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Behind the Numbers: Supporting Impact Lab’s Tech-Driven Growth

Bookkeeping for Tech Companies in NZ:

Tailored Support Through Growth and Change

Overview

Impact Lab is a New Zealand-based organisation that helps measure and improve the social impact of services and initiatives. Since March 2023, Red Office NZ has provided tailored bookkeeping and payroll services. As specialists in bookkeeping for tech companies in NZ, Red Office supported Impact Lab with tailored systems and financial reporting designed to evolve with their needs. Our main contact has been Kate – an external finance management contractor supporting Impact Lab and their COO, Hayden.

Recent growth has enabled Impact Lab to appoint a full-time Finance and Operations Manager. We’re currently undertaking an eight-week handover with their team to ensure a seamless transition.

Tailored Support When It Mattered

Red Office has delivered end-to-end bookkeeping, including daily processing, accounts payable, bank reconciliations, and End of Month reporting. We’ve also managed their fortnightly payroll for 17 staff, including wage accruals, salary allocations, and project-based timesheeting. Payroll is processed using iPayroll, while TeamWork is used for timesheet management.

As their requirements became more complex, we adapted our systems and reporting to suit. For example, we realigned payroll reporting to match salary periods more accurately and restructured workpapers to show project-level data. These changes provided clearer insights into project performance and supported better reporting to their stakeholders.

To streamline communication and approval processes, we also introduced internal systems, including a dedicated Slack finance channel. This helped both our team and the Impact Lab team respond to queries quickly and work more efficiently.

Tailored Support Through Growth

Since the start of our engagement, Impact Lab has grown and sharpened its focus on meaningful financial insights – a need we frequently see when providing bookkeeping for tech companies.

We’ve worked closely with Kate to customise reporting and workpapers that meet their evolving needs. This collaborative approach has helped support their internal processes, particularly in preparing for board meetings and high-level reporting.

Highlights

  • Adapted payroll and reporting processes to align with project-based data
  • Created tailored workpapers to meet internal reporting requirements
  • Set up efficient workflows and communication systems for faster turnaround
  • Built strong working relationships with key contacts in the business.

Working Together

“Working with Kate has been great — her insight combined with my day-to-day processing support made for a strong working relationship” – Amanda, Senior Bookkeeper – Red Office.

We’ve valued the opportunity to problem-solve and refine processes to deliver a service that worked well for both sides. Over time, we developed a clear understanding of what was needed and when, which helped streamline our work and improve outcomes for the client.

Impact Lab’s growth has created the opportunity for them to bring finance in-house.  As they ‘fly the nest’, our team is committed to delivering a detailed eight-week handover to ensure a smooth and confident transition. We look forward to seeing what they achieve next — and continuing to support them on their journey.

We've supported growing innovators like Impact Lab with expert bookkeeping for tech companies

Let’s talk about how we can do the same for you. 

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Improving Payroll Compliance and Efficiency in ECE

ECE Playground

Less Time on Payroll, More Time for What Matters

Highlights

  • 4-5 hours saved each month
  • Compliance worries removed with new software and processes
  • A shift has been made to allow the centre owner to move toward a fully remote review process

A Fresh Start with Big Responsibilities

When Jonathan took ownership of a childcare centre in New Plymouth in 2022, he left behind a career in finance to follow a long-held passion for early education.

But the centre he took over needed a fresh start — systems, processes, and payroll all had to be rebuilt. While his finance background helped in many areas of the business, managing payroll was an area of constant concern.

With a mix of permanent and casual staff, staying compliant and processing payroll accurately was becoming both stressful and time-consuming.

“I was constantly concerned about whether payroll was correct. Every second Friday became payroll day — it took up too much of my time.”

Balancing Cost, Support, and Compliance

Keen to free up his time and reduce the risk of non-compliance, Jonathan began researching payroll outsourcing options. Cost mattered — but so did the level of service.

“I sent out a bunch of enquiry emails. Most providers wanted to interview me for an hour before giving any idea of price. Red Office was different — I got helpful information upfront, no pressure, and they actually listened.”

A conversation with Louise at Red Office led to a scoping session with Sarah, the Head of Payroll. From there, a tailored plan came together quickly — without the paperwork overload.

“The ease of which the initial enquiry was responded to & no pressure to move forward or carry out an online interview. Other potential providers would not give me an idea of cost until they had taken an hour of my time to discuss my affairs which I wasn’t willing to do.”

