This post contains tracking links for your convenience. I am being compensated for running this Xero Advisor Certification Initiative for Xero. This means that if you sign up to become a Xero Advisor via the dedicated tracking links, I may receive compensation at no additional cost to you.
Build Your Bookkeeping Business On Xero
In spring 2021, we hosted a huge “Xero Certification Challenge”. We will hopefully do one again in 2022. So stay tuned.
In the mean time, you can watch THIS 5 minute video about how to get started on the curriculum on your own.
Now back to the original All.Things.Xero article.
My aim for this article is for it to be the single greatest hub of information for bookkeeping entrepreneurs who are making decisions about their tech stack. Xero Accounting Software is a top notch software program that I want to make sure every Bookkeeping Side Hustler thoughtfully considers.
Must Listen - Comprehensive Panel Discussion With Xero Users
Why You Should Build Your Bookkeeping Business On Xero
I am a QuickBooks Online Advanced ProAdvisor. I have no clients on Xero and likely never will. That is because my business and my brain (and key strokes and mouse clicks) are too intertwined with the QBO ecosystem.
So why in the world am I writing this article about Xero??? Because I want you to be more thoughtful and deliberate about your software choice than I was.
Not everyone agrees with me, but I am of the opinion that if you want to stay efficient and streamlined you should pick one bookkeeping software and dive in completely head first and become obsessed with becoming the absolute best expert at that software as you can possibly be. This is especially true if you want to stay on the small side, like I do.
Yes, I’m a satisfied customer of QBO and it has been a good software for my business, but I wouldn’t say that I made a conscious choice to use QBO. I just sort of followed the biggest, loudest crowd, and the company with the biggest name recognition in America. If I am honest with myself, I think I dove in to QuickBooks Online because I just didn’t really know any different.
I want YOU to be more thoughtful than I was about my software selection. If you decide Xero is not for you, that is totally valid. I just want you to actually DECIDE.
Some differences that sets Xero apart that I (as an outsider) see are the following:
- Very personalized interaction with Xero staff.
- Your dedicated account representative gives you a “shout out” on LinkedIn when you reach new partner status levels. I see these on LinkedIn from time to time and every single time I think “Whooooo boy, that is pretty cool.”
- Xero was born in the cloud. It has been Cloud-based from the company’s inception, so they have modern, virtual bookkeeping practices in their DNA.
- They must send their software engineers to art/design school because the UI is beautiful. Do you care about that?
- Targets modern, tech-forward, progressive entrepreneurs. Is that who you want to serve? Here is my (possibly offensive) mental stereotype: In my unscientific market analysis, any entrepreneur under the age of 35 with a large beard is almost certainly using or considering using Xero.
- Xero is less expensive than QBO, so all things being exactly equal, if you built your business on Xero vs QBO, you’d be slightly more profitable.
How To Sign Up (For Free) To Become A Xero PARTNER
Click the blue button right above to get started on your journey with Xero.
So, Xero is a very hands on and personal company. To become a partner, you have to talk to a human. That person will be your account rep and your main point of contact when you have questions.
Surprise! You are going to have SO MANY QUESTIONS during your bookkeeping business journey. But instead of logging on to a support chat box like I have to do in QBO, you’ll have an email address and a phone number of someone who can help you.
My main point…if you wake up early one Saturday morning thinking “I’m going get on the internet and sign up to become a Xero Partner today”, well, sorry. That’s not how it works.
So slow your roll. Click that blue button above and go through the steps to sign on to be a Xero PARTNER. This is step one.
Pay attention to every step in this Partner process. Do you like your interactions? What are your first impressions? Like it? Love it? Hate it?
How To Sign Up (For Free) To Become A Xero ADVISOR
After you become a Xero PARTNER (step 1), you can become a Xero ADVISOR (step 2). Click the big green button right above to get started.
As a Xero Partner, you’ll be able to access all of the official Xero educational materials, including the modules required to earn the official Xero Advisor Certification.
- There is no TEST, but you must complete the modules.
- On average, the certification experience should take you about 6 hours.
- Completed certifications expire the following year on December 12. To maintain your certification, make sure you complete the quarterly product updates before this date. Here’s more details on how to maintain your Xero certification.
- You will become eligible for the marketing dollars that Xero provides its Advisors that do branded promotions.
Pay close attention to all that you have to do to become an official Xero Advisor. How is their instruction? How is their learning portal? Do you see a path forward to becoming an expert in this software?
How To Really Learn Xero
Listen up to this (possibly disappointing) newsflash.
Just because you jump through the hoops and listen to the modules to become a Xero advisor, you will only know about, hmmmmm, I’d guess about 8% of what you’d need to know to successfully and profitably serve clients on Xero. So now you get to put in hours and hours and hours to develop your expertise, right? (What is the saying, “it takes 10,000 hours to become an expert at something”…you better get cracking if you want to be top notch bookkeeper).
This is the list that I’ve compiled of ways that I think you can start to really learn and implement the software.
- Join some of the Facebook groups dedicated to Xero (see list below)
- YouTubers (I wish there were MORE to recommend…why don’t you become the world famous Xero YouTuber that seems to be missing)
- Amanda Aguillard (panelist in video above) was commissioned by Xero to write a BOOK about how to use Xero. Textbook. Handbook. Reference Guide. It comes out in Spring 2021, though. I’ll definitely interview her when the book is out and also see if she’ll give away a few copies to Bookkeeping Side Hustlers, so stay tuned if you like learning from a BOOK.
- Amanda Aguillard also has her Elefant Training Learning Library that has several dedicated Xero videos. And I keep telling her and telling her that she needs to make more. Now that her book is done, I hope she might listen to me! 🙂
- Xero Live Events. Get on this mailing list!
- Take advantage of your Xero Account Rep who can help you analyze how you work now on non-Xero platforms and show you what that would look like on Xero’s platform.
How To Network With Other Xero Users
In business, you have to work on your “Be Good A Being A Businessman/woman” skills. Please be cool in all of these groups. Don’t go in like a total noob. Don’t be a leech and a mooch. Don’t be a weirdo. Use your best grammar, spelling and capitalization. Use the “search” function inside Facebook groups to see if a question has been answered. Have a “give more than you get” mentality. Find the excellent businessmen/women in the groups an emulate them. Just be cool. Please.
Xero (official) Nth America – Accountants & Bookkeepers
Xero For Accountants And Bookkeepers
Xero Hour (lots of in person gatherings before Covid, but still some virtual stuff)
My Favorite Threads About Xero in the Bookkeeping Side Hustle Facebook Group
Whew! We made it to the end. Bookmark this page because I hope to keep adding to it. Are there any Xero resources that you thought I missed?
I hope you feel equipped to make an educated choice.
Comment below or reach out at bookkeepingsidehustle @ gmail dot com if you have any questions or any additions I could consider adding to this article.