Yesterday was the last date of the Xero roadshow, back in Southampton by popular demand after a tour of the UK in April. A FREE training day for accountants and bookkeepers provided by a software company, this is definitely a different way of doing things.
A day to remind us why Xero is so good for business! Many UK businesses are turning to the cloud for their accounting package. The advantages are huge. No software to install which means no messy updates to worry about, no corrupt files. The software is easy to use. Your data is totally secure. You can access your financial information anywhere that has an internet connection, even on your mobile.
12,000 UK businesses are now using Xero software, which means that every day in the UK there are over 13,000 automatic bank feeds telling business owners how much they have in the bank right now! They have real time information ALL the time! And a user interface that looks good and tells them how much their business owes and is owed.
Just as important, the same information can be used by both businesses and accountants, even at the same time! Everyone has a complete picture of what is going on! This is a game changer in accounting products.
Xero is loved by accountants and bookkeepers for other reasons too. It is one of the few online accounting software products accredited by the Institute of Chartered Accountants, who have extremely rigorous criteria. It is also accredited by the Institute of Certified Bookkeepers. A quality accounting software product designed for small business.
We were all put through our paces yesterday with an in depth look at how to use Xero better, with some handy online tips. And I’m sure that everyone, however much they use Xero learned something from this session. In an ideal world, all business owners should have the comfort that their accountant is regularly updated on how to use the accounting software! But in the real world, this too is a way of doing things differently. A welcome introduction to Move My Books followed, which makes converting from other packages a realistic prospect.
In the afternoon we all enjoyed really useful marketing session from MD Gary Turner. He is a fantastic speaker, and targeted the one thing that accountants and bookkeepers would probably all say that we are only reasonable at best at. Gary practises what he preaches and I learned a huge amount, from ‘how to run a fantastic event’ to ‘how to make a presentation look easy’.
A huge thank you to all the fantastic speakers on the day, Glen Foster, Business Development Manager at Xero, who inspired us to look to the future of accounting, Nathan Travers, Partner Support, who had the difficult job of providing the in-depth training and MD Gary Turner.
Xero are investing a huge amount in the software which means two things. They are fixing the issues that everyone grumbled about in the past. And more and more businesses are using Xero. Just like the mobile phone, cloud accounting is here to stay. As Gary Turner said yesterday “If there ever was a year to switch to Xero THIS IS IT!” It is still early days, and not everyone is ready yet, but if you are interested in taking a free trial of Xero software please get in touch, as the revolution is coming!
