The Documentation Roadmap: What to Document at Every Stage of Growth

I'm grateful for growth.

It's going on a year since I launched my business, and I have discovered a new capacity for learning speed. Growth is where I thrive as a marketer.

But in the construction industry, growth is more kaizen (continuous improvement) than kaikaku (revolutionary change). It's about systems and layered improvements, not venture-backed 100x startups.

Growth is great—until it breaks your business.

Most home builders start with a truck and a phone, evolve into a small team, hire an agency, and eventually try to build an in-house marketing department. The problem is that their systems usually stay stuck in the "truck and phone" phase while their revenue climbs to $5M or$10M.

Here is the roadmap for what you need to document at each stage of growth to keep the wheels on the bus.

Phase 1: The Solo Scramble (Start-up to ~$1M)

You are taking odd jobs, getting your license, and maybe doing your first few custom builds or renovations. You don't have a lot of capital. You are the sales team, the project manager, and the CEO.

What to Document:

• Minimal Notes: Honestly? Don't overthink it here. Keep notes in your phone or a notebook.
• Basic Contact Lists: Who are your subs? Who are your leads?

Why it Matters:

At this stage, speed is survival. You don't need an employee handbook; you need to get paid. The goal isn't a perfect system yet; it's proof of concept.

Phase 2: The Agency Handoff (The "Core Team" Phase)

You've hired a controller and a project manager. You are too busy to build the website or run ads, so you hire an agency. This is the most dangerous phase for your digital assets.

What to Document (And Own):

• The Keys to the Castle: You must document and own your logins.
  • Domain registrar (GoDaddy, Namecheap).
  • Website hosting.
  • Google Business Profile.
  • Google Ads/Analytics accounts.
• Brand Files: Ensure you have the source files for your logo and brand assets saved on your drive, not just the agency's.

Phase 3: The First Marketing Hire ($5M -$10M Revenue)

You are hitting $5M+ in revenue. You have about$1M in Gross Profit (assuming ~20% margins). You can finally afford a mid level marketing manager on top of your solid marketing budget without breaking the bank.

What to Document:

• Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs): How do we intake a lead? How do we nurture a prospect?
• Brand Guidelines & Voice: You are no longer the only one talking to customers. Document how the brand speaks so your new hire sounds like you.
• The "Rolodex": A vetted list of freelancers, photographers, and agencies. Your marketing manager shouldn't have to hunt for talent; give them your list of people who deliver good work.
• Marketing Experiments: What worked? What failed? Document the wins so you don't pay to learn the same lesson twice.

Why it Matters:

You are paying for leverage. If you hire a marketing manager but give them no systems, you haven't hired help; you've hired a project. Good documentation allows this person to be a modular hub, plugging in freelancers and agencies efficiently.

Phase 4: The Machine (Full Team & Specialized Roles)

You are scaling past 20 employees. You might be expanding into new regional markets or diversifying into production or commercial work. You have a senior marketing leader and specialized staff (content, social, data).

What to Document:

• Comprehensive Knowledge Management: Formal onboarding processes for new hires.
• The "Expansion Template": How do we launch a new community? How do we enter a new market? Turn your growth strategy into a checklist.
• Attribution Models: Detailed tracking of where every dollar goes and what it brings back.

Why it Matters:

Consistency at scale. When you have a team, you can't rely on tribal knowledge. If your senior marketer leaves, the machine must keep running. This level of documentation changes your business from a personality-driven operation into a saleable asset.

PS: The elephant in the room