The Turning Point: Software That Works

Initially, Jonathan had set up payroll software based on external advice, but it didn’t suit the unique needs of his team. He wasn’t confident it was doing everything correctly, and the manual work involved was time consuming.

Red Office migrated Tiny Smiles to PayHero, which better supported flexible rosters and casual staff — while ensuring full compliance with employment law.

“Red Office took the burden of our payroll processing away. They handled the software migration, most of the setup, and gave us peace of mind that our team is being paid correctly and on time — which is all I ask for.”

Time Saved, Confidence Gained

Today, Jonathan spends just 30 minutes on a Monday reviewing payroll — and he can do it from anywhere.

“Using Red Office has freed up a huge chunk of time. I now only spend half an hour on payroll on a Monday morning — it’s a massive shift from before.”

With a team of 11 on a fortnightly pay cycle, that’s 4-5 hours saved every month — time he can now dedicate to other areas of the business.

“I have access to a knowledgeable team, great communicators, and the reassurance that everything’s being handled properly.”

What Would Jonathan Say to Others?

“If you’re trying to run a business and constantly worrying about payroll or compliance — don’t. Talk to Red Office. They’ve made a massive difference.”

Is payroll compliance keeping you up at night?

Alleviate your payroll anxiety. Book a discovery call with our Head of Payroll today.

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Rostering and Payroll Success for Cobb Vantress

Rostering and Payroll Success:

How collaboration led to stronger systems and improved accuracy

Highlights

  • With Droppah only 1/3 integrated Cobb are seeing approx 4hours of time saved per week.
  • Approx. $400 save per pay cycle, plus savings with new software.
Cobb logo

A snapshot of Cobb Vantress

Cobb Vantress is a global leader in poultry innovation, originally established in the USA. Their New Zealand operation opened in 2019, bringing a focus on cutting-edge technology, animal health, and genetics to the local industry.

  • Cobb Vantress NZ has been working with Red Office since 2023.
  • Payroll was previously managed in-house by the HR team – a time-consuming and resource-heavy task.
  • The team was juggling two different pay cycles (fortnightly and monthly) for just under 100 staff.
  • Their existing payroll software was no longer meeting their needs – causing inefficiencies and frustration.

Red Office stepped in with a smarter payroll solution – implementing new software and systems that saved both time and money.

A Collaborative Shift to Smarter Systems

Cobb Vantress’s HR department is a busy team, responsible for a diverse group of employees With many moving parts, managing payroll in-house was becoming increasingly demanding.

  • The HR team continued to manage the fortnightly pay cycle internally, while Red Office took over responsibility for the monthly pay cycle.
  • Their existing payroll software was no longer fit for purpose – it lacked efficiency, functionality, and was adding unnecessary cost to the business.
  • Fortnightly staff were required to clock in and out, and the rostering system in use was becoming expensive – especially when used alongside the incompatible payroll software.
  • Manual processes and paper trails were the norm – not because they were ideal, but because they were all the current systems could support.

When Red Office began working with Cobb, our Payroll Specialist, Sarah built a strong working relationship with the then-HR Manager. After about a year, a new HR Manager joined the team and continued the collaboration.

To address the software and system inefficiencies, Sarah recommended a shift to:

  • PayHero for payroll processing, and
  • Droppah for rostering.

This combination has already delivered noticeable cost savings compared to the previous setup – while also improving accuracy, visibility, and ease of use.

The Challenges for HR

Before partnering with Red Office, payroll processing was one of Cobb’s biggest challenges due to the payroll software not being fit for purpose. Their existing software was a major roadblock that created inefficiencies across the business.

 

  • Time was tight, and the HR team was stretched.
  • Key payroll data had to be manually transferred between systems – creating more room for error and delays.
  • Leave requests, timesheets, and reimbursements were paper-based and cumbersome.
  • We often received scans of multiple handwritten documents for approval – which made it difficult to interpret when handwriting was unclear.
  • Although the former HR Manager signed everything off, the manual format created confusion and added to the workload.

When Sam came on board as the new HR Manager, she was ready to modernise the process:

  • She embraced the move to digital and was keen to eliminate the reliance on paper.
  • Sam introduced an audit book – a monthly summary of tasks, approvals, and key information – making the workflow more transparent and structured.
  • She also kicked off the Droppah conversion process, working closely with Red Office to ensure a smooth transition.

