accountancy-software

Our view at Stack - Xero is a cloud-based accounting platform that offers numerous benefits. It simplifies financial management with automated bank feeds, allowing you to save time on data entry. Create, email, and print professional invoices effortlessly. Access your finances in real time via the cloud from any device. Retain records of income, expenses, assets, and liabilities securely online. Whether you’re a small business owner or an accountant, Xero streamlines your financial processes and provides a clear view of your financial health.

In today’s rapidly evolving accounting landscape, embracing cloud technology is no longer optional – it’s essential. But for many small firms, navigating the sea of available solutions can be overwhelming. That’s where Xero ambassadors like Scope Solutions come in, bridging the gap between cutting-edge technology and practical implementation.

I recently sat down with Brian Ferris and Neville Micallef, co-founders of Scope Solutions, our Xero ambassador for Malta, Cyprus and the UAE, to discuss how they’re helping accountants and bookkeepers harness the power of the cloud to grow their practices and better serve their clients.

The cloud adoption challenge

Adam (Xero): Brian, what’s the biggest hurdle you see accountants facing when it comes to cloud adoption?

Brian Ferris: The sheer number of options can be paralysing. There are fantastic solutions out there, like Xero, that can truly transform how accountants work. But for those without a strong tech background, it’s challenging to know where to start. That’s why we position ourselves as a tech partner, guiding accountants through this transformation and connecting them with the right-fit solutions.

Tailoring solutions to individual needs

Adam: How does Scope approach helping firms with their unique needs?

Neville Micallef: We recognise that every accounting practice is at a different stage in their cloud journey. Some are just starting out, while others are looking to optimise their existing tech stack. Our approach is to first understand their specific needs, challenges, and goals. Then, we create a tailored plan to help them utilise cloud innovations to streamline financial management, automate routine tasks, and access real-time data.

Navigating the Xero App Store

Adam: With so many apps available in the Xero App Store, how do you help accountants avoid app overload?

Brian: It’s true, the choices can be overwhelming. Xero alone integrates with over 1,100 connected apps. At Scope, we take a hands-on approach to curating the best solutions. We research thousands of apps, rigorously test hundreds, and ultimately recommend only those that meet our strict criteria for security, flexibility, and scalability. This way, accountants can trust that they’re implementing tools that will truly add value to their practice.

The evolving role of accountants

Adam: How do you see cloud technology changing the accounting profession?

Neville: Cloud solutions like Xero are freeing accountants from time-consuming manual tasks, allowing them to evolve into trusted advisors for their clients. By automating routine work, accountants can focus on providing strategic insights and value-added services. It’s an exciting shift that’s taking the profession to a whole new level.

Looking ahead: The future of cloud accounting

Adam: What excites you most about the future of cloud accounting?

Brian: The potential for integration and automation is incredible. We’re seeing systems that can talk to each other seamlessly, providing real-time insights and freeing up accountants to focus on high-value work. With Xero leading the charge, we’re excited to help more firms make the most of these tools to drive growth and deliver exceptional client service.

Partnering for success

At Xero, we’re proud to work with ambassadors like Scope Solutions who share our vision of empowering accountants through technology. By simplifying cloud adoption and providing expert guidance, Scope is helping accounting firms across Malta, Cyprus and the UAE thrive in the digital age.

About Scope Solutions: Founded in 2012, Scope Solutions is a leading cloud solutions and SaaS specialist based in Malta. As a Xero ambassador for Malta, Cyprus and UAE, its team of cloud transformation experts and qualified accountants helps finance professionals navigate and optimise their use of Xero and cloud solutions.

The post Navigating cloud adoption: A conversation with Xero ambassador Scope Solutions appeared first on Xero Blog.

If Xero is of interest and you'd like more information, please do make contact or take a look in more detail here.

Credit: Original article published here.

Our view at Stack - Xero is a cloud-based accounting platform that offers numerous benefits. It simplifies financial management with automated bank feeds, allowing you to save time on data entry. Create, email, and print professional invoices effortlessly. Access your finances in real time via the cloud from any device. Retain records of income, expenses, assets, and liabilities securely online. Whether you’re a small business owner or an accountant, Xero streamlines your financial processes and provides a clear view of your financial health.

It’s been a huge three months: we’ve hosted Xerocons in both London and Nashville, and have been hard at work delivering numerous product updates, many inspired by your ideas, requests, and feedback. In last month’s edition we shared how we’re making it easier for you to navigate and tab through fields in invoicing, and in July we rolled out the ability to toggle payment methods on and off in your payment settings without leaving Xero. We heard your feedback about wanting faster, simplified content searches, so we rolled out AI-generated search results in the help menu, and you’re now able to bulk void bills, credit notes and payslips on a single page. (Read more in the June edition).

This month we’re excited to share more exciting enhancements with you. We’ve added more ways for customers to pay, including Tap to Pay on Android (initially in Australia), released Xero Inventory Plus in the US, and continued improving new invoicing. 

Global: Offering small businesses more ways to get paid with Tap to Pay and Klarna

We know from the Xero Small Business Insights Special Report, Crunch: Cash flow challenges facing small businesses, that late payments are the number one cause of cash flow concerns for small businesses and that chasing payments is both stressful and time-consuming. To provide more ways for small businesses to accept payments and help manage cash flow, we’ve launched Tap to Pay on Android (the first major accounting platform to do so) in Australia, and in the UK (coming soon), via our partnership with Stripe. Plus, we’ve added even more ways to pay with one single sign-on, including online bank transfers in the United States as well as Klarna, a buy now, pay later option available in the United States, New Zealand, United Kingdom, and Canada. 

Global: Further enhancements to the new version of invoicing [Product Idea]

More features from classic invoicing are being rolled out in the new version of invoicing. This includes the ability to view tax rates and breakdowns in the invoice creation screen, and because of your idea, record overpayments against invoices so that credit can be applied to future invoices. 

Global: Duplicate items in your products and services inventory list [Product idea]

When creating new items in your products and services inventory list, you can now duplicate and edit an existing item. This will make it quicker to add similar items to your catalogue, with less chance of manual error.

Global: Quickly see how accounts are mapped to report codes in chart of accounts

If you’re a Xero accounting or bookkeeping partner, you might be interested in the new report code column in the chart of accounts screen that helps you quickly see how accounts are mapped to report codes.

AU: Improved user experience for the employee opening balances tab within Xero Payroll

To help save time and ensure more accurate payroll from the first pay run, we’ve modernised the user interface, included more informative content, and ensured the page meets accessibility standards.

NZ: Making payroll admin easier with flexible working patterns [Product Idea]

Payroll processing in New Zealand just got easier in Xero. You  can now specify a work pattern of up to two weeks in length for employees, which gives you more flexibility in defining their working hours. This allows for more precise tracking and more accurate leave accruals. Additionally, annual leave is now displayed in weeks, eliminating the need for adjustments when work arrangements change. These enhancements will streamline processes, reduce manual tasks, and ensure greater legislative compliance.

UK: Auto-extraction of payment details from bill attachments

For businesses paying supplier bills directly from Xero, this new feature streamlines the payment process by automatically extracting and validating bank details from bill attachments. This automation reduces the need for manual updates and checks, saving time and minimising errors. By ensuring that the payment information flows seamlessly into the payment process, the auto-extract feature helps prevent failed payments due to outdated or incorrect payment details and reduces the risk of fraud.

UK: Improving RTI filings in payroll

If you’re a payroll admin, it’s now easier for you to access historic real-time information (RTI) submissions for reverted and deleted pay runs, giving you better transparency and ability to self-serve. You can download your historic RTI  submissions from the RTI filings table in payroll.

US: Connect  Amazon (FBA) with Xero Inventory Plus to manage your inventory more efficiently

We’re excited to announce the official launch of Xero Inventory Plus with a brand new integration with Amazon. Through the new Xero integration with Fulfilment by Amazon (FBA) program or the existing connection with Shopify, you can manage inventory, fulfilment and reordering in one place and get key insights to grow your business. You can add Inventory Plus to your Xero Growing or Established plan for $39 USD/month. Simply click here and get your first month free.

US: Simplify sales tax with state-based sales tax reports

It’s now easier for you to find and use sales functionality tax in Xero. The revamped sales tax home screen centralises Xero’s sales tax features, providing easy access to reporting and calculations alongside helpful information to guide you through the reporting process. All US users can now access sales tax reports that are automatically generated by state and by filing period with filing deadlines, saving you time in preparing to file reports and simplifying sales tax  management. Click on the Accounting tab within Xero to get started.

US: Streamline 1099 preparation with third-party payment exclusions 

Xero helps you automatically detect and filter out third-party payments from Stripe, PayPal, and Venmo that should be excluded from your 1099s. This reduces the manual work you need to do, saving time during the busy season, and helping your clients stay compliant.

These are just some of the updates that have rolled out in Xero this month. You can check out the August edition here, and for a full list of what’s new this September, see the release notes in Xero Central. 

The post What’s new in Xero – September 2024 appeared first on Xero Blog.

If Xero is of interest and you'd like more information, please do make contact or take a look in more detail here.

