor payment structure requires me to file and pay my own taxes with the proper documents from the business.

• How will you fit into this small business environment with a small team/limited resources where everyone is expected to work hard?

• Draft a response in this scenario (do not use chatgpt (yes I will know.)): you have been emailing back and forth with a particularly difficult customer, she had been emailing 5 times a day demanding a refund for what we deem a minor and insignificant damage on a single piece of leaf of a beautiful plant she had received. She is demanding for a refund or she will file a chargeback in 24 hours but your boss tells you that we cannot issue a refund. Draft a response to her email.
• Answer this email from our customer (the driver had to reschedule because of a big emergency detour): "What is going on? I just got a text message saying “sorry we missed you, we attempted to deliver order number D13059”. You said that the driver would call me upon his arrival, I gave you my phone number and have been awaiting a call. This is very disappointing. Now, I’m being told to schedule a new delivery? I am very busy and don’t have time for this to keep happening. Please call me immediately or we might have to get a refund and go elsewhere. I am very disappointed with the lack of communication."

• How do you take care of a fiddle leaf, from your own knowledge. Put NA if you don't know about plants.
• How heavy are you able to lift?

• List 3 strengths and 3 weaknesses.
• Anything else you would like for us to know about?

• What is your phone number and what hours should we reach out should you be a good fit?

Work Location: In person

Salary : $1,050 - $1,500