IPBC Ignite Conference was almost 2 months ago and set off a lot of activity here.
The conference itself was fantastic, despite the fact that I was sick in bed for a day! We made new connections and got to meet people face to face that we’d only ever seen on the computer screen.
We’ve learnt a new (to us) term… FinTech, Financial Technology. Love this term, it describes the modern world of bookkeeping and accounting.
Speaking of FinTech, we had a great talk and demo by the Xero team. Xero is fairly new to North America but has taken Australia and New Zealand by storm! Xero was founded in New Zealand in 2006 and has grown worldwide as a top competitor in Cloud Accounting software.
Since then, the Xero team has traveled across Canada on what they called The Xero Roadshow. Because of the time we spent with their team at the conference, I went to their session in Newmarket, ON (just 45 minutes east of Orangeville) on October 3rd. Wow! This half day with Xero solidified my first impressions of Xero and their corporate values.
Xero understands that for businesses to succeed it is vital that they have an accounting pro working with them. Did you know that currently only 50% of businesses live to celebrate their 5th birthday? The success rate jumps to 86% when the businesses are paired with an accounting pro!!
After attending the Roadshow, we signed up with Xero and became partners. I love that… not a “consultant” but a “partner”! I even got the T-shirt! As partners, we ensure that business owners have impeccable financial data which can be used for critical decisions in growing their business.
Here are some of the things that Xero offers that differentiates them from the rest of the crowd:
- Human Element
Xero works closely with their partners to ensure the needs of their clients are being met or exceeded. - Stability
Xero has almost no down time, they aren’t fully perfect but they’re close, with an up time of about 99.97%!! I don’t know of another FinTech solution with that record! - Control
Xero has implemented strong user permissions, making it easy for businesses to grow and have different people doing different things in the platform. - Scalability
Xero can grow with your business. Great for small business in its infancy but able to handle and process all the data a growing business can throw at it. - Product Strategy
Xero usually releases a beta testing version, what you could consider a simpler version of a new feature, and then they get great feedback from their partners. This enables them to develop the final version based on that feedback. It allows Xero to get new features out very quickly, but also make sure they’re building exactly what their customers want to see.
I have taken the online courses and become a Xero Advisor. I’m loving it so much that I have switched our books to Xero! A growing number of our clients are also making the move to Xero from other cloud accounting software. Xero is not a “fit” for everyone, but I believe they are a great choice for a large majority of businesses.
If you’re interested to learn more about Xero give me a call. I’d be happy to give you a demo! We travel to Shelburne, Alliston, Orangeville, and Newmarket areas regularly and can set up a time that is mutually convenient to show you how Xero might fit in with your bookkeeping needs.