 

While PayHero is already fully implemented and running smoothly, the Droppah rollout is being done in stages:

  • We’ve completed successful testing with one department of our business – the Hatchery, and supported Hatchery Managers to ensure they fully understand the system
  • This phased approach gives the team time to build confidence and ensure the system works effectively before rolling it out to all staff.

 

Previously, rostering was undertaken on an Excel spreadsheet. With Droppah and PayHero in place, significant time savings are already emerging – not only for Cobb’s internal team but also for Red Office.

Collaboration - the key to success

Collaboration has been key to the success of this partnership. From the beginning, Cobb – and especially their HR Manager Sam – have been proactive, open to change, and focused on creating a more efficient payroll process.

Together, we found a rhythm that works for both teams.

  • Sam quickly identified ways to streamline communication and improve how payroll information was shared with us each month.
  • We worked closely to reduce manual processes, including phasing out spreadsheets and paperwork in favour of integrated, cloud-based systems.
  • The introduction of PayHero and the ongoing staged rollout of Droppah have already delivered noticeable efficiencies.
  • Time data is now pushed directly from the rostering system into the payroll system – no more double handling or need for manual entry
  • By testing Droppah with the leadership team first, we ensured the setup was correct and any issues could be resolved early, without disrupting wider operations.
  • This thoughtful rollout has helped build confidence in the new systems and ensures long-term success.

Jules, a key team member at Cobb, previously exported data manually from their old system into PayHero. Now, with Droppah in place, approved time entries flow straight into PayHero automatically – saving time and improving accuracy.

We’re proud of the strong working relationship we’ve built with Cobb, and it’s clear the feeling is mutual:

“If you are looking for professional but friendly payroll support, definitely reach out to Red Office. They are always happy to help, and always get our payroll processed on time and accurately. It is nice having that peace of mind that we are meeting our legal obligations. They have really built a great working relationship with us, and feel like an extension of our team!”
Sam Irvine
HR Manager, Cobb Vantress NZ

Results and Improvements

Since partnering with Red Office, Cobb Vantress has seen clear improvements across their payroll and rostering functions. By combining the right tools with strong collaboration, the results speak for themselves:

Reduced manual workload

Key payroll data now flows automatically from rostering (Droppah) to payroll (PayHero), eliminating double handling and time-consuming data entry.

Significant time savings

Both the HR team and Red Office have saved valuable time through streamlined processes, better systems, and fewer errors.

Improved accuracy and compliance

Payroll is now consistently processed on time and with greater accuracy, giving the Cobb team confidence that their legal obligations are being met.

Cost savings

Moving away from their old software and rostering systems has already resulted in measurable cost savings.

Stronger systems and visibility

With the introduction of an audit book and digital processes, the monthly payroll workflow is now clear, structured, and transparent.

Phased rollout success

By testing Droppah with the leadership team first, the rollout has been smooth and controlled – ensuring confidence in the system and allowing early resolution of any issues.

A true partnership

Red Office has become a trusted extension of the Cobb team, providing professional, friendly support that’s both responsive and reliable.

"..Being able to contact the team with any little payroll questions - just that reassurance that we were doing things the right way has been really helpful.”
Sam Irvine
HR Manager, Cobb Vantress NZ

Ready to simplify your payroll?

If your business is spending too much time on manual payroll tasks or struggling with outdated systems, we can help.

At Red Office, we take the time to understand how your business operates – and tailor a solution that works for you. Whether you’re looking to save time, reduce errors, improve compliance, or just want payroll to run more smoothly, we’re here to support you every step of the way.

 

Let’s talk about how we can become an extension of your team – just like we have with Cobb.

BOOK A CALL WITH HEAD OF PAYROLL
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CoSell and Red Office: Achieving Consistent Brand Awareness

CoSell team and exterior

How A Structured LinkedIn Strategy Transformed CoSell’s Brand Presence

Highlights

  • 101.12% increase in follower growth
  • 71% more interactions
  • 20+ hours time saved for the CoSell team per month
CoSell logo
CoSell warehouse

The Story of CoSell

CoSell is a well-established name in the commercial refrigeration industry, known and respected across their network and customer base. With a team of 55 spanning sales, engineering, warehouse management, service, and design, they have continued to grow from strength to strength.

In early 2024, their rapid expansion led them to relocate to larger premises, taking over the former Turners Auction building in Penrose. While this growth was an exciting milestone, they were mindful of managing it carefully to maintain their high standards.