Credit: Original article published here.

Our view at Stack - Xero is a cloud-based accounting platform that offers numerous benefits. It simplifies financial management with automated bank feeds, allowing you to save time on data entry. Create, email, and print professional invoices effortlessly. Access your finances in real time via the cloud from any device. Retain records of income, expenses, assets, and liabilities securely online. Whether you’re a small business owner or an accountant, Xero streamlines your financial processes and provides a clear view of your financial health.

As National Payroll Week kicks off today, the team at Xero wants to extend a special thank you to our incredible community of small businesses and accountants across the UK who manage payroll. This week is dedicated to shining a spotlight on the importance of payroll and recognising the invaluable work done by those who ensure employees are paid accurately and on time.

The impact of payroll on the UK economy

Payroll might seem like a behind-the-scenes function, but its influence is profound. In fact, payroll professionals contribute significantly to the UK’s economy, helping collect a staggering £404 billion through PAYE, income tax, and National Insurance.* This revenue supports public services, infrastructure, and much more, underscoring how crucial accurate payroll management is to our daily lives.

Faster payroll with Xero

Xero understands the complexities of payroll and aims to make running payroll as easy as possible. In fact, our recent survey found that 92% of small businesses say they run payroll faster with Xero.**. Xero brings your accounting and payroll together in one place and is designed to streamline payroll tasks, so that you can handle payroll efficiently and confidently. With Xero, you can:

• automate payroll calculations: reduce errors and save time with automated tax calculations and deductions
• ensure compliance: stay up-to-date with the latest regulations and compliance requirements
• simplify administration: manage employee records, timesheets, payslips and more with ease

To learn more about Xero payroll and what it can do for your business, check out the payroll webpage.

Join Xero’s live payroll webinar

To mark National Payroll Week 2024, our payroll experts are running a live, interactive webinar. Register now to discover the latest in the industry, how it might affect your work and how Xero payroll software can help. 

Webinar: Discover Xero Payroll for your business

Tuesday 3 September at 2pm BST

Register now

Need assistance? Check out our YouTube channel

If you find yourself needing a bit of extra help with payroll, head over to the Xero YouTube channel or Xero Central, where you can find a range of new videos designed to assist with payroll management. From step-by-step guides to troubleshooting tips, this content will help you get the most out of Xero payroll.

Thank you to our community

As we celebrate National Payroll Week, we want to express our sincere gratitude to all our Xero small businesses and accountants. Your dedication to managing payroll accurately and efficiently is instrumental in the success of countless businesses and the overall economy. Thank you for trusting Xero as your payroll partner and for all the hard work you do, day in and day out.

Let’s continue to work together to make payroll a little less daunting and a lot more rewarding. Happy National Payroll Week!

*Source: Tax receipts and NI contributions table.  https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/hmrc-tax-and-nics-receipts-for-the-uk 

**Source: Survey by Xero of 254 small businesses in the UK using Xero, May 2024

The post Celebrating payroll professionals on UK National Payroll Week appeared first on Xero Blog.

If Xero is of interest and you'd like more information, please do make contact or take a look in more detail here.

Credit: Original article published here.

Our view at Stack - Xero is a cloud-based accounting platform that offers numerous benefits. It simplifies financial management with automated bank feeds, allowing you to save time on data entry. Create, email, and print professional invoices effortlessly. Access your finances in real time via the cloud from any device. Retain records of income, expenses, assets, and liabilities securely online. Whether you’re a small business owner or an accountant, Xero streamlines your financial processes and provides a clear view of your financial health.

It’s no secret the accounting and bookkeeping industry has been battling a critical talent shortage for some time. In fact, we’ve conducted new research that reveals almost two-thirds of employing practices (65%) have experienced challenges with finding and keeping the right staff in recent years.

Our report, Reshaping accounting and bookkeeping: Image, talent and the way forward, suggests this talent problem is, in part, due to an image problem, with most accountants and bookkeepers (81%) agreeing their industry needs to do a better job of conveying the full scope and impact of what they do. While these issues can’t be solved in isolation, there are things we can do to help resolve them.

This is why we’re launching Xero Mentor Match, a new peer-to-peer mentoring initiative for Xero’s Australian accounting and bookkeeping partners. The program aims to offer you – the accounting and bookkeeping community – a platform for connection, whether you’re looking to educate and inspire your peers, or learn from industry-leading role models who represent what it means to be an advisor today.

How Mentor Match works

Xero has partnered with Mentorloop – which provides mentoring software trusted by organisations worldwide – to bring the Mentor Match program to life. It uses a unique algorithm to analyse program cohorts and create equitable, peer-to-peer connections. This means mentors and mentees are matched according to their complementary interests, skills and goals. 

Mentor Match is for all Xero partners (ie, anyone who works in an accounting or bookkeeping firm that is part of the Xero partner program), from practice owners and decision-makers through to undergraduates and interns. Regardless of your age, experience or skill level, you’ll have the opportunity to learn from the industry’s brightest minds, or inspire – and be inspired by – the next generation of talent.

Meet the foundation mentors

Speaking of bright minds, we’ve launched Mentor Match with some of the industry’s best. Anyone who joins the program could have a chance to be matched with one of the foundation mentors. This is a group of Xero Partner Advisory Council members, past Xero Award winners, and some influential names in the accounting and bookkeeping community, including:

• Aly Garrett, Founder at All in Advisory
• Andrew Van De Beek, Founder and Head of Purpose at Illumin8
• Bec Buchanan, Director at Straight Up Bookkeeping
• Cassandra Scott, Director at Laurus Bookkeeping
• Grace Occleshaw, Client and Advisory Manager at BYO Group
• Jarrod Morris, Partner at Pitch Labs
• Karla Hourigan, Co-Founder and Head of Purpose at MAD Wealth
• Lisa Turner, Director at Accounted For You
• Mark Lawry, Chief Operating Officer at Suntax
• Moushumi Sikand, Director at Ethical CFO Services & Bookkeeping
• Ryan Miller, Chief Executive Officer at Keeping Company
• Sarah Lawrance, Founder at Hot Toast
• Sarah Pilling, Partner at Bramble and Briar
• Shannon Smit, Director at Smart Business Solutions
• Zac Hayes, Managing Director at HA Accounting

Are you ready to meet your match?

If you’re looking to help shape what it means to be an accountant or bookkeeper today, Mentor Match is the program for you. Head to the Xero Mentor Match web page to learn more, and sign up to become a mentor, mentee, or both in just a few minutes. 

Let the matchmaking begin!

The post Introducing Xero Mentor Match, a mentoring program for accounting and bookkeeping partners appeared first on Xero Blog.

If Xero is of interest and you'd like more information, please do make contact or take a look in more detail here.

Credit: Original article published here.

Our view at Stack - Xero is a cloud-based accounting platform that offers numerous benefits. It simplifies financial management with automated bank feeds, allowing you to save time on data entry. Create, email, and print professional invoices effortlessly. Access your finances in real time via the cloud from any device. Retain records of income, expenses, assets, and liabilities securely online. Whether you’re a small business owner or an accountant, Xero streamlines your financial processes and provides a clear view of your financial health.

The anticipation is building as we count down to the Xero Asia Roadshow in Kuala Lumpur. We’ve got an exciting programme for you and we can’t wait to share it!

Winning on purpose

This year, we’re all about helping you win on purpose. 

We all have a purpose that drives us, whether that be supporting our customers and clients with world-class experiences, growing our businesses, or nurturing our staff. At this year’s Xero Roadshow, we’ll share how technology, trends and changes will help us all deliver on this goal.

You’ll get the latest updates from Xero, which are designed to better support you and your small business clients. Expect actionable insights that will not only enhance your practice but also infuse it with a renewed sense of purpose.

The future of accounting with AI and more

Artificial intelligence (AI) is changing the game, and we’re here to show you how it can supercharge your services. At the roadshow, you’ll get a sneak peek into the future of small business and discover how you can stay ahead of the curve with AI.

We’ll also cover crucial topics like data privacy and security, especially important as new technologies come into play. Plus, we’ll show you how Xero can help your practice stay compliant with Malaysia’s new e-invoicing mandate.

Connect, learn, and grow together

One of the best parts of the Xero Asia Roadshow is the chance to connect with our amazing partner community. Whether you’re attending solo or with your team, take the opportunity to network with accountants and bookkeepers from across the region.

And don’t miss out on meeting our app partners. With an exciting lineup of exhibitors, this is your chance to learn about the apps that can take your practice to the next level.

Ready to see what’s next for your Xero journey and the accounting industry as a whole? Join us at the Xero Asia Roadshow at Shangri-La Kuala Lumpur on 12 September. Plus, you can earn CPD points while you’re at it. We can’t wait to see you there!

The post What you can look forward to at the Xero Asia Roadshow 2024 appeared first on Xero Blog.

If Xero is of interest and you'd like more information, please do make contact or take a look in more detail here.

Credit: Original article published here.

