Wholesale Sales & Operations VA for Premium Art Brand

We are looking for an experienced, commercially minded virtual assistant to establish and manage the UK wholesale operation for a premium independent art brand.

The initial product is a beautifully produced card deck featuring 40 original collage artworks. It currently retails for £65 and is suitable for premium gift, art, lifestyle, stationery, book and wellbeing retailers.

This is an ongoing operational role. You will initially find and approach suitable commission-based wholesale sales agents, then manage the agents, retailer enquiries, orders and related administration.

YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES

Sales-agent recruitment:

• Research UK wholesale sales agents and multi-brand agencies
• Identify agents already representing complementary products
• Search relevant directories, associations, trade publications, LinkedIn and industry networks
• Publish approved sales-agent opportunities
• Contact and follow up with suitable candidates
• Screen responses and arrange calls with the strongest candidates
• Coordinate onboarding once agents are appointed

Agent and retailer management:

• Act as the main administrative contact for appointed agents
• Provide current product information, price lists and sales materials
• Track which retailers and territories each agent is covering
• Follow up regularly on opportunities and next steps
• Respond to routine wholesale enquiries
• Send catalogues, prices and wholesale terms
• Maintain accurate agent and retailer records
• Collect retailer feedback and identify recurring questions or issues

Orders and sales administration:

• Receive and check wholesale orders
• Prepare invoices using the approved system
• Monitor payments and follow up when required
• Coordinate packing and dispatch with the appropriate person
• Send confirmations and tracking information
• Handle routine delivery, damage, return and replacement enquiries
• Record reorders and maintain customer follow-up
• Track sales generated by each agent
• Prepare agent commission calculations for approval
• Maintain basic stock and order records

Systems and reporting:

• Create and maintain simple trackers or a CRM for agents, retailers, opportunities and orders
• Keep clear notes of all communications and next steps
• Provide a concise monthly report covering activity, orders, revenue, commissions, outstanding opportunities and priorities

INITIAL PROJECT

The first stage will include:

• Understanding the product, brand and target market
• Setting up the basic wholesale administration process
• Researching at least 30 relevant UK agents, agencies or industry contacts
• Preparing and publishing the approved sales-agent opportunity
• Contacting suitable candidates and managing responses
• Producing a shortlist of credible candidates
• Identifying any missing materials required for wholesale sales

The role will then continue on an hourly or monthly basis as agents are appointed and orders begin.

WHO WE ARE LOOKING FOR

You should have:

• Experience as a VA, sales administrator, wholesale coordinator or sales-operations assistant
• Strong research and B2B outreach skills
• Experience supporting sales agents, distributors or wholesale customers
• Excellent written and spoken English
• Strong spreadsheet, CRM and organisational skills
• Confidence managing orders, invoices and commission calculations
• Excellent attention to detail and follow-up
• The ability to work independently and take ownership of the process

Experience within the UK gift, retail, art, stationery, publishing or wellbeing sectors would be particularly valuable.

You may be based outside the UK, but you must understand the UK business environment and communicate in natural, polished British English.

TO APPLY

Please include:

1. Your relevant wholesale or sales-administration experience
2. Any agents, distributors or retailer accounts you have supported
3. The systems you have used for orders, invoicing and reporting
4. How you would find credible UK wholesale sales agents
5. Your availability for the initial project and ongoing work
6. Your proposed fixed fee and ongoing hourly rate

Please begin your proposal with “WHOLESALE OPERATIONS” so we know you have read the full brief.

We want someone dependable who can manage this area over the long term—not someone who will simply provide a scraped contact list.