Before partnering with Red Office in 2024, CoSell faced several marketing challenges:

  • No dedicated marketing resource – Marketing was outsourced as needed, leading to inconsistency.
  • Limited brand visibility – Their expertise in CO₂ refrigeration solutions and full-service capabilities wasn’t well represented online.
  • Patchy social media management – Maintaining three platforms was time-consuming and lacked strategic direction.
  • Heavy internal workload – Content creation fell on Simon Smith, Auckland Branch Manager, adding to his already full plate.

Despite having in-demand skills and the right expertise, CoSell’s digital presence didn’t reflect their strengths in the market. While their work spoke for itself, they needed a structured and consistent approach to showcase their expertise and grow their brand.

By partnering with Red Office, they gained a streamlined, results-driven marketing strategy—without the burden of managing it internally.

Overcoming Marketing Gaps

CoSell was frustrated by their limited brand awareness among the customers they wanted to reach. They had a clear vision of their target audience but lacked the internal resources to maintain the structure and consistency needed to engage them effectively.

Up until now, their social media approach had been largely reactive. The responsibility fell on the team to generate ideas, which were then passed on for publishing. While this method worked in the short term, it wasn’t sustainable or aligned with their long-term goals. To achieve real results, they needed a more strategic and proactive approach.

A Structured and Scalable Plan

Red Office provided a tailored content strategy that addressed these challenges. Our approach included:

  • Focusing on LinkedIn as the primary platform – Rather than spreading efforts thin across three social channels, we identified LinkedIn as the most effective platform for their industry and target audience. This allowed for a more strategic and high-impact content approach.
  • Developing a structured content calendar to plan posts in advance, ensuring consistency and eliminating the reactive approach.
  • Creating industry-specific content that highlighted CoSell’s expertise, particularly in their CO₂ refrigeration solutions and full-service capabilities.
  • Providing a flexible and responsive marketing strategy that adapted to their evolving needs and budget.
  • Proactive content management, including requesting materials in advance to streamline workflow and reduce the burden on CoSell’s team.

By narrowing the focus to LinkedIn, we ensured that CoSell’s efforts were concentrated on the platform where they would see the most engagement and industry recognition.

Being mindful of budget was a key priority for CoSell. While they were in growth mode, they needed to ensure their marketing investment was both strategic and cost-effective. Our package offered the expertise and benefits of a dedicated marketing team—without the overhead costs of hiring in-house.

Seamless communication between Simon and the Red Office team kept everything running smoothly, ensuring content stayed on track and aligned with CoSell’s goals.

“Red Office is adding value to our brand with a cost-effective digital marketing plan that meets our brief and budget. They are easy to work with and have a willingness to adapt the marketing strategy according to our needs and budget”
Simon Smith
Auckland Branch Manager, CoSell Commercial Refrigeration

Noticeable Results

Since shifting to a structured LinkedIn strategy, CoSell has seen measurable improvements in their brand presence and marketing efficiency:

  • Stronger brand awareness – By focusing on LinkedIn, CoSell has positioned itself as an industry leader, increasing visibility among the right audience.
  • Consistent and professional content – Regular posting has reinforced their expertise, showing their strengths in CO₂ solutions and full-service capabilities.
  • Higher engagement and audience growth – The refined approach has led to more meaningful interactions, strengthening relationships with key industry players.
  • Time savings and reduced internal effort – With Red Office managing content creation and scheduling, the CoSell team can focus on core business activities while maintaining a strong digital presence.

By leveraging LinkedIn as their primary platform, CoSell now has a streamlined, results-driven marketing strategy that supports their growth without adding to their internal workload.

Beyond the expected results, CoSell found the collaboration with Red Office surprisingly seamless: 

  • Ease of working together, with a proactive approach that simplified content creation.
  • Greater social media impact, with engagement and brand response exceeding expectations.

A Smarter Approach to Digital Marketing

Through a structured and adaptable content strategy, Red Office helped CoSell transform their digital marketing approach. The partnership has led to increased brand visibility, improved efficiency, and a stronger online presence. As CoSell continues to grow, Red Office remains a trusted marketing partner, ensuring their message reaches the right audience consistently.

If you’d like to see consistent results with your marketing, book a time with the marketing team today or complete the enquiry form and we’ll get in touch with you.

