Amazon agencies thrive on delivering consistent, high-quality results for clients – but achieving that consistency at scale can be a daunting challenge. Processes can become unwieldy, team members may develop their “own ways” of doing things, and without a solid framework, growth can quickly outpace quality. This is where Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) come in. In an episode of the Marketplace Masters webinar (co-hosted by Paul Sonneveld of MerchantSpring), experts Andrew Banks (CEO, Venture Forge) and Jonathan Newton (COO, Venture Forge) pulled back the curtain on how SOPs fuel their agency’s success. They revealed practical strategies for building a process-driven Amazon agency without stifling creativity or culture. In this article, we synthesise those insights into clear takeaways you can apply to streamline your Amazon agency operations, empower your team, and scale profitably.
Standard operating procedures are more than just documents; they are the backbone of a scalable, efficient Amazon agency. At their core, SOPs are repeatable, step-by-step processes that enable your team to execute complex or routine tasks consistently and at a high standard. As Jonathan explained, SOPs create a “consistent approach to excellence” across the business, ensuring that no matter who performs a task, it’s done the Venture Forge way – with the same quality and thoroughness each time. This consistency is critical in Amazon management, where there are countless moving parts (SEO, PPC, inventory, content optimisation, reporting, etc.) and small errors can compound into big problems.
For a people-driven service business, SOPs provide guardrails that keep operations on track as you grow. They help prevent the scenario Paul described in the webinar intro: scaling up without making any money and upsetting clients along the way. By documenting how to do things right, you reduce mistakes, train new hires faster, and maintain client satisfaction as you take on more accounts. In short, SOPs are the key to scaling your agency without sacrificing quality or profit. As Andrew put it, an agency can’t be built solely on individual talent and goodwill – you need reliable processes that make excellent performance the norm. Efficiency, consistency, and profitability all improve when everyone follows well-crafted SOPs.
“For me, the business has to have its process – its way of doing things. We created the Venture Forge way, not Andy’s way or Jonathan’s way. If something isn’t working, we ask: is the process right? A great SOP becomes a valuable asset we can own and control.” – Andrew Banks, CEO, Venture Forge
Many agencies only start formalising processes once they hit growing pains, but Andrew and Jonathan took a proactive approach. Venture Forge was built around SOPs from the outset. Drawing inspiration from business playbooks like Traction (EOS) and The E-Myth Revisited, they intentionally designed their agency for scalability early on. Andrew assumed the “visionary” role (big ideas and direction) while Jonathan acted as the “integrator” focused on operationalising those ideas. This deliberate split ensured that as the agency grew, it did so on a strong process foundation. In fact, Andrew credits their SOP-centric model for enabling Venture Forge to scale service capacity to 2–3× their current client load without breaking a sweat – the limiting factor now is sales, not operations.
If you’re starting or running a small Amazon agency, it’s worth emulating that mindset. Invest in processes early – even if it feels premature – to avoid headaches later. Begin with the 80/20 rule: identify the 20% of workflows that drive 80% of your results (for example, listing optimisation, campaign management, reporting) and document those first. Focus on the “big ticket” processes that are repeated frequently and directly impact client success. Jonathan noted they started with core tasks that make the biggest difference for clients’ sales and profitability. Over time, you can expand your SOP library, but nailing down the fundamentals provides immediate value. It ensures your service delivery is systematic and reliable from day one, which in turn supports growth through referrals and client trust.
Importantly, building a process-driven agency doesn’t mean you need hundreds of pages of rigid documentation at the start. Keep it simple and scalable: even a bullet-point checklist or a short Loom video can serve as an SOP if it captures the key steps clearly. Andrew and Jonathan acknowledged they’re not “perfect” – not every aspect of sales or marketing in their business is fully documented yet, and that’s okay. Focus on the mission-critical areas (for them, client service processes are priority, whereas internal Christmas party planning can safely skip the SOP!). The goal is to create the minimum effective dose of process that keeps quality high and your team aligned, without getting bogged down in bureaucracy.
It’s neither feasible nor wise to write an SOP for every single task. So how do you decide where to draw the line? The Venture Forge team uses a common-sense approach grounded in frequency and impact. If a process is done often, has a significant impact on client results or agency operations, and especially if you’ve seen repeated issues or questions arise around it – that’s a prime candidate for an SOP.
Jonathan put it simply: “If there is a repeated instance of something going wrong, or repeated instances of someone asking how to do something, the likelihood is you need an SOP.”
