Scout for Used Books. No Experience/Flexible Hours

Cambridge MA

Description

We are hiring a used book scout in the general Boston area. We are an online bookselling company looking to build inventory with the help of scouting partners. We will train you to search for books we are interested in, and you will mail them to us. We will pay you per book you find. Your job: 1) Find cheap books at thrift stores, estate sales, library sales, craigslist giveaways, recycling centers, etc. (cheap/free used books are everywhere). 2) Scan them using the phone app we will provide and set up for you. 3) Buy the ones which meet our criteria. 4) Mail them to us in boxes, using pre-paid shipping labels we will provide you. 5) Receive a check or electronic fund transfer for $2.5 per book sent. How to know which books we want: We will set you up with a scanning app on your phone. You will scan book barcodes and ISBNs using your phone. The app will tell you whether we are interested in a book you just scanned. If we want the book, your screen will say “BUY” and will be green. If we do not want the book, your screen will say “REJECT” and will be red. In practice: You will pay the initial buying cost yourself, and we will pay you a flat $2.50 per book. So, you get reimbursed through the $2.50 and profit the difference. For example, if a book scans green and costs 50 cents, you will buy the book, knowing that you will profit $2 ($2.50 – 0.50) after we pay you for it. If you bought the book for $1, you would profit $1.50. If you got it for free, you would get $2.50. You will then pack the books into boxes. A single box will fit around 40 books and weigh around 40lbs. We will issue you a prepaid shipping label for each box. Finally, you will drop the boxes off at your nearest post office. Once we receive the boxes and make sure there are no issues, we will mail you a check or PayPal you what we owe you, whichever you prefer. Success as a scout: Being a successful scout will depend on research and creativity. You will need to build a list of quality sources in your area to go to regularly as well as track one-off events like library book sales. It will be possible for you to find dozens of books in a short amount of time if you go to the right place at the right time. There may also be days where you do not find much, especially until you get better at researching/make connections. You may not be a good fit if the learning curve would discourage you. Over time, the yield will be regular. How long/often you have to work: We are looking for somebody who will go search for books at minimum a couple times a week. In practice, however, we will not monitor your hours or where you go, and only ask for a 50 book minimum per month. You will make your own hours and decide when you want to work. Training: We will show you how to use the app. We will give you initial research ideas for a variety of sources. We will teach you how to scan efficiently. We will explain what level of damage to a book is unacceptable to us (mainly tears, mold, water damage). Since this is a win-win setup, we will do our best to set you up for success and support you on an on-going basis. We are easy to reach and happy to help you plan/give you leads. How you will get paid: Once we receive the boxes you mail us, we will send you a check or make a payment through PayPal. You will receive a 1099 at the end of the year. Requirements: The only starting requirements are a car with decent cargo (SUVs are great but not necessary), a smart phone (iPhone/Android) with 3-4gb free space on it (to run the app), and the ability to lift and carry reasonably heavy bags/boxes of books. Who is this job a good fit for? - You want to make your own hours and do not want/need to be monitored. - You want to generate regular income directly proportionate to the amount of time and effort you put in. - You are creative in how you find cheap/free books and are willing to do research. - You are willing to drive to a variety of sources, like thrift stores, library sales, estate sales, people’s houses, etc., and don’t mind being in the car. - The treasure hunt is exciting to you, and you do not get discouraged easily. - You are going to be active and go scouting at minimum a couple times per week. - You are easy to reach and dependable. If you are interested in the above, please email us with a little information about yourself and why we should consider working with you. Explain why you are a good fit for the job. Thank you.