Our view at Stack - Xero is a cloud-based accounting platform that offers numerous benefits. It simplifies financial management with automated bank feeds, allowing you to save time on data entry. Create, email, and print professional invoices effortlessly. Access your finances in real time via the cloud from any device. Retain records of income, expenses, assets, and liabilities securely online. Whether you’re a small business owner or an accountant, Xero streamlines your financial processes and provides a clear view of your financial health.

We’re committed to continuously improving your invoicing experience in Xero. And as we transition to the new version of invoicing, we’re rolling out more features and enhancements designed to streamline your workflow and boost productivity. 

As a reminder, there are some important changes happening in Xero invoicing:

• Beginning the week of 2 September 2024 at 9am NZT, we will be defaulting users to the new version of invoicing experience on a rolling basis. From the time you are defaulted, you will see the new invoicing experience each time you log in to Xero.
• We’ve extended the availability of classic invoicing, so users can choose to temporarily switch back to it until 20 November at 9am NZT, when classic invoicing will be retired.

What’s coming before classic invoicing retirement

We have been making many improvements to new invoicing based on your feedback to better accommodate a wider range of invoicing needs and complexities. For example, many of the ideas shared with us related to ways we could improve the experience when creating a regular high number of invoices.  By making improvements for these complex scenarios, customers with more basic needs also benefit. If you haven’t tried new invoicing recently, we encourage you to jump in and have a look at the latest enhancements. 

And there are still many more product updates coming before retiring classic invoicing. If you are worried about a feature that is missing, be sure you first check out the list below to see if it’s still on the way. 

• View tax rates and breakdowns in the invoice creation screen.
• Set currency exchange rates for your invoice.
• Record overpayments against invoices so that credit can be applied to future invoices.
• Efficient date entry, including easy access to calendar picker and new keyboard entry options.
• More compact line item display, reducing the need to scroll horizontally and vertically.
• Easier inventory management, including the ability to edit items, view more items in the dropdown faster, and view stock on hand in quantity cell for tracked inventory.
• Add new tracking options while editing an invoice to see how different areas of your business such as departments or locations are performing.

We also have implemented some performance enhancements to speed up the new invoicing experience and will continue to do this over the coming months. These enhancements build on the features already available in the new version of invoicing, you can see the full list here on Xero Central.

More innovation coming for new invoicing

The switch to new invoicing will unlock the ability for us to deliver many really important feature requests that you’ve been asking for. So what are some of the exciting updates planned? 

• New customisation tools: The launch of our new invoice template editor, designed to help you create invoices that leave a lasting impression. This new experience will give small businesses the ability to easily customise invoices that truly represent their brand – including customised colours, renaming columns, new font options, and more flexible payment settings. We’ll be launching a beta for our US customers later this year before releasing it globally.
• Send invoices via SMS:  Available in beta for our Australian customers now, with plans to roll out to US customers soon (and other regions to follow). This exclusive functionality allows you to initiate an SMS send for your Xero invoice, making it simple and efficient for your customers to pay you wherever they are.
• Streamlined payments experience: We are working to better enable the way payments are collected globally. We recently announced a range of ways we are improving the experience and offering more ways to pay. 
• Credit notes updates: We’ll be updating the user experience to make it more aligned to the invoicing experience, with improved file preview and more detailed history.

There are also a range of other requests this functionality will unlock that we are building into our roadmaps after the retirement of classic invoicing. For example:

• Providing options to set up flexible payments for a project, including the ability to take deposits or split total balances into multiple payments over time. 
• Improving how outstanding invoices are managed, including automated follow ups and better visibility over payment status.
• Making the setup of recurring invoices more flexible with improved scheduling options and payment methods to collect recurring payments.
• Enabling multiple invoices to be paid at once via a statement. 

This really is just the beginning of our journey to bolster our invoicing product and we want you to know how committed we are to continuing to improve it. 

Keeping you informed, every step of the way

Your feedback has been important to us and as we approach the retirement of classic invoicing, it remains important. 

As a reminder, to see which features have already been released in new invoicing, which features are coming before classic invoicing is retired, and how new invoicing compares to the older version, visit the new invoicing releases page on Xero Central.

We encourage you to share your ideas in Xero Product Ideas, and the support team is also here to help and give you a hand with any questions about these updates.

The post New features coming to Xero invoicing appeared first on Xero Blog.

If Xero is of interest and you'd like more information, please do make contact or take a look in more detail here.

Credit: Original article published here.

Our view at Stack - Xero is a cloud-based accounting platform that offers numerous benefits. It simplifies financial management with automated bank feeds, allowing you to save time on data entry. Create, email, and print professional invoices effortlessly. Access your finances in real time via the cloud from any device. Retain records of income, expenses, assets, and liabilities securely online. Whether you’re a small business owner or an accountant, Xero streamlines your financial processes and provides a clear view of your financial health.

“I used to volunteer at a local food distribution program. Seeing the kids we served take food to their home made me want to do something beyond just providing a basic necessity,” said Mae Anderson, Chairman of Art Outreach, a non-profit arts intermediary dedicated to supporting art practitioners as well as championing art appreciation and visual literacy in Singapore. “I wanted to spark their curiosity and help them get the same sort of education my kids benefited from.”

Art Outreach was one of the 2023 winners in the ‘Strengthening Community Connection’ category of the Xero Beautiful Business Fund. They were recognised for their work with students, local communities and artists to raise visual art literacy and appreciation in Singapore. We spoke with Mae and with Colin Wan, General Manager & Chief Creative, about the advent of Art Outreach and how the organisation works towards art education for the community, by the community.

Sparking a love for art

Art Outreach began as an organisation offering art education programmes for primary and secondary school students. “Back in 2003, the local school curriculum was challenging and focused on STEM subjects. There wasn’t a lot of emphasis on arts and humanities,” said Mae. “And that’s a shame because art can be a strong source of motivation and education.”

Mae and the team would champion art education as a way to fill this gap in the syllabus. “When we put an artwork in front of a child, we often ask them questions like, ‘What do you see?’, ‘Why do you think that or feel that way?’, ‘If this piece of art was about something that happened in Singapore at this particular time, what do you think was happening in Vietnam at the same time?’. These questions may sound simple but it helps a child think through what they’re seeing and draw connections across places, time periods and communities.”

Working with students remains a big part of the organisation, particularly through school assembly talks and the ARTLink community programme for underprivileged children. Art Outreach also works to support local artists, partnering with both young and experienced talent to reach new markets for their work. “A lot of contemporary artists here want to engage audiences as part of practising art. We offer a space for them to create and exhibit their work, as well as opportunities to learn from their peers and experts on how to grow their career as artists sustainably.”

As of this year, Art Outreach has helped 339 practitioners and reached almost 500,000 people through all their programmes.

Staying above board with Xero

With so many different programmes running throughout the year, keeping track of operations and managing finances has always been a key priority for the team. As a registered charity, Art Outreach is recognised as an Institute of a Public Character (IPC). They are required to submit an annual report and financial statements every year to maintain their status, a task that requires careful data management and one that the team takes seriously. 

“It’s because we are a charity that we need to be even more responsible for our cost-to-income ratio. We need to show our funders that they can trust us and that we will carry their ambitions alongside ours all the way to the finish line,” said Mae. “Xero has been an incredible help and allows small organisations like ours to punch above our weight.” Their effort has paid off: Art Outreach was one of four art nonprofits to win the Charity Transparency Award several times, since implementing Xero in 2019. 

“We can’t live without Xero,” said Colin, who had spearheaded the move. “Before implementing Xero, the process was tedious and time-consuming, requiring frequent trips to our bookkeepers. Now, it’s much easier to extract the information we need, especially when preparing annual reports and applying for grants.” 

Colin was the one who heard about the Xero Beautiful Business Fund and suggested Mae record their entry video. “After 20 years of pitching our charity and doing outreach, I couldn’t believe that all it took to enter was to share our message,” Mae said. “Xero made the entry process incredibly easy, which tells me that they genuinely want to empower small organisations like ours.”

Building capacity for the future

“It’s very rare to see funders who are willing to trust that a charity knows where and how to apply the funds they give thoughtfully,” said Mae. “The money we won was able to not only cover the cost for a particular new programme, but also towards unglamorous things like capacity building and overheads, allowing us to keep growing sustainably.”

That particular programme was Off the Wall, a new initiative that invited three urban street artists to transform an indoor space into an immersive exhibition. “Visitors could come and see the murals which were painted live over the course of six weeks, speak to the artists to hear about the vision behind the work, and even purchase a print of a section of the mural in support” explained Mae. “The project proved so successful that we chose to bring Off the Wall back with three new artists this year.”

Winning the fund allowed Art Outreach to launch new programmes and offset some of the costs that come from running a non-profit. But it was how they put the funds to use that made the real difference. 

“I always advocate for charities to understand how to prepare to receive funding. Running a successful charity requires both the donor and the beneficiary to come up with a programme that really drives catalytic change while adhering to sustainable business practices,” said Mae. “Ask the hard questions like ‘How do we hire the best people?’, ‘How can we take care of them?’ or ‘How do we ensure financial viability over the long term?’ These are things that all charities need to be thinking about.”

We’re thrilled to share that the Xero Beautiful Business Fund is back for 2024. Entries close on 27 August 2024 NZT.

