We have been working with Xero accounts software for a number of years and have found it to be very valuable to some businesses. So what are the benefits for our customers?
We started working with a large national charity in 2014 and when they approached us their main concern that they didn't have visibility of their accounts as they worked in various locations around the country. Our solution was to move the accounts to Xero giving immediate visibility and accessibility to relevant staff. Within a very short time the finance executive was able to extract the figures needed for finance meetings and know the payment status of every customer. The charity issues several hundreds of invoices which we raise and send on their behalf. Taking payments through Paypal with direct feed into Xero and direct feed bank transactions has simplified maintaining the accounts and enables the finance team to do their own credit control. The finance team, having experience of both Sage and Xero, are delighted with the way Xero has made their life easier and less reliant on information being provided to them.
Two and a half years ago we began working with a farrier who had seen Xero, and us, working with a customer of his and he could see the value of both Xero and getting someone else to help him. Xero is ideal for his business. He shoes a horse, raises an invoice, takes payment on his card machine and weekly we match receipts with invoices. He can easily review his customers' accounts on Xero and ensure those on account are up to date before his next visit. We deal with the rest of his accounts, ensuring all payments are correctly allocated and VAT returns filed and paid on time. Using Xero has changed his business (and his life) completely. He now knows exactly who owes him money and how much.
Recently we did some training with a new business who wanted to use Xero mainly for invoicing as they had to send 100s of similar invoices. They had a very clear picture of what they needed to achieve and knew that Xero was the right software to do it but weren't sure how best to set it up. We used tracking and lots of very specific accounts codes to achieve what they needed for reporting purposes. They didn't need bank feeds - in fact that would have made it more difficult for them - but they aren't necessary as there are other ways to ensure your figures are correct.
Xero isn't right for all businesses - in fact we have some businesses that we have moved back to Sage - but it is ideal for many. Having up to date information, being able to add notes to transactions, being able to email a large number of invoices at the same time, identifying outstanding debt quickly and following it up and being able to see your management accounts at the click of a button makes maintaining your accounts so much simpler.
If Xero is something you are considering for your business give us a call and we can talk through with you whether it will be the best choice for your business.