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A Payroll Software Conversion for 600 Staff

A seamless payroll software conversion for Cater Plus

Highlights

  • Automated syncing and timesheet imports saved hours of manual work.
  • Reduced steps in payroll workflows.
  • PayHero’s updates ensure legislative alignment.
Cater Plus Logo

Cater Plus is a privately owned and operated leader in food service, providing high-quality catering solutions across New Zealand, from Kaitaia to Invercargill. Founded in 2006 by Paul Hodge, they have built their reputation on a passion for food, excellence in service, and a commitment to people. Their tailored solutions cater to a wide range of sectors, including corporate cafes, private hospitals, education, aged care facilities, private events, and more.

At Cater Plus, they believe that great food creates great experiences. By consistently delivering fresh, high-quality meals, they enhance customer satisfaction and foster strong, long-lasting client relationships.

“Cater Plus are big enough to deliver, but small enough to care.”

With almost 600 staff on their payroll, it’s a function that keeps the finance team challenged and engaged. It’s a busy job that Payroll Administrator, Elmari enjoys very much. She has been with Cater Plus for just over a year and says it’s a great place to work.

When it was time to move from one payroll software to another, the team knew it needed to be done with care, precision and within timelines. The payroll software conversion service from Red Office was exactly the level of support and expertise the Cater Plus team needed to keep their business going, improve payroll processes and manage a large amount of employee data efficiently.

Project Background

Cater Plus had been using a desktop-based payroll system for many years, which was due to be retired in 2025. They wanted to transition to new payroll software well before the retirement date to allow them plenty of time to learn and implement a new system without being rushed or pushed to make decisions.

One challenge they wanted to specifically address was the arduous leave set up in the previous system. This was creating additional steps and more work on top of their existing workload as they had to manually go through sick and annual leave for that week for every employee to ensure it was correct. It was a time-consuming task that added to their already busy day.

Three team members in the finance team worked together and reached out to PayHero who then referred them to Red Office and conversations began.

The Challenge of moving to new software

A payroll software conversion of this size and scope was going to be a large project on all sides.

Accuracy and care were needed to ensure all historical data for each employee was able to be transferred to the new system, including all year-to-date totals and leave balances.

Cater Plus had a deadline in mind and needed the support of a third party such as Red Office, to help make their plan a reality.

The impending retirement of the software was an opportunity for Cater Plus to review their payroll requirements while looking ahead at future needs. Cloud-based software was the way to go and meant they could address any workflow challenges they were experiencing and look to reduce any additional steps in the current process.

The Red Office approach

Why Cater Plus Chose to Work With Red Office

Red Office was recommended to the Cater Plus team through FlexiTime (product owner of PayHero), specifically to ensure a smooth transition with the implementation.

Our experience with PayHero gave Cater Plus the confidence that we could support the transfer of data accurately and securely. The high recommendation from the developer further reinforced their decision to work with us.

The decision process...PayHero stands out

While Cater Plus was exploring options, they wanted to ensure the transition could happen smoothly and simultaneously. PayHero caught their attention because it offered both timesheet and payroll integration – something other solutions didn’t provide. This made PayHero the right fit for their needs, as it offered the seamless functionality they were looking for, including the use of Droppah for rostering and timesheeting.

“We were impressed by how the project plan was set up. The entire transition was just handled in the background. The willingness and prompt replies from Sarah in assisting us, no matter how many times we asked the same questions”.
Elmari
Finance Team Member - Payroll

A team of three in the Cater Plus finance team worked with Sarah for the full software implementation. They received a plan of attack following their scoping call and were able to see the steps involved, the information and points of action that each party needed to provide.

The plan included cleaning the data to ensure accuracy before transferring it to the new system. Then, Sarah and the team conducted multiple parallel runs before the official launch. She then trained the finance team, equipping them with the confidence to train others across NZ on Droppah.

“Together with Sarah, we drew up the whole execution plan with dates on when everything was happening. There was a whole plan set up for us. We knew when pay slips were going to be loaded and more”

The Results

With close to 600 staff on their payroll, Cater Plus needed a smart, cloud-based system that could handle the volume of their payroll, which is what they received with PayHero.

“We started the process in April/May and did our first run live in September, meeting our target deadline. All data from the old system was successfully transferred and the whole process was smooth”.

So, how are you finding the new software?

We’re generally finding the new payroll software to be user-friendly, especially for most of the core functions. It’s also great to see that the system is updated to stay in line with legislation, which has been a huge benefit for us.

That said, there are still areas where we see room for improvement. For example, the leave approval process doesn’t currently have the hierarchical structure we need. We’re hopeful that this can be addressed in future updates.