The 2023 winners are an incredible group of small businesses and nonprofits who are passionate about solving problems and making an impact in their local communities. We’re spotlighting some of the past winners to hear more about how the fund has impacted their business and helped them achieve their goals. Read the stories of other Xero Beautiful Business Fund winners

The post How Art Outreach is drawing on the Xero Beautiful Business Fund to create new possibilities for education appeared first on Xero Blog.

If Xero is of interest and you'd like more information, please do make contact or take a look in more detail here.

Credit: Original article published here.

Our view at Stack - Xero is a cloud-based accounting platform that offers numerous benefits. It simplifies financial management with automated bank feeds, allowing you to save time on data entry. Create, email, and print professional invoices effortlessly. Access your finances in real time via the cloud from any device. Retain records of income, expenses, assets, and liabilities securely online. Whether you’re a small business owner or an accountant, Xero streamlines your financial processes and provides a clear view of your financial health.

“I kept seeing a lot of useful material getting thrown out to the landfill, construction waste mainly, things like metal, wood, plasterboard and concrete which are all reusable with a little work,” says Dan Butterfield, owner of Kiwi Skips, a New Zealand-based on-demand skip hire company committed to sustainable waste management. “Watching it all go to waste felt wrong – but it was pretty easy to fix.”

Kiwi Skips was a winner of the ‘Innovating for Sustainability’ category in the 2023 Xero Beautiful Business Fund for their work promoting zero waste management. We sat down with Dan for a chat about his journey from engineer to entrepreneur, and what he has in store for the future.

Starting from scrap

Construction waste makes up about 50% of New Zealand’s total waste, with 20% going straight to landfill. “My parents ran a scrap metal facility. It makes me a fifth-generation recycler,” said Dan. “But I’m the first to take this beyond just recycling scrap metal. My wife and I started Kiwi Skips because we wanted to do things differently, we wanted to get people thinking about what can actually be done to dispose of waste responsibly and create real change in the industry.”

At 21, Dan started an engineering company working on upcycling metals and scrap for resell, which eventually grew into engineering skip bins for his parent’s scrapyard. Those early successes also brought with them some hard lessons in the industry. “A competitor put in a big order of skip bins and then backed out. I was left with a bunch of brand new skip bins on my hands and nowhere to put them,” said Dan. “Then I thought, why not hire them out?”

Out of that encounter, Kiwi Skips was born. One of the early tools that helped Dan grow his business was Xero. “It makes managing our finances really simple,” Dan said. “The software’s flexibility is very useful for a capital-intensive business like Kiwi Skips. We offer a lot of services – renting out wheelies and skips, and now liquid waste disposal – so being able to track all the different services on one platform helps us ensure each service is profitable, which has allowed us to grow to where we are today.”

Building a foundation with the Xero Beautiful Business Fund

Six years and a lot of work later, Kiwi Skips has won multiple awards for their efforts promoting sustainable waste management in Southland, handling a range of waste types from both construction sites and households. The next step in their plan was to get their own recycling and sorting facility specialising in construction and demolition waste. This plant would process waste from Southland and sort them before packing the recyclables to be shipped out for reuse. “For too long, most of this waste has ended up in landfill, which only serves the interests of the big players,” Dan said. “We want to get people to think differently about what can be done with it, and having our own facility is a big step towards that change.”

However, a brand new plant could cost upwards of $8 million, prompting Dan to apply his convictions about waste to the task. “Building a plant the traditional way would be both expensive and labour intensive, so we wanted to find a better alternative,” explained Dan. “We thought, ‘How cool would it be to build the recycling plant from recycled materials!’”

Kiwi Skips had secured most of the equipment needed for the plant including pre-used stacking conveyors from scrap yards, industrial magnets, and even the conveyor from the old Queenstown luge, which would function as the facility’s main sorting conveyor. But they needed additional resources to turn those ambitions into reality – making them a perfect fit for the Xero Beautiful Business Fund. 

“Our accounting team, who told us about the fund, gave us the kick up the pants we needed to finally put our application through,” Dan joked. “We spent a lot of time and effort on the video application trying to tell our story. We’re serious about what we’re doing and we don’t like to do things  in a half-baked way. But we knew that if we won, the fund would help a lot of people in the community.”

Turning waste into gold

After winning a share of the fund, the team decided to put the cash into hiring architects to design the facility. “Building with used materials meant we were constantly running into design challenges at the beginning. A lot of the time, it felt like nothing lined up,” said Dan. “The Xero Beautiful Business Fund gave us the resources to get professionals onboard and paint a much more cohesive picture of the whole thing.”

The new design charts a recycling facility that is cheaper to build and operate and transforms traditional recycling into a data-driven business. “Every piece of trash we collect will be weighed, categorised and sorted, with the data summarised into a digital report,” Dan explained. “This facility will be fully automated and capable of identifying recyclable and non-recyclable waste in real time.”  

Safety measures are also being put in place. As waste fires remain a big concern for recycling facilities, Dan plans to make worker safety paramount in the new plant. “The plan includes safety precautions like a comprehensive fire and evacuation plans to prevent any accidents,” said Dan. “We want to create the best conditions possible for the people in the building.”

Kiwi Skips is still raising the funds to finish the build, but instead of the quoted $8 million, Dan thinks it’ll be possible to complete for around $1.5 million, largely due to their architects’ advice on how to best combine new and refurbished materials. 

Winning a share of the fund has also helped spread the word about Kiwi Skips and their goal to build an eco-friendly recycling plant. “People are now sitting up and going, ‘Hey, these guys are serious!’,” said Dan. “We’ve got the attention of large companies now, which is something I could only have dreamed about before. It’s been a great year for us, and I’m optimistic about our future.”

Kiwi Skips may have been born out of a cancelled order of brand new skip bins through Dan’s engineering company, but Dan credits the support from his team and industry as his biggest win. 

“The pivotal moment for me was getting help from people with experience, rather than trying to do everything myself,” Dan explained. “Sometimes the best thing you can do is to reach out to others who are experts in their fields. Don’t be afraid to ask someone who’s done it before to mentor you. Most of the time, someone’s been where you’re going, and they’re more than happy to share some advice.”

We’re thrilled to share that the Xero Beautiful Business Fund is back for 2024 and entries are officially open.

The 2023 winners are an incredible group of small businesses and nonprofits who are passionate about solving problems and making an impact in their local communities. We’re spotlighting some of the past winners to hear more about how the fund has impacted their business and helped them achieve their goals. Read stories from other Xero Beautiful Business Fund winners by visiting the blog.

The post How Kiwi Skips is shaking up New Zealand’s recycling industry appeared first on Xero Blog.

If Xero is of interest and you'd like more information, please do make contact or take a look in more detail here.

Credit: Original article published here.

Our view at Stack - Xero is a cloud-based accounting platform that offers numerous benefits. It simplifies financial management with automated bank feeds, allowing you to save time on data entry. Create, email, and print professional invoices effortlessly. Access your finances in real time via the cloud from any device. Retain records of income, expenses, assets, and liabilities securely online. Whether you’re a small business owner or an accountant, Xero streamlines your financial processes and provides a clear view of your financial health.

The first thing people ask after I attend a Xerocon event is, “Well, how was it?” It’s such a simple question, and yet if you’ve ever attended Xerocon, you’ll understand why it’s so hard to answer.

How do I describe the excitement around Xero’s latest innovations? The in-depth discussions on industry trends? The connections made while wandering the exhibition floor? The new ideas sparked while chatting to app partners? The friendships formed at the wrap party?

I usually say, “It was incredible, I loved it,” knowing that it doesn’t come close to explaining the true value that I believe this kind of event brings to our industry.

And so, as we wrap up Xerocon Nashville, pack away our cowboy hats, say farewell to new friends and fly home to all corners of the globe, I thought I’d share a few reflections on what I learned from the event, and will take with me as I dive back into the day-to-day.

We’re all here to make an impact

Sukhinder Singh Cassidy, our CEO, opened Xerocon with a powerful reminder that Xero is — at its heart — a purpose-driven company. She touched on Xero’s strategy, ‘Winning on Purpose’ and how we believe there’s a huge opportunity to really help small businesses thrive, in partnership with accountants and bookkeepers.

It made me reflect on why I became an accountant in the first place — to help the small businesses that my family owned, and other entrepreneurs like them. And as I looked around the room, I could see that for all of us, the work we do isn’t just a career choice — it’s personal. 

In my own keynote, I challenged everyone to really think about what their purpose is and what brings them joy, because I believe there’s so much opportunity in this industry to make a real impact, and so many pathways to use the extraordinary skills you’ve developed.

As I go back to the daily grind, I’m going to spend more time thinking about the aspects of my own role that bring me joy (connecting with customers and listening to their needs, then feeding that back into the business) and what tasks I can perhaps automate or delegate. I encourage you to do the same.

You are at the forefront of the industry

At Xerocon, I was struck by how many small businesses across North America are served by the accountants, bookkeepers and app partners who attended Xerocon. It’s not often that you get so many cloud accounting leaders in the same room.

