Why choose Xero? Here are four Xero features and functions that will save you time and money

As accountants, we’re often asked “Why Xero?”. For us, it's a no brainer – Xero's features and functions are super intuitive, easy to use, and give you total control over your finances, no matter where you are in the world.

1. Xero makes your invoices look slick (even if you’re still a startup)

A clean, well-branded invoice is critical for businesses, especially if you’re sending them regularly. One of our favourite Xero features and functions is its highly customisable invoicing templates.

With Xero you can create professional invoices quickly and easily, and even send them directly from your phone. Xero invoices look good, and as a bonus, Xero’s features and functions can help you get paid faster.

You can also accept payments instantly online via the numerous payment service options in the Xero app marketplace. Just be aware that online payment services have different fee structures, so for some businesses this may not be a cost you want to absorb.

Always make sure your pay-to BSB and account number can be copied and pasted from your invoice. