How can I get certified in Xero Accounting Software?
The links to sign up for your free Xero Partner account are tracking links provided by Xero to track who is signing up from our awesome Bookkeeping Side Hustle Community.
Yes, there are great alternatives to QuickBooks!
So you keep hearing about this accounting software called Xero and want to learn more about it. One way to quickly deep dive into the software is to become certified as a Xero Advisor. It is FREE to become an Advisor. Well, it only costs you your time and effort.
Follow along with this video to start your journey to building an awesome side-hustle with Xero!
Speaking of QuickBooks Online, make a mental note of the lingo. Xero Advisor is equivalent to QuickBooks ProAdvisor. Basically both of those designations mean that you have satisfied the software creator’s hurdles to receive their blessing that you know their software program.
Also make another mental note that just because you earn the certification, that doesn’t mean that you know bookkeeping or accounting. It means you know HOW TO CLICK AROUND in the dashboard. If you need to learn accounting, you can read my article on how to tackle that (SUBSTANTIAL) task.
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If you want to learn more about Xero in general, we have an entire Xero Playlist. Much of these videos were created as a part of a huge “Certification Challenge” we did in May 2021.
The information in these videos are CRITICAL for success in building your business on Xero. So many hidden gems from these interviews.
And come on over to the Bookkeeping Side Hustle FaceBook Group and ask more questions. There are plenty of Xero users and fans there.
After you become a Xero Advisor, you might want more practice. The best place for practice is from Elefant Training (affiliate link, FYI). You can find webinars and courses throughout the year that will get you more comfortable with Xero.
Definitely get the authoritative TEXTBOOK to get even more hands on practice with Xero.
Become a Xero Partner (for free) in 4 Steps
Step 1: Apply Online
First you must sign up for the Xero Partner Program (becoming a “Partner” does not make you an “Advisor”). Navigate to this website and click the big green button that says”Join The Program”.
You’ll complete and easy form and then a member of Xero’s Partner Development Team (PDR) will be in touch asap. They are in the office M-F 8am-4pm MST and do their best to call a new partner applicant as soon as they see it come through (seriously, they will reach out right away).
Step 2: First Quick Intro Call From Xero Rep
The member of Xero’s Partner Development Team (PDR) will schedule a 15 min. intro call to learn about your practice, goals and interest in Xero. They will share the details of the Partner Program to confirm it’s a great mutual fit and aligns with your goals.
Step 3: Second In-Depth Call From Xero Rep
The PDR will then schedule a second (30-45 min.) call, or if you have the time, they can do it all on that first call. They really focus on the human side of technology, ensuring you always have a direct contact at Xero to help you explore Xero and achieve your practice goals, whether that’s becoming more efficient or growing your business.
On this call, the typical agenda is :
- Gather an understanding of your business, software & workflow so the rep knows how to best support you.
- Review Xero’s Partner Agreement.
- Activate your free Established Plan Xero subscription. That’s a $60 value, for FREE!
- Activate and Demo Xero HQ, which is a hub to power client services (Think a light practice manager – CRM, report templates, tools to request documents from clients, insights, certification, etc.).
- Explain both options for Advisor certification (self-paced or webinar) and help the partner enroll to become certified.
- Set up an introduction call with your dedicated Account Manager, who will manage the account moving forward. They act as tailored consultants who can help with things like strategy, promotional discounts for new clients, migration, on-boarding and answer questions!
Step 4: Become Certified as a Xero Advisor
There are two pathways to choose from:
- Self-paced
- Webinar
You get to choose what works best with your schedule and learning style. Once you become a Xero Advisor, you’ll be listed in their directory and you can put a badge on your business website.
Voila! That’s it. Admittedly, it is a bit clunky, but it is more “human” as Xero likes to say. Xero wants to position itself as the more real, warm, personal option for those who are fed up with the cold and insensitive, $$-grubbing behemoth that is Intuit (I am a QBO user, so I’m just putting on my “Xero Marketing Manager” hat). These are all my opinions (worth what you paid for them!).
My personal opinion is that Side-Hustlers should pick EITHER Xero or QuickBooks Online or perhaps Wave (for serving very small businesses) and run with it. Accounting principles are millennia old. But accounting software programs are all different and have different menus and different lingo. They can be a pain in the butt to learn. Since I advocate “value pricing” instead of hourly pricing, you need to become a rock star in your preferred platform. Then you will breeze through your tasks and your implicit price-per-hour will start to go up as your efficiency goes up.