And these partners aren’t sticking to the status quo — they’re out there every day, innovating and empowering small businesses to take the next step. Staying one step ahead was a common theme across our sessions, too. Jordan Vos, a certified change practitioner in our Canadian team, shared some ways to get clients over the line when it comes to adopting digital tools. 

The one phrase that stood out to me was when he said “change is a personal decision.” Without a strong (and personal) “why,” then the client is unlikely to see the long-term value in the change. It’s such a great insight and one that I’m going to keep in mind as we help Xero customers continue to navigate change.

When it came to innovation, our EGM Technology Research & Advocacy, James Bergin, reminded us that, at the end of the day, technology is just a tool. Its true value lies in amplifying the work that we do and accelerating the innovation that we create. So when thinking about how to stay innovative, he challenged us all not to focus on the technology itself, but rather on what problems it can help us solve.

Understanding not only what drives true innovation, but also how to bring clients (and your team) on that journey, is a valuable skill set in any modern practice. Both of these sessions left many people in the audience madly taking notes, because the insights were both simple and profound.

It’s all about the human connection

Connecting with our accounting, bookkeeping and app partners is by far the highlight of Xerocon for me, and what I believe makes it so special. I learned so much from simply listening — to what you’re looking for in our product, the challenges you’re facing, how we can support you and what you’re excited about in the future.

The vulnerability shown by many of you in your conversations with me was inspiring. But it was also embraced by our speakers on stage. Liz Mason, one of our national ambassadors, delivered a powerful keynote on the transformation (and retransformation) of her practice into a CAS firm. 

When it comes to CAS, Liz is ahead of the game. She’s been doing it for more than 10 years, and has always encouraged advisors to embrace it at scale.

But when it comes to sharing that journey, I love how she didn’t just highlight the successes, but acknowledged the failures — the things that didn’t go well, the lessons she learned. Overall, it was an incredible success story, but it was a valuable reminder that to support each other — and the small businesses we all serve — we need to learn from each other.

It’s why I was so excited to announce that soon, we’ll be launching a mentoring program for Xero partners across the US and Canada, where you can share your strengths and learn from others in areas you want to develop. We’re really proud to play a role in continuing those important conversations, so stay tuned for more details.

Thank you for being part of our community

When Ashley Hansen Grech, our Chief Revenue Officer, was presenting the Xero Awards with me today, she noted that it’s not often accountants and bookkeepers get to celebrate their own success. Often, they are so busy celebrating the success of their clients that their hard work behind the scenes goes unnoticed. 

I’m proud that Xero is committed to supporting you — our accounting, bookkeeping and app partners — and the incredibly valuable work that you do for small businesses every day. And, I hope that Xerocon Nashville gave you an opportunity to celebrate your own success, and the success of your industry peers, as you continue to lead this industry into the future. 

Overall, my biggest reflection of Xerocon Nashville is gratitude. Thank you for taking time away from your work and family to spend it with us. Thank you for making Xero more than a place to work, but where I can feel as though I’m among friends. And if you couldn’t join us, I hope you’ll come along and be part of the magic next time.

The post Reflections from Xerocon Nashville appeared first on Xero Blog.

If Xero is of interest and you'd like more information, please do make contact or take a look in more detail here.

Credit: Original article published here.

Our view at Stack - Xero is a cloud-based accounting platform that offers numerous benefits. It simplifies financial management with automated bank feeds, allowing you to save time on data entry. Create, email, and print professional invoices effortlessly. Access your finances in real time via the cloud from any device. Retain records of income, expenses, assets, and liabilities securely online. Whether you’re a small business owner or an accountant, Xero streamlines your financial processes and provides a clear view of your financial health.

The way we pay for products and services is changing faster than ever, and as a small business owner it’s important to keep up with these shifts to meet customer expectations. 

As payment trends evolve, you need to have all the facts so that you can get paid as fast as possible. So we asked consumers, ‘How do you want to pay?’ and delved into what options small businesses were offering today as well as the administrative challenges of paying suppliers.  

We’ve shared the insights we got in our recently launched research report, I want to pay that way at  Xerocon Nashville.

We hope these insights on how different consumers prefer to pay will help you get paid faster and grow your revenue. 

Here’s what we found and what it means for you.

The payment preferences mismatch 

One of the most prevalent global findings is that there’s a mismatch between how small businesses want to be paid and how their customers prefer to pay. While a majority of consumers (86%) primarily use credit or debit cards, less than two-thirds of small businesses (68%) offer cards as a payment option. This gap is also evident in other popular methods like direct debit and bank transfers.

This mismatch highlights a crucial need for businesses to adapt and align their payment options with customer preferences.

Here are some of the other key insights we uncovered:

• Mobile payments are on the rise: Younger generations are driving the adoption of mobile payment options.
• Late payments are a business-to-business issue: Consumers generally pay on time, suggesting late payments are more common in business transactions.
• Security is paramount: Concerns about security are a major barrier to adopting new payment methods.
• Cash isn’t dead:  Cash remains popular, especially in specific industries and regions.

How you pay depends on where you pay

Payment preferences and challenges aren’t uniform across the globe. Here’s a snapshot of some regional trends:

• Australia: Cash is still important for Aussie small businesses. Nearly four in five small businesses (79%) say a sudden move to a cashless economy would have some impact on their business.
• New Zealand: Consumers favour credit and debit cards, but businesses are hesitant due to concerns about fees.
• Singapore: Younger generations of consumers are leading the shift to digital payments while more than half of small businesses in the country continue to phase out cash payments.
• United Kingdom: One in four (25%) consumers say they would visit another business that accepts more payment options if a business didn’t offer at least one of their preferred ways to pay.
• United States: Small businesses are offering newer payment methods, but consumer adoption is lagging.

The power of online payments

Offering your customers more ways to pay can help you get paid faster, and help you to maintain a healthy cash flow. So we’re making it even easier for your customers to make payments by offering more payment methods to our online invoices. You can find out more about Xero’s payment products. 

To understand these trends and what payment methods are right for you, download the report, as well as the collecting payments guide which gives you some great insights into getting started with Xero. For our UK small business customers, we also have a quick guide to getting set up with our bill payments solution. 

About the report

The research was commissioned by Xero and Sling & Stone and was conducted by Lonergan Research in accordance with the ISO 20252 standard. Lonergan Research surveyed 6,021  people aged 18+ across the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand and Singapore as well as 2,547 small business leaders (SBLs) across those countries. Surveys were distributed throughout those countries including both capital city and non-capital city areas. The survey was conducted online amongst members of a permission-based panel, between 15 May and 29 May 2024. After interviewing, data was weighted to the latest population estimates sourced from their respected statistics agencies.

The post New insights into how consumers are making payments appeared first on Xero Blog.

If Xero is of interest and you'd like more information, please do make contact or take a look in more detail here.

Credit: Original article published here.

Our view at Stack - Xero is a cloud-based accounting platform that offers numerous benefits. It simplifies financial management with automated bank feeds, allowing you to save time on data entry. Create, email, and print professional invoices effortlessly. Access your finances in real time via the cloud from any device. Retain records of income, expenses, assets, and liabilities securely online. Whether you’re a small business owner or an accountant, Xero streamlines your financial processes and provides a clear view of your financial health.

Running a small business in the US or Canada comes with its fair share of unique challenges. That’s why Xero has been doubling down on building out our product capabilities for the unique needs of this region. 

Today, on stage at Xerocon Nashville, I was very excited to unveil the huge number of improvements Xero has made to make things easier for small businesses and their advisors. These improvements support more streamlined accounting, enabling small businesses to save time and have greater control over their cash flow. Here’s a look at what we announced.

Our accounting solution just got better

We’ve been listening closely to your feedback and have put a significant amount of resources into adapting our software and improving the areas small businesses and accountants and bookkeepers use the most. We believe that by prioritizing the essentials, we can have the biggest impact on user experience and make them best in class. I’m excited to share our progress. Here are some of the key improvements we’ve made based on what you’ve told us is important to you:

• An enhanced bank feed experience [US & CA]: You asked us to improve the quality of bank feeds, so we’ve heavily invested in that area. Over the last 18 months, we’ve increased the number of direct bank feeds from 20 to over 700 banks in the US and Canada, making it easier to pull your data into Xero. But we’re not stopping there. Over the next year, we intend to add hundreds more direct feeds. We’ve been able to quickly grow our network through the help of large aggregator platforms like Flinks and Yodlee, which are increasingly able to provide more direct bank connections at scale.
• PDF import [US & CA]: We’ve developed a PDF statement import functionality, to provide more ways to get bank statement data into Xero from our customers’ most popular banks in the US and Canada. Simply upload your PDF bank statements directly into Xero. Xero then extracts the bank data from the PDF in an average of just 35 seconds, ready for you to review and the data before it’s imported. 
• [Coming soon] Bank reconciliation to a period [US & CA]: I’m especially excited to see this one roll out in the next couple of months as we know it’s something accountants and bookkeepers have been asking for. This feature will enable you to close out a period in Xero by matching coded transactions back to your bank statement period. You’ll be able to specify a date range and set an opening and closing balance from your bank statement. This will help you quickly spot and resolve discrepancies between bank statements and Xero entries, ensuring your financial data is always accurate and up-to-date, and you can feel more confident in the reports you create for your clients.
• [Coming soon] Improved bank feed monitoring [US & CA]: While we can’t control how often a bank is offline, you’ve told us that you want to know when a feed is down as quickly as possible. In the next few months, we’ll make it easier for you to monitor the status of bank feeds in Xero. You’ll be notified of any disruptions during bank feed set up, and can report bank feed issues directly to us with the click of a button. 
• [Coming soon] Localized charts of accounts [US]: Xero will soon offer charts of accounts tailored to specific US business types (such as C-Corp, S-Corp and LLC) directly to new users, along with an enhanced trial balance report that enables users to set custom date ranges, more closely meeting the unique needs of the US market.