What improvements are you seeing?

With the new system, we’ve saved a significant amount of time, especially in importing timesheets into payroll. The automatic sync feature eliminates the need for manual data entry, streamlining the process. Additionally, the system has simplified PAYE payments. While there are still some steps in the process, many of the manual tasks we had before have been automated, making the entire payroll cycle faster and more efficient. 

“Sarah made us feel like family, not just another client. Without the assistance of Sarah and Red Office, we would not have met our deadline. It just alleviates the stress. For us, it was the first time going through a conversion, and it helps to have someone who has done this before otherwise it could have been very overwhelming for us”

Are you looking to migrate to new payroll software?

Moving from one payroll software to another can be a huge task on your own.

We have a comprehensive process designed to make this run smoothly.

Book a scoping call with Sarah to discuss your initial requirements and learn how we can help make it easier to move from one payroll software to another, or contact our office for a free, no-obligation chat.

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How a tech CEO won back her day

Introduction

In 2020 Lauren Peate was flying high. Multitudes, the performance analytics company she’d founded earlier, was showing solid growth in employee numbers and clients. With all the numbers heading in the right direction, it was time to take the business to the next level.

Lauren wanted to focus on:

  • Further developing her software
  • Building the team
  • Growing the business.

But there was a hitch: she was just too busy, managing all the functions of the business—from staffing to client work to admin— herself. The manual accounting and admin systems were slow and cumbersome. Processes hadn’t been fully set up.

Her company needed a CEO, but she was still functioning in start-up mode.

Then, thanks to a recommendation by her accountant, Lauren discovered Red Office.

How Multitudes used Red Office’s services

Lauren told us what she wanted to achieve, and we provided a scope of work that included:

  • Guidance on best practice and statutory requirements for payroll and accounting processing
  • Full setup of Xero and payroll software— from a manual to a cloud-based system with all IRD requirements met.
  • Internal process development and setup with customised templates, making it easier for employees to manage expense claims and leave requests.

Two of our team members worked on this account, managing the daily accounting functions—one processing and one reviewing—with Alanna, our Head of Specialist Accounting Services, overseeing.

All bills and payroll required Lauren’s approval before payment, meaning she had full oversight of her systems and accounts.

The Results

Lauren won back her day: Not having to spend huge amounts of time on admin meant she could concentrate on building her team and software.

Instant access to accounts and data: Lauren had full visibility of accounts, plus had metrics and financial data on hand to provide to investors at quick notice.

Always on the ball: We could inform Lauren of unexpected cost increases and any unusual items requiring her attention through weekly comms, reducing time spent reviewing and decreasing the number of queries.

“Jenny and Alanna at Red Office did an amazing job for us! They’re great communicators – and we appreciate that they work on our team’s tools, including Slack – and they’ve been proactive in catching potential issues, like a cost that was higher than it had been previously. I highly recommend the whole Red Office team!”

Lauren Peate
CEO – Multitudes

The brakes are off!

Multitudes is growing at a rapid pace, and we have recently completed a full handover to the new accounts team that Lauren has engaged. She realised she needed more high-level support and now has a full bookkeeping and CFO package.

Lauren remains one of our favourite clients and we are excited to see Multitudes’ developing future.

Set the CEO in you free…

So you can focus on the bigger picture for your business.

Book a no-obligation chat with Louise today. Call her on 027 473 5963.

 


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Marketing support for a commercial equipment supplier

Snapshot

  • Inter-Fridge are a locally owned business employing 3 staff who have full support from the Red Office team
  • With the cost of recruitment removed, Inter-Fridge were able to invest more in their marketing including SEO optimisation.
  • As at November 2023 we had 75 keywords in the Top 10 vs. 31 in November 2020. Website sessions from organic search increased from 350 per month to 500-600 per month over the past few years.

Introduction

Inter-Fridge supply commercial refrigeration to businesses around NZ. Being a small, kiwi business they have that can-do attitude helping many business owners with their storage and display requirements. No job is too big or small for this team.

Owner, James has been in the commercial refrigeration industry for over 40 years and the team have a good reputation with their customers and with those in the industry.

They have a range of customers spanning the length of NZ and manage all sales and service from their base in Auckland. They engaged our marketing support services in 2019 after being one of our bookkeeping clients.  

