I learnt today that I have passed my Xero Certified Advisor’s exam and will now appear of the Xero website as such (shortly)! I am really pleased about this because as far as I know, Xero are the only online bookkeeping site that requires its advisors to sit a formal exam before they are allowed to say they are acknowledged as capable in the software they are supporting.
All the other sites who offer “accountants dashboards” or similar just expect payment, sometimes seriously substantial payment, to allow the sale and support of their offerings. No proof they can actually use the product any better than the client they are supporting.
Now that we are linked with Xero, I am starting shortly a marketing campaign based on this link. It will include discounted monthly rates for clients using Xero, whichever level of subscription is right for them, unlimited support for issues cropping up whilst you get to grips with the software, discounted accounts production prices for those adopting Xero as they bookkeeping program, lots of informative videos about how things work (tricky this as Xero already have a phenominal array of videos already – but there are gaps I have spotted) along with showing the amazing amount of integration that can now be achieved along the lines of project management, CRM, time recording, job and stock management, the list gets bigger each week.
The attraction of Xero is not only all the benefits of the online bookkeeping module, but they are the only site to have deep links with HSBC to the point of an automatic daily feed into your Xero account of the bank movements, for those not with HSBC (talk to me about changing if you are not) there is another way coming in a month or so to integrate just about any bank account into Xero – more on that later. For now you will just need to import your daily or weekly files from the online banking – and that only takes a few seconds anyway. There is the fixed monthly fee, so no upgrades or unpleasant bills each year. There are low cost extra’s that link at a deep level with Xero. For example, CRM that links into all your customer activity, not just the sales bits, Workflow management for charging and keeping tabs on project costs and time recording (we are trialing that one as we speak as we are time based) and this allows clients to log in as well for copies of accounts, VAT returns, Tax Returns – in fact any documents they choose in a secure environment.
The future of our work is going to be based on these brilliant sites that can be accessed from anywhere in the world, on pc’s, mac’s and phones (even my blackberry!) and that allow unprecedented control of our businesses at low monthly costs. No more software to buy – ever. No more reliance on specialist trained software operators that Sage requires, no more different versions of your bookkeeping file whizzing about via memory sticks or email, no more special server needed for multi-user accesses – just simple, efficient bookkeeping and reports everyone can understand.
I know this sounds a little like science fiction but the future is here already.
If you would like a taster of just how simple Xero is to use, how quickly it learns, how non-bookkeepers can learn to use it in no time, how much integration saves duplicating your databases and all the errors that can occur, please get in touch on 0800 047 0731 or use the contact page right now.
Bookkeeping and controlling your business has never been so exciting – really!