These updates are just the beginning. We’re dedicated to continuously improving Xero to make it the best accounting solution for North American businesses.

Get paid faster and improve cash flow

With cash flow being top of mind for you and your clients, we’re also investing in getting paid and making payments. 

• [Coming soon] BILL beta [US]: Xero’s upcoming embedded bill payment feature, powered by BILL, will let your clients pay vendors directly within Xero using ACH transfer, credit/debit cards, or checks. This will save valuable time on administrative tasks and give small businesses greater visibility and control over cash flow.
• Get paid in more ways [US & CA]: In partnership with Stripe, Xero is equipping small businesses to offer their customers flexible payment options, including direct bank transfers (US only) and buy now, pay later choices, in addition to credit cards, debit cards, and digital wallets.
• [Coming soon] Tap to Pay [US]: Early next year, in partnership with Stripe, small businesses will be able to create an invoice and accept payment on the spot using their mobile device – perfect for businesses that are out and about.
• [Coming soon] SMS invoicing [US initially/ Rolling out to further regions post-launch]: Available in beta later this year, small businesses will be able to send invoices directly to their customers’ phones, making it even easier for them to pay promptly via Apple Pay or GooglePay. 

Being able to make and collect payments without leaving Xero is a powerful tool for your clients. It gives them a complete picture of their cash flow so they can make informed decisions about their business.

Enhanced sales tax and compliance features, and powerful client insights

We’re continuing to invest in freeing up accountants and bookkeepers to focus on advisory by releasing a suite of new features, including: 

• Easy W-9 Collection [US]: Accountants and bookkeepers can now request W9 information directly from the contact page, as well as manually mark W9s as received, either one by one or in bulk. We’ve also revamped the workflow for completing W9s, making it easier for vendors to fill them in and return them faster, making 1099 preparation more seamless.
• Expanded state-based sales tax reporting [US]: You’re now able to generate sales tax reports for every state and filing period automatically. These reports are created and populated with your clients’ data for each state and filing period, giving you the data you need to file your clients’ sales tax, saving you time and reducing stress.
• [Coming soon] New client insights dashboard [US & CA] : Available soon in Xero Practice Manager and Xero HQ, the client insights dashboard will give you a snapshot of the financial health metrics and trends for all your business edition clients.

New partnership with audit and accounting platform, Caseware [CA]

We announced an exciting new integration partnership with Caseware, a global provider of cloud-enabled audit, financial reporting and data analytics solutions. This will allow our shared customers in Canada to import trial balances and general ledger data from Xero into Caseware Working Papers. 

The integration, set to launch later this year, will save clients precious time and streamline  year-end workflows. This means less manual data entry and more time for you to focus on what you do best: supporting your clients and growing your practice.

Accounting on the go with AI and mobile

Our vision is to reimagine accounting by using generative AI and mobile technology.  We shared a range of new updates to the Xero Accounting mobile app and unveiled our new GenAI smart business companion Just Ask Xero (JAX), which will enable small businesses and their advisors to complete business tasks on the go. 

Read the blog post about how AI and mobile technology will reimagine accounting to find out more.

These announcements underscore Xero’s dedication to addressing the specific needs of our customers in the US and Canada. We’re committed to providing solutions that simplify accounting, streamline compliance, and empower businesses to thrive. We’re excited about the future in the US and Canada, and look forward to continuing to support your success.

The post New features announced at Xerocon Nashville appeared first on Xero Blog.

If Xero is of interest and you'd like more information, please do make contact or take a look in more detail here.

Credit: Original article published here.

Our view at Stack - Xero is a cloud-based accounting platform that offers numerous benefits. It simplifies financial management with automated bank feeds, allowing you to save time on data entry. Create, email, and print professional invoices effortlessly. Access your finances in real time via the cloud from any device. Retain records of income, expenses, assets, and liabilities securely online. Whether you’re a small business owner or an accountant, Xero streamlines your financial processes and provides a clear view of your financial health.

“We believe that Australian music is a vital part of life and we want to help musicians make a living from their craft,” shared Kathy Wilson, co-founder of Suitcase Records. The family-run business operates out of Brisbane, Australia, and aims to support local musicians by providing a more sustainable PVC compound to produce high-quality vinyl records.

Suitcase Records was a 2023 winner in the ‘Innovating for environmental sustainability’ category of the Xero Beautiful Business Fund for their initiative, which set a new rhythm in vinyl production for musicians across Australia. We spoke with husband and wife duo Neil and Kathy Wilson to learn more about their story, how they’re putting their winnings to use, and what’s ahead for the business. 

Balancing quality sound with eco-friendly materials

Suitcase Records was founded from surprising origins. Transitioning from corporate careers, both Neil and Kathy decided to leap headfirst into entrepreneurship in midlife, selling their house to fund their venture. “We were about to turn 50, our kids were in the process of leaving home, and we decided it was time for a new adventure,” Kathy mused. 

Balancing business and a commitment to sustainability, Kathy and Neil are both committed to implementing eco-friendly practices and innovative R&D. “Neil and I want to make great music in a sustainable way,” said Kathy. “We set up the factory as sustainably as we could and we were keeping a close eye on developments in low-carbon compounds.”

They had searched for a way to make records that maintained a quality sound without generating a big impact on the environment. This started with testing a few early prototypes, but they found faults in the way they sounded. At last, they managed to balance both, finding a low-carbon PVC compound that significantly reduces CO2 emissions without compromising on sound quality. 

“When we tested the compound we are now using, we couldn’t hear the difference in sound quality but it reduced the CO2 output by 92.5% compared to standard available compounds, so we knew we were onto a winner,” they stated. “We knew this was the one we wanted, but we didn’t have the cash flow to import enough to get us started with our first major order. So when I came across the Xero Beautiful Business Fund, I never dreamt that we would actually win. But I’m so glad we said ‘Why not give it a go?’ And that’s what our submission was all about.”

Striking the right chords with the Xero Beautiful Business Fund

The application process for the Xero Beautiful Business Fund was almost a missed opportunity. “I had got stuck in my head that the video had to be a high-quality production and we needed to script it perfectly,” Kathy recalled. However, the founders opted for authenticity over perfection, submitting a heartfelt video shot just before the deadline. “I grabbed Neil late one afternoon and put the camera in front of him and said, ‘Go.’ We finished the entry in three takes.”

Winning the Xero Beautiful Business Fund gave Suitcase Record a much-needed financial boost. With their winnings, they purchased two tonnes of low-carbon PVC compound, which helped them to start offering the product commercially. The success of these first orders facilitated the purchase of a larger batch, solidifying the demand for eco-friendly records as a viable commercial product and laying the groundwork for future growth. 

“Winning the fund allowed us to move Suitcase Records right into the front of the sustainability movement within the music industry,” said Kathy. “There’s very strong demand to produce music sustainably and this prize made it possible for us to be one of the frontrunners.”

Since the win, Suitcase Records has had artists like Lime Cordiale reach out to place large orders. The band’s recent album Enough of the Sweet Talk was produced using the low-carbon PVC compound. “As a touring band, Lime Cordiale has been trying to reduce their carbon footprint. They heard about what we were doing, and their support really cemented our reputation as innovators in this industry.”

Composing a greener future

With their newfound position as leaders in sustainable music production, Suitcase Records aims to continue innovating and setting new standards in the industry. Neil and Kathy’s remarkable journey is a story about how steadfast dedication to sustainability and a passion for music can make a significant impact.

By turning the tables on traditional vinyl production methods, Suitcase Records is setting a green groove that an entire industry is listening to. Their commitment to sustainable practices, coupled with their support for Australian musicians, ensures Suitcase Records will keep spinning for generations to come.

We’re thrilled to share that the Xero Beautiful Business Fund is back for 2024 and entries are officially open.

The 2023 winners are an incredible group of small businesses and nonprofits who are passionate about solving problems and making an impact in their local communities. We’re spotlighting some of the past winners to hear more about how the fund has impacted their business and helped them achieve their goals. Read stories from other Xero Beautiful Business Fund winners by visiting the Xero blog.

The post How Suitcase Records is spinning sustainability with Xero’s Beautiful Business Fund appeared first on Xero Blog.

If Xero is of interest and you'd like more information, please do make contact or take a look in more detail here.

Credit: Original article published here.

