A look back on 11 years with Xero…
-Why Xero is at the core of everything we do…
Cloud 360 Accounting has been shortlisted as one of the Top 3 finalists in the UK for, ‘Small Firm of the Year’ at the annual Xero Awards. We will attend the awards this week, virtually for obvious reasons, complete in red carpet glam – fluffy slippers at the ready.
This is our second year being nominated and has caused us to look back on our journey with Xero. Our company is really rooted in Xero. In this week’s blog we’re explaining why Xero is so important to us, why we believe in it and how Xero can truly impact your business. Who knows, in the words of many good Liverpool fans maybe this year will be our year!
Back to the beginning
In 2010 we became the first Xero certified advisers in Northern Ireland. Bank feed technology was in its infancy and we could clearly see that this was the future of how accountants would work with their clients. Bank feeds are now commonplace, but at that time it really was ground-breaking, and the bank feed has remained a central feature of Xero’s platform. Since then, the platform has grown and continued to improve and develop.
Our focus at Cloud 360 Accounting is to help business owners make more money, save time, build better systems and gain peace of mind. We do this by providing small businesses with their very own finance department. Not only do our clients have access to our team of experts, but we build out their financial systems and process in a turnkey way. Xero is the central platform in this process.
Here are our top five reasons for why Xero is at the heart of what we do…
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Xero really does ‘beautiful business’
With any digital tech it is so important that the user interface is attractive and easy to use. Logging into Xero everyday is one of the first things as a team that we do – we are very familiar with the white blue and light colour scheme and effective dashboard, and it is something that also appeals to our clients. The visual aspects of Xero make is very easy to use and is a huge selling point for our clients. We love the colour scheme so much that it really is part of our DNA, the colours are reflected in our own logo, website and marketing materials.
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Xero is made for both accountants and small business owners
Ultimately, everyone wants to get paid on time or at the very least paid faster. The features on Xero allow for this and over the past 11 years we have seen how business life has improved because of the continued work by Xero to update and improve. The features we love include: online invoicing, recurring invoices, automated invoice delivery and invoice reminders to curb late payments. Getting invoices sent to customers quickly and getting paid on time is a most for small businesses in today’s world – and Xero makes this super easy to do.
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Xero can integrate with thousands of apps
Xero can link into thousands of other pieces of digital tech and other cloud applications. No matter what your business or industry, there will be an app stack that we can build to help support the information you require from Xero.
Our favourite apps include, Dext Prepare, Dext Precision, Float Forecasting, Fathom Reporting, Syft Analytics and GoCardless for Xero.
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Xero is the single source of truth
Over the years we have seen so many businesses whose financial systems are in a mess. They are using an invoicing app, alongside an Excel spreadsheet, coupled with a bank statement as well as bridging software to file VAT via HMRC Making Tax Digital. This is disjointed, stressful and makes finding the information you require a nightmare. Xero is a simple way to mitigate this. Make your business more efficient by having one single source of information to handle all financial reports. By having a digital system like Xero your business can go paperless, all invoices, receipts and financial documents will be stored securely within Xero and attached to the relevant transactions.
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Xero’s community
It is important for us, and for our clients that we are constantly evolving and improving as a business and as their trusted advisors. Xero helps us achieve this with their ongoing education and the vast array of accounting and business resource that is built across their ecosystem.
We are also in contact with hundreds of other Xero advisors across the UK and further afield. We share best practice and answer how-to questions for one another. This really helps the small business community as a whole and we bring this shared knowledge to our clients in the services we provide.
Looking to the future with Xero
Around eight years ago we gave some thought to offering clients more than just one accounting software. after thinking it through we decided against this.
Our gut feeling was that Xero’s journey had only just begun. That gut feeling has proven to be correct and we know there is much more to come from Xero. We’re looking forward to being part of that journey with Xero.