It’s about capturing the solutions to recurring problems or FAQs in a single, trainable reference. For example, they have comprehensive SOPs for onboarding new clients, running audits, managing campaigns, reporting results, etc., because those activities happen regularly and must be done right every time. In fact, every new Venture Forge hire goes through an eight-week induction where 50–60% of the time is spent learning SOPs for core responsibilities – a testament to how crucial they are for bringing team members up to speed.
Conversely, if something is a one-off or rare occurrence, or so simple it can be handled ad hoc, you probably don’t need a formal SOP. Andrew joked that thankfully, they don’t have an SOP for deciding if they need an SOP! The key is not to let “process for process’s sake” bog down your agility. Avoid turning your agency into a bureaucracy by prioritising SOPs that add clear value. It’s fine to leave room for common sense and quick communication for minor or infrequent tasks. In Venture Forge’s case, planning a casual team get-together didn’t warrant an SOP – it lives in their culture organically. But something like preparing a quarterly business review for a client (which is complex and recurring) certainly does.
A useful tip is to empower your team to flag where SOPs might be beneficial. Often, employees will feel pain points firsthand. If account managers keep encountering the same client issue without guidance, or analysts are manually pulling data in an inefficient way, those are signals to codify a better process. On the flip side, capture what’s working exceptionally well. Andrew shared how their webinar marketing tactics were driving registration and attendance rates far above average – so they documented those steps to ensure the success could be repeated and not lost if team members changed. SOPs aren’t only for problems; they also lock in winning practices so the agency can keep reaping the benefits.
One concern agency owners have is that strict processes might stifle their team’s creativity or motivation. Jonathan and Andrew acknowledge this, which is why they strike a balance: their SOPs provide a consistent framework, but not a creativity-killing script. Think of SOPs as guide rails, not chains. Jonathan noted that an SOP can be very detailed and still allow individual flair in execution. In fact, he cautions against too much rigidity – people need to feel they can apply their expertise and personal touch where appropriate. At Venture Forge, each SOP defines “the Venture Forge standard” for a task, but employees are encouraged to go above and beyond or suggest improvements. Flexibility is built in.
Culturally, they achieved buy-in by involving team members in the SOP creation and refinement process. Assigning “owners” to each SOP has been a game-changer. Each major procedure is championed by a specific team member who has strengths or expertise in that area. That owner is responsible for keeping the SOP up to date and training others on it – but they don’t operate in a vacuum. They collaborate with peers to gather input and are open to challenges. “By allowing individuals to own the SOP, we get much greater buy-in across the agency,” Jonathan explained. People take pride in the SOPs they help shape, rather than feeling top-down pressure to comply. This approach also removes single points of failure; knowledge is shared widely, and if an SOP owner is out of the office, others are already familiar with the process.
Perhaps most importantly, culture always trumps process. Andrew emphasised that hiring and nurturing “great people with the right intentions and values will trump an SOP any day of the week.” In other words, SOPs are there to support a culture of excellence, not replace it. If you cultivate a team that is accountable, collaborative (“one team” mindset), and committed to innovation, they will naturally use SOPs as tools to succeed. And when an SOP isn’t working or could be improved, that kind of team will speak up and adapt. “The SOPs aren’t there to make sure the ball goes straight, they’re there to make sure it doesn’t go off track,” Andrew said, invoking a memorable analogy: SOPs are like bowling lane bumpers, guiding your people toward the pins (goals) while still allowing them the freedom to roll the ball their own way. The lesson: empower your staff to work within the process and to continuously improve it. That keeps morale high and innovation flowing, while still maintaining consistency in client deliverables.
“The role of SOPs in our business is more like the bumpers on a bowling alley. We’ve got our people focused on knocking down the pins. SOPs aren’t rigid rules – they just ensure we don’t veer too far off track.” – Andrew Banks, CEO, Venture Forge
Creating SOPs is not a one-and-done project – in the fast-paced Amazon ecosystem, your processes must evolve.
“The world will evolve around you. None of your SOPs will be perfect at any point in time, and you have to be okay with that,” Andrew advised.
Venture Forge addresses this by treating SOPs as living documents. They regularly revisit and refine processes in response to new Amazon features, changes in best practices, or internal feedback. In fact, Jonathan’s team assigns a simple RAG (Red/Amber/Green) status to each major SOP to gauge its current health:
Using this traffic-light system, they ensure no SOP goes stale for long. A red flag prompts a discussion and brainstorming: Is there a better way to achieve the outcome? Do we need a new tool, or perhaps to eliminate steps? This mindset of continuous improvement is crucial. Amazon agencies operate in a landscape where Amazon’s own rules, algorithms, and opportunities (hello, AI tools!) are constantly shifting. Your SOPs should be agile, not static. Encourage your team to experiment and pilot new approaches (“proofs of concept”) alongside the established process. If they discover a more efficient method – say, automating part of keyword research or using a new bulk upload feature – you can incorporate that into an updated SOP and retrain the team accordingly.