The Challenge

When their sales and marketing coordinator was leaving, Inter-Fridge knew they had to replace her quickly to ensure their efforts to date remained current and relevant. The cost and effort of employing someone full-time again in this role was too much at the time for this business to consider. 

They needed immediate help with preparing sales quotes and proposals, updating the website, providing general sales support, and keeping their online channels updated. There was a lot of marketing collateral missing that the team required for sales visits and a lot of products to catalogue and display online in an easy to digest manner that it became very overwhelming and stressful for the team when they couldn’t find what they wanted quickly and easily.

They wanted to have support in the form of being able to find what they needed when they needed it, as well as being able to have a support person available to help with small things like sales admin, editing, help with using their CRM and answering their queries.

The Solution

With a working relationship established with our senior bookkeeper, James explored the option of outsourcing the marketing side of his business to us. The value for money and cost savings became obvious.  

We put together a scope of work to cover the absence of the sales and marketing coordinator, starting with 13hours per month that included a monthly meeting at their location.  Initially our brief was for ‘upkeep’ of the current work, maintaining their digital channels,  CRM, and sending email campaigns with new promotions and offers to their database.

James saw the benefits of nurturing his existing customers but also wanted to grow and increase his sales.

The team had sales collateral created for them, including templates for quotes and proposals that were easy to update and use, and slowly we started to build a cohesive brand and establish a larger presence in the industry.

New projects were introduced including a website overhaul, a focus on regular social media management, using those platforms in the right way and being able to provide leads to the sales team. Later we introduced the addition of blogs and new product catalogues. Once the website was complete, we were able to engage an external SEO agency for further optimisation and growth opportunities.

Results & Benefits

James has seen the value gained from keeping his marketing top of mind and ensuring adequate budget remains each year. The sales team have their large quotes and proposals prepared for them to provide a consistent look and feel which removed the admin burden from them, and there is marketing collateral available for their sales trips, The CRM and admin side is managed without the sales team having to worry about this.

By not having to employ anyone in-house, the cost savings were able to be applied to digital marketing initiatives:

  • A website update and redesign to sort products by category
  • The addition of monthly blogs
  • SEO focus to utilise the website and drive traffic
  • Google Ads and Facebook remarketing campaigns

With the combination of paid advertising and keeping on top of online channels, Inter-Fridge has had an increase in product enquiries, leads, and sales, plus a huge shift in an increase in visibility of the Inter-Fridge brand.  They have been involved in large client pitches and tenders, and have grown their reputation within the industry.

 

“ Marketing support from Red Office has helped us in so many ways without the need to hire someone internally. We have been able to achieve everything we wanted to with this service set up.
James Holdich
Director

If you would like to find out we can support you with your marketing efforts, get in touch with our team to discuss how this service could benefit you.

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How outsourced bookkeeping helped this equipment supplier

Services utilised: Bookkeeping | Payroll | Consulting

Who they are

  • Inter-Fridge are a supplier of commercial refrigeration equipment to the supermarket and hospitality sector throughout New Zealand.
  • A hybrid working setup provided the Director with confidence that his business was professionally cared for, providing accuracy across accounts functions and support for his team
  • Our team became trusted members of this team, with the scope of work extending past traditional bookkeeping, to consulting and admin.

Introduction

Inter-Fridge are a locally owned and operated business supplying commercial refrigeration to various businesses around NZ. They import a range of equipment from Asia and Europe specifically designed for the supermarket and hospitality industry. Based in Auckland, they are able to service the whole of NZ and employ 3 staff that manage sales, service and deliveries. They have been with Red Office since 2015, initially for bookkeeping and payroll services, and then in 2019 started using our marketing support services.

The Challenge

Inter-Fridge was managing their bookkeeping and daily accounts functions in house for close to one year before they were referred to Red Office through their accountant. It was a time consuming chore for James, Director of Inter-Fridge to do on his own. It often meant late nights, or working weekends to catch up on admin, and he knew he wasn’t doing the best job having to manage it all on his own.

Having the right fit person was important to Inter-Fridge.  They didn’t feel they were big enough to employ someone but they knew they needed “more than just a bookkeeper” – they wanted a business driver, someone who understood and challenged them on their goals and were able to have discussions around where they wanted to be in 3-5 years and beyond. James also wanted to know and understand his figures better, to know which areas of the business required attention and which areas were working well.

Outsourcing work like this can be tough. It takes some getting used to the process, so it was also a preference to have someone on-site where there could be collaboration and discussion in person and reduce the emails or phone calls.

