This may not be a regular occurrence for non accountants, but us accountants love to talk about things like accounting software, and I cannot help but sing the praises of Xero! This is fairly obvious if you look at the KirbyWhite website.
So I thought I would share my top 5 reasons why I, as an accountant, love Xero.
1. Real time data
Xero connects to the client’s bank and transactions flow in automatically on a daily basis.
This means that the bank account can be reconciled regularly and I can rely on the financial information in relation to the cash position, invoices outstanding and invoices due to be paid. All of this information is easily accessible on the dashboard and makes it so much easier for me to provide my clients with relevant advice.
2. Data security and storage
Data is protected, backed up constantly and stored securely in the cloud.
I don’t need to invest in expensive hardware such as servers for data storage for my client’s data. No one has access to the client’s data unless I invite them. I control what users can see and do in Xero, and two-step authentication adds an extra layer of security. Data is encrypted using industry-standard data encryption and there are multiple firewalls. This level of security is reassuring for both the client and myself as their accountant.
3. 24/7 Support from the Xero team
Person-to-person support and technical advice whenever it’s needed.
When you need to talk through a problem it can sometimes feel a bit lonely if you’re not working within a large organisation with accounting colleagues. However, it doesn’t feel like that with Xero support, since they are available any time of day for online support and always respond quickly to any technical queries. Not only that, there is a wealth of support and additional learning tools online to ensure that I can keep up to date with all the latest developments, to provide a better service to my clients.
4. Online collaboration between accountant and client
Full client and accountant data access in real time.
Xero makes life so much easier for both accountant and client, since we can both see and work with the same data in real time. This helps us discuss and deal with issues more efficiently. At month end or year end I have immediate access to the data to enable me to carry out the tasks.
5. Tailoring the reports to suit the individual client needs
Bespoke reporting at the click of a button.
Each business is individual; each client is individual. Therefore the ability to produce tailored reports is so important to ensure that the client is actually getting what they need.