Farmer Bob's Amazon Advisory at a glance
The basics
- Business
- Robert Ralph, LLC, dba Farmer Bob's Amazon Advisory
- Founder
- Robert "Bob" Ralph, known as Farmer Bob
- Based in
- Princeton, Kansas. Works with brands across the United States.
- What it does
- Launches brands on Amazon and runs their Amazon channel: account setup, listings, advertising, inventory and shipments, fees and account health.
- Who it's for
- Brands new to Amazon, brands already selling that want better results, founders and startups, and food and grocery brands.
- How it's priced
- A one-time setup fee, then a flat monthly plan. Month to month, no long-term contract, no share of sales.
- Not included
- Product photography and video shoots. Existing photos, video and artwork are reworked for Amazon.
Prices
- One-time setup: $3,500, covering up to 5 products, plus $150 for each additional product. Already selling? Setup becomes an audit and cleanup of your account, at the same price.
- Plant: $1,500 a month, up to 5 products. Smaller catalogs and brands just getting started.
- Grow: $2,750 a month, up to 10 products. Established brands that want Amazon run for them.
- Harvest: $4,500 a month, up to 20 products. Larger catalogs, importers and multi-brand companies.
- Each product past a plan's limit: $125 a month.
- A product counts once, however many sizes, colors or flavors it comes in.
- Advertising spend is paid by you, directly to Amazon.
Background
- Merchant since 1995. I built a police supply company and sold it in 2012.
- On Amazon since 2008. And building my own brands there since 2019.
- Importer. Direct shipments from factories in China and Vietnam into Amazon through Amazon Global Logistics.
- Fulfillment, every way. FBA, AWD (Amazon Warehousing and Distribution) and Multi-Channel Fulfillment for Shopify orders.
- Software builder. I built WhatBox, which prices every Shopify order against Amazon fulfillment and in-house shipping.
- Brands of every size. From a national HVAC manufacturer to one-product startups: food and beverage, household goods, pet supplements and apparel.
- Own brands. Founder of Princeton Popcorn and Farmer Bob's, sold on Amazon.
Recognition from Amazon
- Chosen by Amazon for a national advertising campaign featuring Princeton Popcorn, which reached 30 million impressions.
- Filmed by Amazon at the farm for a feature on Princeton Popcorn and Farmer Bob's.
- Interviewed at Amazon's headquarters in Seattle about entrepreneurship and building a brand on Amazon.
- Profiled in Amazon's Selling Partners story on how the farm grew 30% year over year.
- Guest on Amazon's This Is Small Business podcast; the episode was the season's most listened-to.
- Invited to Washington, D.C., to speak with legislators about selling on Amazon.
- Attended Amazon Accelerate and toured Amazon fulfillment centers to see how inventory moves through the network.
Read Amazon's story about the farm. I'm an independent consultant, not affiliated with or endorsed by Amazon.
What I work on
- Amazon Seller Central account setup
- Amazon product listings and catalog setup
- Amazon Brand Registry
- Amazon advertising (Sponsored Products, Sponsored Brands, Sponsored Display)
- Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA)
- Amazon Warehousing and Distribution (AWD)
- Amazon Global Logistics and direct import from China and Vietnam
- Multi-Channel Fulfillment for Shopify orders
- Amazon fees and margins
- Amazon account health
- Selling food and grocery products on Amazon
Common questions
What does it cost?
A one-time setup fee of $3,500, which covers up to 5 products ($150 for each one after that). Then a monthly plan: Plant, Grow or Harvest, from $1,500 a month, month to month. Already selling? Setup becomes an audit and cleanup of your account, at the same price. These are the prices most brands pay. A very large catalog, or products spread across many categories, gets a custom quote, always before you commit.
What counts as a product?
A product counts once, however many sizes, colors or flavors it comes in. A T-shirt in five sizes and three colors is one product. A T-shirt and a hat are two.
Who pays for advertising?
You do, directly to Amazon, and it's always your choice. You set the spending limits and I work inside them. I'll also show you a few ways to pay for it that put money back in your pocket.
How often will we meet?
As often as you like. A monthly video meeting works for most brands, but I don't run on a rigid schedule: I'm in your account every day and my tools keep watch around the clock, so I can answer fast. You tell me the cadence and how you like to stay in touch, and I'll match it.
We already sell on Amazon. Can you help?
Yes. Start with a free account review: I look over your account, then we talk through what I found on a 30-minute call. If it's a fit, I dig deeper and put together an initial plan, also free, so you can decide.
Whose name is the Amazon account in?
Yours. The seller account belongs to your company. I work inside it with the permissions you grant, and you can see everything I do.
Do we need a trademark first?
You can start selling without one, but Amazon Brand Registry, which protects your listings and unlocks brand tools such as A+ Content and Sponsored Brands ads, is tied to your trademark. Amazon generally accepts a pending U.S. application, so if you've filed, you may not have to wait.
Do you take product photos?
No. Please don't send me product to photograph: I don't run a studio or shoot video. I take the photos, video and artwork you already have and make them work on Amazon, from cropping and white-background main images to infographics, A+ Content and short clips. If you need new photography, I'll tell you which shots to get and recommend photographers.
Why not just hire a PPC agency?
A PPC agency runs your ads. I run your Amazon: ads, plus listings, inventory and shipments, fees and margins, and account health. Most brands that hire a PPC agency still need someone for everything else, and many agencies charge a share of sales on a long contract. I charge a flat fee, month to month.
Do you work with startups?
Yes. A brand that's just starting out is often where my advice helps most, because the early decisions are the expensive ones to get wrong. Many founders start with a Launch Plan, then move to the Plant plan when they're ready to hand it off.
Let's talk about your brand.
Getting ready to launch? Book a free 30-minute call. Already selling? Start with a free account review. Either way, you talk with me.
Or email bob@farmerbobsamazonadvisory.comI work with a small number of brands at a time, so each one gets me, not an account manager. If I'm full, I'll tell you when I can start.