Lead a Business. Build a Brand. Create Exceptional Customer Experiences.
Company Overview
For more than 30 years, Lonesome Cottage Furniture has designed and built handcrafted rustic furniture for homes, cabins, resorts, and gathering spaces. Our furniture is proudly made in Minnesota by skilled craftspeople and built to last for generations.
Job Summary
We are looking for an energetic, customer-focused Retail Business Manager to lead and grow our retail operation.
This is more than a traditional retail management position. We are seeking an entrepreneurial leader who enjoys taking ownership, making decisions, developing people, improving systems, and growing sales.
Because our showroom operates with a lean team, this is also a hands-on sales role. The Retail Business Manager will spend a significant portion of each day working directly with customers while leading the overall business.
Why This Opportunity Is Different
In this role, you will have the opportunity to:
- Lead one of the area’s most distinctive furniture showrooms
- Operate the retail business with meaningful autonomy and responsibility
- Help customers create beautiful homes, cabins, and vacation properties
- Influence purchasing, merchandising, marketing, staffing, and business growth
- Work directly with the people who build the furniture you sell
- Earn a meaningful performance bonus based on the success of the retail business
What You’ll Do
Lead Retail Sales and Customer Experience
- Personally assist customers with furniture, bedding, home décor, and accessory purchases
- Guide customers through custom furniture selections, including sizes, wood species, finishes, fabrics, and design options
- Prepare quotes, follow up on open opportunities, and manage orders through the sales process
- Build lasting customer relationships that generate repeat business and referrals
- Ensure every customer receives knowledgeable, friendly, and professional service
Manage and Develop the Showroom Team
- Lead, schedule, coach, and support a small showroom staff
- Maintain appropriate staffing and weekend coverage
- Help hire, train, and develop showroom employees
- Create a positive, accountable, and customer-focused work environment
- Lead by example by remaining actively involved in daily sales and showroom operations
Own Purchasing and Merchandising
- Purchase accessories, décor, bedding, and complementary products
- Select vendors and evaluate new product opportunities
- Manage accessory inventory and reordering
- Create attractive room settings, seasonal displays, and product presentations
- Keep the showroom fresh, organized, and visually inspiring
Grow the Retail Business
- Develop ideas to increase showroom traffic, sales, and profitability
- Monitor sales results, margins, inventory, and business performance
- Work with ownership to establish annual goals and priorities
- Help plan promotions, open houses, community events, and other sales initiatives
- Partner with marketing on advertising, photography, website content, and social media
- Identify and implement improvements to systems, processes, and the customer experience
We’ll Teach You the Furniture Business
You do not need to arrive as an expert in handcrafted furniture.
You will receive structured, hands-on training that includes:
- How our furniture is designed and manufactured
- Wood species, finishes, fabrics, and construction methods
- Custom furniture options and production capabilities
- Quoting, ordering, and customer service systems
- Consultative furniture sales
- Time spent with our craftspeople and production team
Our goal is to help you become a trusted furniture expert who can confidently guide customers through the design and purchasing process.
What Success Looks Like
Success in this role means:
- Showroom furniture and accessory sales continue to grow profitably
- Customers receive an exceptional experience and enthusiastically recommend us
- The showroom is attractive, current, and well merchandised
- Purchasing and inventory decisions support both customer appeal and profitability
- The showroom team is knowledgeable, dependable, and engaged
- Open quotes and customer opportunities are consistently followed up
- New ideas and continuous improvements strengthen the retail business
- The Lonesome Cottage brand becomes increasingly visible throughout the region
Ultimately, success is measured by building a retail business that customers love to visit, employees enjoy being part of, and ownership is proud to support.
What We’re Looking For
The ideal candidate is:
- An entrepreneurial leader who enjoys taking ownership
- An experienced and confident salesperson
- Passionate about helping customers create beautiful spaces
- A strong communicator and relationship builder
- Organized, dependable, and self-motivated
- Comfortable making decisions and solving problems
- Able to lead and develop a small team
- Interested in merchandising, design, and product selection
- Eager to learn how handcrafted furniture is made
- Comfortable using computers and learning business software
- Committed to continuous improvement and measurable results
Experience in retail management, furniture, cabinetry, kitchen and bath, flooring, appliances, interior design, building materials, home improvement, or another consultative-sales environment is preferred but not required.
Schedule
- Full-time salaried leadership position
- Five-day workweek
- Saturday work is expected, typically every other Saturday
- Employees who work Saturday generally receive the following Monday off, allowing for two consecutive days off
- Occasional evening events or community activities may be required
Compensation and Benefits
We believe strong leadership and results should be rewarded.
We offer:
- Competitive salary based on experience and qualifications
- Meaningful performance-based bonus tied to retail sales and profitability
- Health insurance
- Dental and vision insurance options
- 401(k) retirement plan
- Paid Time Off
- Earned Sick and Safe Time
- Employee discount
Think Like an Owner. Lead Like a Business Manager.
This is a unique opportunity for someone who wants to operate a business as if it were their own—without assuming the financial risk of ownership.
You will have the opportunity to make decisions, introduce new ideas, improve systems, influence merchandising, grow sales, develop people, and directly shape the future of the Lonesome Cottage retail business.
Your ideas will matter. Your leadership will make a difference. Your success will contribute directly to the continued growth of the company.
Pay: From $1.00 per year
Benefits:
- 401(k)
- 401(k) matching
- Dental insurance
- Employee discount
- Health insurance
- Life insurance
- Paid time off
- Referral program
Work Location: In person
