The 5 Processes Every 10–20 Person Business Has to Get Right

Once you hit 10–20 staff, something changes.

The things that worked when you had five people in the team start breaking. Jobs get stuck, cash gets patchy, payroll weeks turn stressful, and you (the owner) feel like you’re spending more time fixing problems than growing the business.

We see it all the time. The difference between businesses that stall and those that keep scaling? They get their processes sorted.

Here are the five that really matter at this stage.

1. Quote-to-Cash

This one’s simple: how you turn a quote into money in the bank.

When it’s messy, invoices go out late, jobs get under-quoted, and debtors drag their heels. That crushes cashflow.

When it’s tight, quotes are consistent, invoices go out on time, and money lands in your account faster. That makes growth possible.

Tips:

• Automate the boring bits — Xero reminders, set billing days, review pricing regularly.

• If you’re in trades or retail, use Xero Tap to Pay so clients can pay instantly on the spot. Faster payment, no chasing.

2. Workflow & Job Management

At 10+ staff, workflow management isn’t optional anymore — it’s survival.

If jobs live in your head (or on a spreadsheet), something’s going to slip. And when jobs slip, billing slips, and suddenly you’re scrambling.

At Convex, we live this. Our workflow system is why jobs go out on time, clients stay happy, and cash keeps moving. For us, it’s the difference between chaos and control.

Tip: Don’t overcomplicate it. We use Projectworks with our clients because it brings everything — jobs, staff, budgets, reporting — into one place. Clarity is key: who’s doing what, by when.

3. Supplier Payments

Paying suppliers sounds easy… until invoices float around inboxes, approvals get lost, and you don’t know what’s about to hit the bank account.

That’s when relationships get strained and cash surprises blow up your month.

Tips:

• Lock in an approval process. Tools like ApprovalMax make it simple.

• You must have zero-touch bookkeeping set up — automated from the supplier sending the invoice, to coding, approval, and payment. No rekeying, no manual handling.

4. Payroll & People

Payroll goes from “easy” to “oh no” somewhere between 10 and 20 people. Timesheets, leave, PAYE, KiwiSaver — suddenly it’s a beast.

If you’re chasing timesheets on a Tuesday night, or staying up late double-checking calculations, that’s not sustainable.

Tip: Use integrated payroll software, set cut-off dates, and push responsibility down the line. Payroll should be boring and routine, not a monthly panic.

5. Reporting

Finally, reporting — the process that ties it all together.

If you’re only looking at numbers once a year, you’re flying blind. If your data lives in five systems and three spreadsheets, you’re guessing.

Tips:

• Build a simple monthly reporting rhythm: a dashboard, a pack, a half-hour chat with your chartered accountant.

• Good reporting = clarity, confidence, and better decisions.

Wrap-Up

Process at this stage isn’t about red tape or slowing people down. It’s what lets you grow without breaking.

Get these five processes right and you:

• Save yourself time.

• Keep clients and staff happy.

• Smooth out cashflow.

• Make growth fun again.

If you’re sitting in that 10–20 person zone and things feel harder than they should, chances are it’s not a people problem. It’s a process problem.

Sort the process, and you unlock the next stage.