Our view at Stack - Xero is a cloud-based accounting platform that offers numerous benefits. It simplifies financial management with automated bank feeds, allowing you to save time on data entry. Create, email, and print professional invoices effortlessly. Access your finances in real time via the cloud from any device. Retain records of income, expenses, assets, and liabilities securely online. Whether you’re a small business owner or an accountant, Xero streamlines your financial processes and provides a clear view of your financial health.

Welcome to the August edition of What’s New in Xero. This month, we’ll introduce you to some of the updates we’ve made to some favourite features, including Xero HQ, invoicing, bank reconciliation and more. These updates will help make managing your finances a breeze. Read on to find out more.  

Global: Improvements to managing clients in practice tools [Product Idea]

In Xero HQ you can now filter your client list in more ways, including on blank data to find gaps. To get the most relevant view of clients, you can combine multiple filters. For example, you can filter your list by the plans your clients are on, or even by clients that have no Xero organisation. We’ve also extended the single client record to include notes, so that notes from Xero Practice Manager are reflected in Xero HQ (and vice versa).

Global: Invoicing layout improvements [Product Idea]

Further enhancements to the layout of new invoicing include improved field placement and sizing to make better use of the screen real estate. This change makes it easier to navigate and tab through the fields. Thanks to everyone who voted for this improvement via Product Ideas here and also here.

Global: More flexibility importing and exporting your items list in inventory [Product Idea]

It’s now easier to keep your products and services catalogue up to date, with more flexibility when importing and exporting your items list. You’re now able to export your items list based on the filter you’ve applied, so you can export all items or only your active items. We’ve also increased the number of items you can import at the same time from 1000 to 6000.

AU & NZ: Input the bank statement ending balance in the Bank Rec Summary Report for easier monthly review

In the Bank Reconciliation Summary Report, Australian and New Zealand customers  can now input bank statement ending balances, to help identify any discrepancies and ensure the bank balance matches the calculated statement balance in Xero before publishing the reconciliation for the month. This will make monthly accounts reviews easier, saving you time and effort.

UK: Send eInvoices in Xero to your contacts

Previously, UK customers could only register for eInvoicing and receive eInvoices. Now, you’re also able to send eInvoices to contacts who are registered for eInvoicing.

UK: Easily view reports in UK payroll [Product Idea]

This is another update for our UK customers. You can now easily access your Payroll Activity Summary, Payroll Activity Details, and the Pay Run Journal reports through the ‘View reports’ dropdown menu on the pay runs screen. This enhancement provides you with a more user-friendly and customisable reporting experience. 

These are just some of the updates that have rolled out in Xero this month. You can check out the July edition here, and for a full list of what’s new this August, check out the release notes in Xero Central. 

The post What’s new in Xero – August 2024 appeared first on Xero Blog.

If Xero is of interest and you'd like more information, please do make contact or take a look in more detail here.

Credit: Original article published here.

Our view at Stack - Xero is a cloud-based accounting platform that offers numerous benefits. It simplifies financial management with automated bank feeds, allowing you to save time on data entry. Create, email, and print professional invoices effortlessly. Access your finances in real time via the cloud from any device. Retain records of income, expenses, assets, and liabilities securely online. Whether you’re a small business owner or an accountant, Xero streamlines your financial processes and provides a clear view of your financial health.

Managing accounts payable is a crucial part of doing business, but paying the bills can be time-consuming and inefficient. So  we’re on a mission to make it easier.

We’re excited to announce that, over the next few months, we’re making some enhancements to the way you manage bills in Xero. These updates will help small businesses to streamline their end-to-end accounts payable process, saving time and gaining efficiencies. 

These updates to bills are being rolled out gradually, so if you’re an accountant or bookkeeper, or a small business owner using Xero for more than one organisation, you may notice that one of your clients or organisations has access to one or all of these updates while another may not. 

By the end of the year, the following enhancements will be available on all business edition Xero plans.

Bill upload

Soon, you’ll be able to easily add bills to Xero by uploading a file, or by dragging and dropping a file from your desktop. Xero will create draft bills with key details entered and the source document attached for you to approve. This is a great time saver for creating multiple bills at once; however, if you prefer our existing options (Hubdoc or email to bills) these options will still be available as well.

Duplicate detection

A new duplicate detection feature means you’ll receive alerts when duplicate bills are detected, regardless of how the bill was created in Xero. This will reduce the risk of accidentally paying the same supplier twice, giving you peace of mind that your accounts payable figures are accurate.

Quick view

No more clicking through individual bills or juggling multiple tabs: quick view functionality will let you view and approve bills directly from the quick view screen. It’s a simpler, more efficient way to stay on top of your payables, especially for businesses that pay a lot of bills each month. 

We’re excited to bring you these enhancements and help you and your clients simplify the accounts payable process and save time on everyday administration tasks.

The post New features to help streamline accounts payable appeared first on Xero Blog.

If Xero is of interest and you'd like more information, please do make contact or take a look in more detail here.

Credit: Original article published here.

Our view at Stack - Xero is a cloud-based accounting platform that offers numerous benefits. It simplifies financial management with automated bank feeds, allowing you to save time on data entry. Create, email, and print professional invoices effortlessly. Access your finances in real time via the cloud from any device. Retain records of income, expenses, assets, and liabilities securely online. Whether you’re a small business owner or an accountant, Xero streamlines your financial processes and provides a clear view of your financial health.

“So many parents that we’ve talked to over the years want to shop secondhand, but they find the process time-consuming and frankly, quite overwhelming. We wanted to make it easier for them and make the sustainable choice, the easy choice,” said Nicole Boynton, co-founder of Hand Me Up, an ecommerce platform for second-hand children’s clothing that she started with co-founder Kara Livingston in San Antonio, Texas. “Our goal is to keep as many textiles out of the growing landfills as possible, one piece of kid’s clothing at a time.” 

A winner in the  ‘Innovating for environmental sustainability’ category in the 2023 Xero Beautiful Business Fund, Hand Me Up was recognised for their work helping consumers in the US have an easier way to shop second-hand and cut down on clothing waste. We connected with co-founder Nicole Boynton to discover how Hand Me Up started and how she plans to continue driving sustainability through the business.

Keeping children’s clothes out of landfill

Lifelong friends for over 20 years, Nicole and Kara quickly bonded in high school while working on projects like class fundraisers and host camps for kids. They knew from the start that they made a great team. Over the years, they’ve embarked on many journeys together, including motherhood. It was during this time they started a blog and podcast called “Simply Whole Moms.” 

“We spent three years interviewing other moms and sharing everything we could to keep their lives simple while they took care of themselves and their growing families,” Nicole shared. Through this community, they discovered the common challenge parents faced: children constantly outgrew their clothes, leaving them scrambling to purchase new items. 

The idea for Hand Me Up was born. 

Founded in 2021, Hand Me Up offers a unique ecommerce experience that makes shopping for second-hand children’s clothing more convenient and cost-effective for families. The company is also tackling the growing environmental issue of textile waste. Nicole explains, “The average American throws away 80 to 100 pounds of clothing per person per year. We can stop textiles from going into the landfill by recirculating items throughout families across the US.”

Hand Me Up’s main product,  “The Bag”, contains a mix-and-match wardrobe of either 7 or 16 preloved children’s clothing items. When customers visit the Hand Me Up website, they can choose their child’s style and size preferences. From there, the Hand Me Up team of moms assembles the mix-and-match bundle according to their preferences and ships it to them. Once the customer receives their new-to-them clothes, they can refill their bag with outgrown clothes from their children’s closets and get $10 off their next order. Hand Me Up offers both subscription and one-time purchases as well as a deals section on their site, where customers can add items like graphic t-shirts, swimsuits or fancy dresses to their order.

Winning the Xero Beautiful Business Fund was a chance to do more

The pivot to Hand Me Up was a journey of growth and learning for both Nicole and Kara. “We’ve taught ourselves so many skills on this journey and continue to learn daily,” Nicole said.

Sustainability remains at the heart of Hand Me Up, but when starting the business, the team had to be selective about the investments they made. “During the early days, we used whatever packaging we could find just to get the business up and running,” Nicole said. “We used poly shipping bags from Amazon and colored tissue paper, and priced out more sustainable bag options before launch, as we just didn’t have the funds at that point to achieve this goal.” 

The Xero Beautiful Business Fund became a chance for them to do just that. 

Packaging was one area that needed a big upgrade and they felt that the sustainability category aligned well with Hand Me Up’s needs and values. “Sustainable choices are the heartbeat of our company,” Nicole explained. 

Nicole and Kara knew exactly what they would do with the funding from the Xero Beautiful Business Fund. They would finally upgrade their shipping bags to reusable branded poly bags made from recycled materials, which are recyclable in the correct facility. They would also switch the colored tissue paper used inside their bags with the more sustainable option of recycled kraft paper. 

“We had a great time applying for the fund,” Nicole recalls. “I vividly remember sitting outside one of our favorite coffee shops recording our submission video. Kara and I both truly enjoy and love sharing about our business and the impact we want to make, so getting to tell our story during the application process brought us joy.”