A great example was Venture Forge’s evolution of their content creation SOP. Initially, listing content was written and optimised largely by hand. Over time, they tested incorporating AI-driven tools for keyword research and draft generation, with human experts then refining and QCing the output. This hybrid approach significantly cut down the time required while maintaining quality, so the SOP was rewritten to include the new workflow. The result? The team could handle more content tasks in the same amount of time, improving overall operational efficiency and client ROI.
If an SOP step can be automated or streamlined through technology, do it – and free your people to focus on higher-value work. Jonathan even credits their use of MerchantSpring’s analytics platform as a major SOP improvement: by automating the once-manual data gathering and reporting process, they turned a red-rated SOP green virtually overnight, saving hours and delivering fresher insights to clients. This highlights an important point: integrate the right tools to support your SOPs, but ensure the process is documented in a tool-agnostic way. The SOP should describe what needs to be done and when, with the flexibility to swap in a new software or platform if needed down the road.
“Don’t kid yourself that you can write a set of SOPs once and put them to bed. It’s never done. Accept that SOPs must grow and change with your business and client needs, and you’ll get very comfortable with that.” – Jonathan Newton, COO, Venture Forge
On the subject of tools, Amazon agency owners often ask: Is there a special software for managing SOPs? The truth is, you don’t need anything fancy to document processes. Jonathan and Andrew chuckle about this – they simply use Word documents stored on a shared drive for their SOP manuals, with a basic version control and clear naming. Some processes are literally just checklists on a calendar reminder or a quick-reference Google Sheet. The value is in the content of the SOP, not the platform.
As Andrew said, it could be written on the back of a napkin as long as everyone knows where to find it and it’s kept up to date! There are SOP and workflow management tools out there (Notion, Confluence, Whale, etc.), which can be helpful as you grow, but don’t let the search for the perfect software delay you from writing down your procedures. Venture Forge only templatized a few recurring things, like their new-hire onboarding schedule (using project management boards in Asana) to streamline those repetitive training steps. Use whatever medium is easiest for your team to access and update – clarity and simplicity are the priority.
While a fancy SOP system isn’t necessary, leveraging automation and analytics tools within your operations definitely is. As mentioned, the processes themselves often involve technology – and choosing the right tech can dramatically improve efficiency. For instance, an Amazon PPC management SOP might involve using bulk file tools or a platform like Pacvue or Seller Labs to optimise bids at scale. An inventory management SOP could incorporate a restock forecasting tool.
In Venture Forge’s case, integrating MerchantSpring’s analytics dashboard into their reporting SOP saved substantial time and reduced errors (no more downloading flat files from Seller Central and massaging data in Excel every week). The key is to treat tools as modular enhancements to your SOPs. Write the SOP such that it describes the outcome and general method, and reference the tool where applicable, but be ready to “swap in/out” tools as better solutions emerge. This ensures your agency remains agile and not overly dependent on any one software that might become obsolete.
Jonathan advises not to let tools dictate your process – instead, define the optimal process and find tools to support it. And remember, automation should augment human expertise, not replace it in an agency context. Automated triggers and scripts can handle repetitive tasks (like pulling routine reports or initial keyword harvesting), but your team’s judgment is still needed to interpret insights and make creative decisions for clients. Use SOPs to clearly delineate where a tool runs the show and where human intervention adds value. This blend will keep your service efficient and high-touch, which is a competitive advantage.
One of the biggest wins from solidifying your SOPs is the impact on your bottom line – and by extension, client happiness. Efficient processes = better margins. Andrew shared that by eliminating manual drudgery in reporting and content creation (through both process refinement and tech), Venture Forge improved their gross margins and freed up team hours to invest in more proactive client work. Think about it: if your account managers aren’t spending two hours cobbling together performance reports or fixing avoidable listing errors, that’s two hours they can spend strategising new growth opportunities for clients. This higher-value work is what clients truly appreciate, and it drives client retention. Thus, SOPs help you serve clients more consistently and proactively, which keeps them satisfied and loyal, directly influencing revenue stability and growth.
From a financial perspective, streamlined SOPs can mean scaling without a linear cost increase. Venture Forge reached a point where their operational design could handle significantly more volume without strain – meaning when new business comes in, they don’t have to scramble to invent processes or immediately hire a slew of new staff. The existing team and framework absorb growth more gracefully, making each new client more profitable. Moreover, SOPs reduce costly errors (like stockouts due to missed inventory updates or suspension risks due to improper policy handling), which, in an Amazon context, can save clients and agencies thousands of dollars. If an SOP helps avoid a major listing suspension by ensuring compliance steps are always followed, that alone justifies the effort of creating it!