Inter-Fridge wanted a trusted, full-service relationship where there was complete visibility of the processes and accounts, including support for the wider team as well as ensuring the day to day accounts functions such as invoicing, payments, and payroll didn’t fall behind.  

The Solution

With the referral from their accountant as our introduction, we were able to propose a solution to James, where he would receive weekly accounts support and management of all daily tasks, payroll management, accounts support for the sales team and monthly reports prepared for their accountant.

This was a cost effective way of ensuring the accounts were accurate and compliant, saving Inter-Fridge thousands in recruitment and salaries.

Having someone off-site was a slight concern for him, so we proposed a tailored solution where our senior bookkeeper would work in their office one day per week. This provided peace of mind, clarity, and a chance to go over any queries together without having to pick up the phone or send multiple emails.

Results & Benefits

We established a great working relationship between us and all members of the Inter-Fridge team. 

With access to not only a senior bookkeeper who managed the day to day functions of the business,  supporting the sales team with their purchase orders, invoicing as well as monthly stocktakes with the team, James was also able to engage consulting services from Louise to support the larger aspects of the business, liaising with his accountant, lawyers, banks and other stakeholders when required.

James has full confidence in his accounts and peace of mind that his figures are accurate. He was able to reclaim the time he used to spend navigating Xero and the various admin work to focus on his customers and sales.

Conclusion

With a fully managed service in place, across 2 functions of our business, the team at Red Office have become not just an outsourced service to Inter-Fridge, but a trusted advisor and partner to James and his team.

Our hybrid working setup alleviated his concerns with having work completed off-site, establishing our strong relationship that increased our service capabilities to other areas of his business.

We have attended sales pitches, provided support for a recent acquisition, and have been involved in other aspects of the business at the client’s request due to our team’s experience and service oriented outlook.

“ I am confident with our figures and the whole experience has improved our accounts, admin and marketing so much. We have a professional look thanks to the team at Red Office
James Holdich
Director

If you’re thinking you need help with managing your accounts, get in touch with our team to discuss how we can work together. 

BOOK A TIME
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Outsourced Payroll Management for 450 staff

Services utilised: Payroll

Who they are

  • National food retail business
  • 450 staff
  • 75 stores nationwide
  • This nationwide restaurant group focuses on providing healthy choice meals and drinks
  • They moved their payroll from an internal, sole charge position to a fully outsourced model at Red Office, with 4 payroll professionals.

The Background & Challenge

Historically, this business had always employed someone for their payroll processing. This was a sole-charge, full-time role reporting to the CFO.

With payroll being a weekly task the relentless schedule for this as a sole charge role, meant staff turnover every 12 months. 

This created workflow planning challenges, continuous cost of recruitment & training, and ongoing risk for the business in staff absence.

At the last staff resignation, this business instigated a full payroll review via an external payroll consulting company. 

When the review was completed, they decided to explore outsourcing options.  They learned about Red Office through a recommendation from their Payroll Software Provider.

The Solution

It was important this business got a full-service relationship, 5 days per week, to provide accurate, timely payroll information that their leadership team could rely on. 

Our team proposed a custom solution that would meet all their requirements and mitigate their risk.

Sarah, Head of Payroll Services at Red Office, put together a senior team to complete an online handover with the consulting team.

She ensured her team was all trained to run the payroll, review the payroll, and manage the inbox queries.

Results & Benefits

  • With a payroll team in place, the risk relating to staff absence from a sole charge role was instantly mitigated. 
  • They returned to full management of the payroll inbox Monday to Friday vs. Monday to Wednesday.  This has meant staff and managers receive daily feedback on their pay enquiries.
  • There is confidence that any queries raised by managers are reviewed and answered using a collaborative team-based view vs. a sole charge opinion.  
  • Our four-person team has reduced the amount of time that the CFO spends overseeing payroll.
  • Across 450-500 pays, staff queries have reduced considerably to just a handful per week. 
  • In addition, we have removed all recruitment, training, certification, and management costs for this business with a fully managed service in place.
The most significant benefit to me was moving from payroll processing to a payroll partner.
If you are considering a move to an outsourced payroll provider, I would highly recommend a scoping session with Louise and Sarah.
Tasnim Hoosein
CFO

If you would like your payroll professionally managed, speak to Louise or Sarah for a confidential discussion. 

BOOK A TIME SARAH
ENQUIRE HERE TO GET A CALL

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