Advancing sustainability, one bag at a time

Hand Me Up made the transition to recyclable bags this year, thanks to the funds they won from the 2023 Xero Beautiful Business Fund.

“We did a hefty amount of research trying to decide which type of shipping bag we would order, as the model of our business includes sending one bag full of clothes to the customer along with an empty bag and pre-paid shipping label to send in hand-me-downs,” Kara shared. “We ended up choosing double-use, recyclable poly bags from noissue, which are made from recycled materials with soy-based ink. They’re branded and have two adhesive strips, so they can be used twice without any danger of breaking open because they weren’t sealed properly,” explained Kara. 

The bags can also be recycled through re-use or at an appropriate recycling facility. Nicole and Kara are thrilled to offer these new, more sustainable options to their customers. 

But this isn’t the only sustainable change the team is unboxing. The funds also helped the Hand Me Up team purchase large paper-roll holders and recycled Kraft paper to wrap the clothes that they send out. “We’re excited to continue exploring more sustainable packing options aside from the bags, like switching to fabric mailers, and stickers that are made from environmentally friendly materials, to offer an even more sustainable experience for our customers,” said Nicole. 

“Our customers tend to be big advocates for sustainability, so we’re delighted to be able to practice what we preach with the help of the Xero Beautiful Business Fund. We’re hoping to be fully sustainable and eco-friendly not too long from now, so that we can wholeheartedly live out our company’s mission and values.”  

The Xero Beautiful Business Fund is back for 2024 and entries are officially open. The 2023 winners are an incredible group of small businesses and nonprofits who are passionate about solving problems and making an impact in their local communities. We’re spotlighting some of the past winners to hear more about how the fund has impacted their business and helped them achieve their goals. Check out these stories by visiting the blog.

The post How the Xero Beautiful Business Fund helped a platform for pre-loved goods take sustainability further appeared first on Xero Blog.

If Xero is of interest and you'd like more information, please do make contact or take a look in more detail here.

Credit: Original article published here.

Our view at Stack - Xero is a cloud-based accounting platform that offers numerous benefits. It simplifies financial management with automated bank feeds, allowing you to save time on data entry. Create, email, and print professional invoices effortlessly. Access your finances in real time via the cloud from any device. Retain records of income, expenses, assets, and liabilities securely online. Whether you’re a small business owner or an accountant, Xero streamlines your financial processes and provides a clear view of your financial health.

In May, we announced changes to Xero’s plans in the UK as part of our efforts to simplify Xero’s offering. The new plans, which will launch on 12 September 2024, bundle key features such as Xero Payroll, Xero Expenses, multicurrency, Xero Analytics Plus and bill payments into some plans, making it easier to choose the best option for your business or clients.

We’re now able to share an update on our migration approach and the timing for moving customers to these new subscription plans.

Key things to note:

• For the majority of customers whose subscription plan will include the same or more features for either the same or lower price*, we’ll move you in February 2025.

• For customers that will see a price increase* as a result of the new subscription plan that we’re migrating you to, we’ll delay moving you until September 2025.
  We recognise for some customers this may be a significant price increase when moved by Xero to a new plan, and in some scenarios we’ll offer discounted pricing. We’ll share more on this with eligible customers and partners in the email we’ll send you in late September.
  

This means Xero won’t migrate some customers to the new plans by March 2025 as originally communicated.

Our migration approach and revised timing

We’ll email you in late September 2024, with the details of which plan Xero will move you to and when.  For accounting and bookkeeping partners this email will include a link to a list of subscriptions that your practice holds (note this will only include those subscriptions that will be moved). To determine which plan you’ll be moved to, we’ll look at your current plan – including any add-ons you’ve purchased – and your recent feature usage (that is, Xero Expenses and/or Xero Payroll).

You can stay on your current plan until Xero moves you, or you can choose to move yourself once the new plans launch on 12 September 2024. If you choose to move, you won’t be included in Xero’s migration. As we’ll offer discounted pricing in some scenarios of significant pricing impact, we recommend waiting until you’ve received email confirmation from us in September on how the migration applies to you or your clients before making your own decision about moving plans.

Throughout this process, you’ll always have the choice to choose a different plan to what Xero selects for you. You’ll also be able to change plans after Xero moves you if you decide another plan better meets your needs.

Summary of what to expect and timings

Further information for accounting and bookkeeping partners 

For your clients where you/your practice holds the subscription, only you will receive the information above directly and the migration approach email in September 2024. We’ll include a template in your September email to help you communicate the changes to your clients if you’d like to.

For your clients who hold the subscription, they will have received information about the new plans in May and will receive all information related to the new plans and migration approach listed above. 

We look forward to sharing specific details with you next month. In the meantime, you can learn more about our new small business plans or plans for accountants and bookkeepers. Or sign-up for one of our webinars for small businesses and partners. As always, please reach out to our team via Xero Central if you have any support questions.

*Compared to 12 September 2024 pricing  

The post Our updated migration approach to move UK customers to new subscription plans appeared first on Xero Blog.

If Xero is of interest and you'd like more information, please do make contact or take a look in more detail here.

Credit: Original article published here.

Our view at Stack - Xero is a cloud-based accounting platform that offers numerous benefits. It simplifies financial management with automated bank feeds, allowing you to save time on data entry. Create, email, and print professional invoices effortlessly. Access your finances in real time via the cloud from any device. Retain records of income, expenses, assets, and liabilities securely online. Whether you’re a small business owner or an accountant, Xero streamlines your financial processes and provides a clear view of your financial health.

We’re officially on the countdown for Xerocon Nashville at Music City Center over August 14 and 15. And this year, we’re proud to have filled our exhibitor floor with some of the best and most loved apps for accountants, bookkeepers and small business owners alike. 

No matter what business needs or challenges you’re looking to solve, you’ll have over 50 exhibitors to meet and talk to, and many apps from the Xero App Store to try out for yourself. Not sure where to start? Check out our guide to making the most out of our app exhibitors at Xerocon Nashville.

We’re especially proud to introduce our seven event partners for this year’s Xerocon Nashville. Read about them below, and make sure to stop by and meet them along with our other exhibitors as you explore Xerocon in Music City! 

Event Partner+

Bill

BILL for Xero is a simple bill payment solution made to eliminate double entry and piles of paperwork. BILL allows you to automate accounts payable and accounts receivable processes, while directly syncing all payment actions back to Xero for you. Make light work of expense approvals on the go with mobile device bill approvals and single-click payments, so you can save time and keep tight controls over your accounts whether you’re in the office or away.

Event Partners

Amazon Web Services

Amazon Web Services offers scalability, security, and savings for businesses of any size including small and medium businesses, for whom remaining competitive can be daunting. Whether you begin by moving, storing and securing your data, gaining new business intelligence, or finding new ways to serve customers, Amazon Web Services can help you unlock new possibilities. 

Avalara

Avalara helps businesses of all sizes get tax compliance right, no matter where in the world they run their business. In partnership with leading ERP, accounting, ecommerce and other financial management system providers, Avalara delivers cloud-based compliance solutions for various transaction taxes, helping you simplify your international tax compliance. 

Dext

Dext provides bookkeeping automation tools that help small businesses and their advisors collect, organize and record financial transactions. Dext is made up of three products – Dext Prepare for data extraction, Dext Precision for data quality and insights, and Dext Commerce for e-commerce data management – all of which integrate with Xero. Use Dext to help achieve compliant bookkeeping and accounting services accurately and efficiently, saving you and your clients precious time.

GoCardless

GoCardless puts you in control of collecting payments directly from your customers. The GoCardless integration with Xero allows you and your customers to set up recurring and one-off payments, so payment for your invoices is collected automatically. Xero’s global data shows that invoices with an online payment service like GoCardless attached, get paid up to twice as fast as invoices to customers who don’t use online payments. Simply add GoCardless as a payment service in Xero, then apply it to an invoice or invoice template so your customers can pay your invoices online.

Gusto

Gusto is built to be the refreshingly easy way for small businesses to manage their payroll, benefits and HR – all in one platform. Designed to help you complete your pay runs in just a few clicks, Gusto seamlessly syncs your payroll transactions and financial data back to Xero, eliminating manual data entry while ensuring you maintain one unified view of your payroll costs with Xero.

Ramp

Ramp is the platform for modern finance teams, combining corporate cards with expense management and accounts payable in one solution, so you can automate your finance operations. You can quickly sync transaction code values from Xero back to Ramp for quick transaction creation, then sit back as Ramp collects receipts through SMS, email and popular apps and automatically syncs them back to Xero to be reconciled.

Get to know all the apps exhibiting at Xerocon Nashville

We can’t wait to see our incredible community of accountants and bookkeepers at Xerocon in just one week – and we especially can’t wait for you to meet and network with our amazing exhibitors who are ready to show you exciting products that will help take your practice to the next level. Check out the complete list of apps being exhibited at Xerocon Nashville and start a few free trials ahead of time so you can come along ready to meet the exhibitors of your favorite apps. See you there!

The post Introducing our 2024 Xerocon Nashville event partners appeared first on Xero Blog.

If Xero is of interest and you'd like more information, please do make contact or take a look in more detail here.

Credit: Original article published here.