On the client-facing side, having SOPs for communication and deliverables sets clear expectations and professionalism. For example, you might have an SOP for onboarding a new client that involves a kickoff call, a 30-60-90 day plan presentation, and regular reporting touchpoints. When every client experiences this white-glove, organised onboarding, it builds trust early and showcases your agency’s competence. Likewise, internal SOPs around handling client queries or issues ensure that even if a particular account manager is away, another team member can step in and clients get consistent service (no balls dropped). All of this contributes to a better client experience, which in turn leads to higher retention and referrals. In summary, SOPs aren’t just internal documents – they are felt by your clients through the reliability and quality of your agency’s work. And in a people-business, that reputation is everything.
Looking ahead, how will SOPs for Amazon agencies evolve? The consensus from the webinar was that change is the only constant. Amazon’s ecosystem will continue to grow more complex, not less. New marketplace features, API changes, shifts in consumer behaviour, and emerging sales channels will all demand adjustments in how agencies operate. Additionally, the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) and automation will undoubtedly influence SOPs – some tasks handled by humans today might be partially automated tomorrow, and entirely new tasks (e.g. training an AI model or interpreting AI-driven insights) will enter the fray. The best thing you can do is architect your SOP approach to be modular and resilient.
Make peace with the fact that some SOPs will become obsolete and need retirement, while others require continuous tweaking. Allocate time periodically to review processes with an eye on new developments. Encourage team members to stay informed on Amazon trends and bring ideas to improve operations. You might even assign someone the role of “SOP champion” or process improvement lead as you grow – not to write SOPs in isolation, but to objectively evaluate how things are working and facilitate updates. Jonathan suggests that larger agencies consider having a dedicated operations excellence role to keep SOPs in line with the times. Even in smaller teams, someone needs to wear that hat occasionally.
One trend already clear is the human-AI collaboration. Rather than fearing AI will “run the agency,” smart teams are figuring out where AI can boost efficiency (like automating data analysis or generating initial drafts) and where human insight remains irreplaceable (strategy, creative direction, client relationship management). Your SOPs should integrate AI tools as they make sense – for example, an SOP for listing optimisation could include using an AI content generator to create a first draft of bullets, which a human then refines. By weaving these innovations into your documented processes, you ensure your agency stays ahead of the curve. Just be sure to continuously train your team on both the SOPs and any new tools involved, so everyone feels confident and capable of executing the improved process.
Finally, remember Andrew’s parting wisdom: be comfortable with change and with things not being perfect. You won’t have 100% of your SOPs in green status all the time, and that’s normal. The combination of a strong culture of adaptability and a solid SOP framework will carry you through turbulent times. When a sudden Amazon policy update hits, you’ll adjust an SOP or create a new one as a team and keep moving forward. When your agency doubles in size, your processes will flex and scale because they were built to. SOPs give you stability amid change – and paired with great people, they position your agency to not just survive in the dynamic Amazon marketplace, but to continually thrive.
“Great people with the right values, going in the right direction, will outperform a process any day. But if you put those people in a culture that embraces SOPs as helpful guidelines, you get the best of both worlds – a team that’s adaptable and consistently excellent.” – Andrew Banks, CEO, Venture Forge
Standardising your agency’s operations might not sound glamorous, but as this discussion shows, mastering SOPs is a true secret weapon behind successful Amazon agencies. It enables you to deliver client results reliably, scale your business, and foster a culture of excellence and innovation. By prioritising key processes, involving your team in continuous improvement, and remaining adaptable, you can turn SOPs into a strategic advantage rather than a corporate formality. Start small if you must – document one critical process this week – and build from there. Your future self (and your team and clients) will thank you!
Ready to take the next step? If you found these insights useful, be sure to watch the full Marketplace Masters webinar on SOPs featuring Andrew Banks and Jonathan Newton for even more context and examples. It’s available on-demand – a perfect resource to share with your team as you embark on your SOP improvement journey. And if you’re looking to supercharge your agency’s efficiency with the right tools, consider reaching out to MerchantSpring. As the webinar sponsor and a leading marketplace analytics platform, MerchantSpring can help you streamline reporting and analytics – an essential piece of the operations puzzle for Amazon agencies. Embrace SOP mastery now to position your agency for scalable growth, happier teams, and delighted clients in the long run.