I actually have a background as a CPA, on the auditing side. I had 15 years’ experience working in Public Accounting and Private Industry before leaving the working environment to stay at home and raise my children. Throughout all this time, I discovered that I never liked auditing and that I enjoyed setting up accounting systems, training clients and performing bookkeeping tasks. I have found from taking over clients from other “bookkeepers” that performing the bookkeeping task initially, enables me to truly understand what is happening in a business and coming up with ideas to streamline the accounting function for myself and my clients. Cloud accounting of today opens wonderful doors to do just that.
I admit, I have limited experience with QBO or QBOA and still remember it from years ago. I imagine I might have explored it more now, except in walked XERO.
Some of my thoughts about Xero:
· As a Quick Books Proadvisor, I needed to keep an open mind for something very different. Every time I asked myself, can I filter this report for research, or move accounts easily around the chart of accounts, I had to let it go and focus on the ease of use. Xero is not QB. It’s Xero.
· The Bookkeeping function has become Fun.
· Xero has great time saving functions such as Cash Coding and Bank Rules that speed the bookkeeping function up dramatically.
o What I have also found is that I can easily streamline Xero for my clients so that they can process the activity faster and easier; one click and done.. so fun!
o Plus no more end of the month reconciliations. With Clients who have 3 bank accounts and 10 credit card accounts.. It’s great to just do a quick bank reconciliation report at month end and see it’s all reconciled, no ticking and tacking necessary.
· With my clients, I have been able to train them quickly, within a couple of hours, they are up and running.
o Clients find it fun where using Quick Books was never fun.
o It’s so easy to communicate with the client. We can both utilize the discuss function right next to the transaction in question, no more open item lists. By publishing reports, I can direct them to go to reports in Xero and see my recent reports to look over without having to always print them out. Plus they always know where they are for reference.
o I have clients who never maintained accounting records (I do live on an island!) and I have successfully trained them and got them up and going in a matter of hours.
· As to Sale Invoices… functions much like QB, although has great authorization capabilities if needed.
o Really cool function for one of my clients is the ability to toggle between sales tax included or excluded, so since they invoice inclusive of sales tax, Xero easily computes the sales amount where they had to back into it manually with QB. (It’s just really cool for them!)
· Although Xero does not have as many reports as QB, I found I never used the majority of QB reports anyway, overkill for me.
o I really like the report format capabilities in Xero where I can easily move the accounts around and come up with meaningful categories for my clients. I have utilized it to reformat Income statements by standard form as well as functional form.
o Really look forward to when that is available on the cash flow summary : ), but I’m patient for I have seen how actively Xero is improving on the program all the time.
o The Reports are beautiful.
o I really like utilizing the footnote capability to easily explain the activity to my clients. They really appreciate that.
o They export beautifully into Excel… Print ready… I prefer them over the QB export into excel.
· Customer Service
o I admit, at first I doubted I’d like their policy of no phone calls… old school, like to use the phone, immediate answer.
o Getting over that, it’s great to be able to email my question, right out of Xero from the area where I’m having difficulties. I find they respond within 24 hours with a person on the end with a name and they follow through until I have solved my issue.
o Plus, I have account people who I can call upon if I need to.
Bottom line, QBO may be similar to Xero and I will continue to service QB clients, however, Xero is a great option for many clients and it’s not hard to get comfortable using it. I feel it just takes an open mind. I look forward to working on Xero and feel it will enable me to help more clients, in less time. So, don’t be afraid to try it... help is merely an email away!
I admit, I have limited experience with QBO or QBOA and still remember it from years ago. I imagine I might have explored it more now, except in walked XERO.
Some of my thoughts about Xero:
· As a Quick Books Proadvisor, I needed to keep an open mind for something very different. Every time I asked myself, can I filter this report for research, or move accounts easily around the chart of accounts, I had to let it go and focus on the ease of use. Xero is not QB. It’s Xero.
· The Bookkeeping function has become Fun.
· Xero has great time saving functions such as Cash Coding and Bank Rules that speed the bookkeeping function up dramatically.
o What I have also found is that I can easily streamline Xero for my clients so that they can process the activity faster and easier; one click and done.. so fun!
o Plus no more end of the month reconciliations. With Clients who have 3 bank accounts and 10 credit card accounts.. It’s great to just do a quick bank reconciliation report at month end and see it’s all reconciled, no ticking and tacking necessary.
· With my clients, I have been able to train them quickly, within a couple of hours, they are up and running.
o Clients find it fun where using Quick Books was never fun.
o It’s so easy to communicate with the client. We can both utilize the discuss function right next to the transaction in question, no more open item lists. By publishing reports, I can direct them to go to reports in Xero and see my recent reports to look over without having to always print them out. Plus they always know where they are for reference.
o I have clients who never maintained accounting records (I do live on an island!) and I have successfully trained them and got them up and going in a matter of hours.
· As to Sale Invoices… functions much like QB, although has great authorization capabilities if needed.
o Really cool function for one of my clients is the ability to toggle between sales tax included or excluded, so since they invoice inclusive of sales tax, Xero easily computes the sales amount where they had to back into it manually with QB. (It’s just really cool for them!)
· Although Xero does not have as many reports as QB, I found I never used the majority of QB reports anyway, overkill for me.
o I really like the report format capabilities in Xero where I can easily move the accounts around and come up with meaningful categories for my clients. I have utilized it to reformat Income statements by standard form as well as functional form.
o Really look forward to when that is available on the cash flow summary : ), but I’m patient for I have seen how actively Xero is improving on the program all the time.
o The Reports are beautiful.
o I really like utilizing the footnote capability to easily explain the activity to my clients. They really appreciate that.
o They export beautifully into Excel… Print ready… I prefer them over the QB export into excel.
· Customer Service
o I admit, at first I doubted I’d like their policy of no phone calls… old school, like to use the phone, immediate answer.
o Getting over that, it’s great to be able to email my question, right out of Xero from the area where I’m having difficulties. I find they respond within 24 hours with a person on the end with a name and they follow through until I have solved my issue.
o Plus, I have account people who I can call upon if I need to.
Bottom line, QBO may be similar to Xero and I will continue to service QB clients, however, Xero is a great option for many clients and it’s not hard to get comfortable using it. I feel it just takes an open mind. I look forward to working on Xero and feel it will enable me to help more clients, in less time. So, don’t be afraid to try it... help is merely an email away!
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