We’re Hiring a Virtual Executive Assistant!

Job Description
Virtual Executive Assistant to a business owner (CEO)

I’m looking for someone detail-oriented and proactive with excellent communication skills to be my virtual executive assistant. 

You will be the “Glue” that takes care of all the details of the administrative side of my business and personal life so I can focus on business growth and spending quality time with my family. 

I need an A-Player and near perfectionist who can be a trusted partner for the long term. This will be a fast-paced role with a variety of different tasks and challenges that present themselves each week. If you are looking for a slower role, or you tend to get overwhelmed quickly, then this is not the right fit for you.  If you are looking for a temporary job while you find something better or so you can go back to school later then this is not the job for you.

If you have extensive experience managing an executive’s personal and professional calendar and have a passion for details, quick problem solving, rapidly learning a variety of different skills, and helping others, then this is for you.

I am based in Okinawa, Japan (UTC+9) and I am a husband and father of a 3-year-old son. I expect you to be available between 9am and 6pm Tokyo time on a daily basis. During crunch time, you might need to be available on weekends / outside of regular working hours as well.

See my LinkedIn for more about me and my business: https://www.linkedin.com/in/garyhuang/

Summary

• This is NOT an entry level position.  You MUST have at least 1 year experience working remotely as a Virtual assistant for a business owner/CEO
• Expect to get several requests per day from me, many of which include tasks that must be done that day, that you might not have any experience with.
• You’ll handle both my business and personal tasks including scheduling, customer service requests, working with other contractors, travel support, making personal appointments for myself and my family, and more.
• This is a part time position starting between 10-15 hours a month.  Depending on how we work together, this could increase to more hours per month.
• It’s remote, so you can work anywhere in Japan/Asia/Eastern Europe/US during Japan work hours 9am to 6pm Tokyo.  I’d like you to be reachable and respond to all communication within 1 hour during this time.  We will communicate via chat, email, and Zoom.

Tasks and Responsibilities

• Maintain daily calendar, arrange calls, meetings, and conferences while making sure all details are handled in a clear and organized manner
• Book all travel arrangements, including housing (hotel, AirBnB, etc), transportation, and activities both in Japan and internationally
• Assist with monitoring my email inbox, including responding to clients, other contractors, and business contacts
• Research and be the responsible person for service providers for projects
• Handle personal details such as shopping, ordering gifts, scheduling personal and family appointments, and maintaining household items

Knowledge and skills

• Ability to multitask and manage multiple incoming requests, while ensuring they are prioritized and handled at the appropriate time and in the correct manner.
• High level of experience with Google Apps, Apple Calendar, Gmail, and similar apps
• Knowledge of chat apps – (We use Teamwork)
• Ability to quickly learn new software applications
• Capability to setup new systems and “standard operating procedures” (SOPs) in order to streamline business and personal tasks
• Speaking fluent Japanese is a big plus

Education and Experience

• At least 1 year experience as virtual assistant to a CEO or business owner
• Ability to handle several emails and requests per day and complete work by deadlines
• Exceptional ability to proactively communicate progress on multiple projects at the same time
• Highly organized and efficient
• Trustworthy with strong personal integrity
• Forward-thinker who can proactively handle circumstances and situations to head off any crisis situations and take additional work off my shoulders.
• Experience managing calendars
• Top communication via email and phone, internally and with customers
• Ability to lead and manage a team is a plus
• Proven ability to prioritize tasks
• Perfectionist, superb attention to detail
• Since this is a virtual position, must be self-motivated, a self-starter, and ability to work independently with minimal oversight
• Must be comfortable developing and working in a virtual relationship and having limited amount of “face-time”

If interested, please apply here.

80/20 Of Ecommerce – March 25, 2022

China Sourcing Updates, Amazon will automatically remove aged inventory – 80/20 of Ecommerce

China Sourcing Updates – March 25th, 2022

According to our sources on the ground, Shenzhen is no longer in lockdown and factories and deliveries are beginning to resume as normal.

However, other parts of China continue to be affected including the Shandong area. One of the suppliers I’m personally working with has experienced a lockdown until monday February 28th, at the least. 

So, the takeaway is continue to monitor and communicate with your suppliers to minimize the disruptions due to the pandemic.

Beginning April 15, Amazon will automatically remove aged inventory

Prime Day is fast approaching. Amazon made changes to implement automatic inventory removal. This deals with items that have been in a fulfillment center for more than 365 days and are also subject to long-term storage fees.

ASINs have been at the fulfillment center for more than 180 days and have not been sold in the last six months. 

Sellers can liquidate these items or provide a valid return address in the Auto-Fulfillable Inventory settings, and Amazon will return the inventory to the seller. The inventory will be automatically donated, recycled, or disposed of if no return address is specified.

Removing stale inventory will benefit sellers who suffer from long-term storage fees. It will also improve Inventory Performance Index scores and frees up space in Amazon fulfillment centers for more popular inventory.

Starting April 15, the automatic removal shall be implemented every month. If you wish to modify your return address, please do so at least 24 hours before April 15 to guarantee that your changes are preserved.

On Amazon, American sellers are regaining market share

American vendors have been recovering market share on Amazon for more than a year, reversing a multi-year pattern of losing to primarily Chinese sellers.

Domestic firms account for 55 percent of the top third-party sellers on Amazon’s marketplace in the United States, up from an all-time low of 48 percent in November 2020. 

Sellers located in the United States have increased their market share during the last sixteen months. For years, the proportion has been steadily decreasing.

Top sellers aren’t the only ones who behave this way. Since late-2020, American vendors have been increasing their expected sales volume share. After falling below 50% at one point, it has now recovered.

Some problems include lockdowns, supply chain difficulties, seller suspensions, and Amazon FBA inventory constraints. There has also been a decline in new seller registrations from China, accounting for 75% of all new seller registrations.

Finally, Chinese retailers are losing ground in the United Kingdom, Germany, Japan, and other Amazon markets.

What else is impacting the trend, and, more importantly, whether it will be reversed, is unknown. 

Invite to my Live China Sourcing Workshop – Seller Fest Online

As you’ve seen, China sourcing is changing by the day and I’d like to invite you to a live training session that I will give at  Seller Fest Online on March 28, 2022. In this training you will learn:

• The state of sourcing from China
• The Covid effects on lead times, pricing, and raw Materials
• Recommendations to optimize your sourcing and maximize your profitability

Get a Free Pass here

VOTE for the topic of our next event!

I’m thinking of doing something different for our next event. I’m going to focus on a specific topic to help your Ecommerce business. 

To decide what that topic will be –  I’d love to ask for your vote! 

Please cast your vote in this quick 3 min survey

Thank you!

In case you missed it: 

• Covid shutting down China factories and ports – things changing by the hour
• Live China Sourcing Masterclass with me at Seller Fest Online – March 28, 2022
• Can I ask for your feedback?

Have a great weekend!

– Gary