Opportunity

We’re hiring our first full-time team member to be the voice of Inventive Garage. This is not a typical “associate” role – you will own end-to-end customer relationships, build scalable operations, and directly impact revenue as we scale.

table: Monday-Friday, 9am-6pm or 10am-7pm ET (your choice within this range)
compensation: $44,000 – $52,000 per year depending on experience
Growth path: Clear progression to Director of Operations as we add more team members

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What will you do?

Customer Success and Sales Support (40%)
– Respond to pre-sale inquiries via phone, email and chat
– Qualify inbound leads through our Shopify store and guide product selection
– Handle technical questions about product specifications, installation requirements and compatibility
– Build a relationship with both homeowners (usually in their 50s and 70s) and professional contractors
– Manage multi-week sales cycles with thoughtful follow-up

Operations and management (40%)
– Process and manage orders in Shopify from inquiry to delivery
– Coordination with suppliers, manufacturers and logistics partners
– Maintain accurate records in HubSpot CRM
– Dealing with scheduling, documentation and operating systems
– Managing customer problems by solving them

Build and improve processes (20%)
– Identify patterns in customer questions and create self-service resources
– Recommend and implement process improvements
– Proactively report supplier or product issues
– Build standard operating procedures while scaling up operations

Special project: Find and qualify qualified installation contractors across the country to support customer success

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What you bring

Required experience:
– 2-5 years in customer service, operations, sales support, or virtual assistant roles
– Demonstrate excellence in written and oral communication
– Experience using e-commerce platforms (Shopify highly preferred)
– Experience with CRM (HubSpot, Salesforce, or similar)
– Proven ability to work independently in a remote environment
– American work permit

High value (strong discrimination)
– Background in construction, contracting, or home improvement – If you understand terms like “joist spacing,” “load-bearing walls,” “rough openings,” or “engineered trusses,” you’ll be instantly effective with 50% of our client base
– Experience in B2B customer service or contractor facing roles
– Background that supports artistic or high ticket sales

Technical skills:
– Proficiency with Shopify or similar e-commerce platforms
– CRM systems (HubSpot preferred)
– Customer service software (Zendesk, Intercom, etc.)
– Comfortable with AI productivity tools
– Google Workspace or Microsoft Office

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Your work style

You will thrive here if you:
– Value accuracy more than speed – you’d rather take an extra 5 minutes to get it done right
– Balancing independence and cooperation – You don’t need to cooperate, but you don’t need to act rogue
– See mistakes as opportunities to learn
-Embrace intelligent automation while maintaining human judgment
– Think like an owner – discover problems and solve them without waiting for permission

Remote work basics:
– A dedicated home office with minimal distractions
– High-speed internet (25+ Mbps minimum)
– Professional audio/video setup for customer calls
– Self-directed work style with strong time management

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Compensation and benefits

Base Salary: $44,000 – $52,000 per year
(Based on experience and background – construction/home improvement experience is rated at the higher end of the range)

Benefits (after testing for 90 days):
– Health insurance (the company contributes 50% of employee premiums)
– Paid leave: 10 days in the first year, and 15 days in the second year and above
– Performance bonuses are linked to company growth
– Home office equipment support

In the long term:
– Bonuses for maintaining company standards
– Profit sharing eligibility after the first year
– A clear path to COO with corresponding increased compensation

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Our recruitment process

We move fast and respect your time:

1. Review the application (2-3 days)
2. Video screen (20-30 minutes) – suitable for communication and culture
3. Skills assessment (30-45 minutes) – written scenarios + role playing
4. Final interview (45-60 minutes) – In-depth with the founder
5. Decision (within 48 hours) – Transparent offer or comments

Timeline: Hiring within 30 days, start date 2-3 weeks after offer is accepted

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How to apply

Applications must include the following three components:

1. Resume (PDF preferred) demonstrating relevant customer service, operations, or sales support experience

2. A cover letter (300-500 words) covering:
• Why are you interested in Inventive Garage specifically?
• An example of a difficult client situation you handled successfully
• What would you do if a customer asked a technical question you didn’t know
• If you have construction/home improvement experience, describe it prominently

3. Answers to all seven screening questions below

Applications that do not contain all components will not be reviewed.

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Required Screening Questions – Include these in your application

Q1: Describe your home office setup in detail, including internet speed (take a speed test at fast.com), equipment (computer, headset, webcam), and workspace environment.

Q2: Rate your experience from 1 to 5 (1 = never used, 5 = expert):
-Shopify:__
– HubSpot or any CRM:__
– Customer service software (chat, ticketing, etc.): __
Briefly describe your experience with each.

Q3: A customer emails: “I need a replacement overhead ladder, but I’m not sure which ladder will fit my 22×54″ opening and 9-foot ceiling. Can you help?”

Draft your email response (150-200 words). Remember: You don’t have the product specs in front of you, but you want to be helpful and move the conversation forward.

Q4: What is your primary motivation for applying for this role? (Choose the option that suits you the most)
A) Remote flexibility and work-life balance – I want a stable remote role with predictable hours
b) Small Business Impact – I want to work where my contributions directly impact the success of the business
c) Interest in the industry and products – I’m really interested in home improvement/storage solutions
d) Career growth path – I see this as the path to operations management or team leadership

Q5: This role requires accuracy more than speed, which sometimes means tasks take longer to complete correctly. Give a specific example when you prioritized doing something right rather than quickly, even if it meant missing a deadline or slowing down. What was the situation and the result?

Q6: Describe the customer service or virtual assistant experience that is most relevant to you (3-4 sentences). Include: total years of experience, types of clients/clients you have supported, primary responsibilities, and one thing you were particularly good at in this role.

Q7: A contractor calls to ask about an attic lift for a home with engineered trusses and a 10-foot ceiling. What questions will you ask to help them? (If you’re not familiar with construction terminology, just say so and describe how you handled this call.)

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We respond to all qualified applicants within 48 hours.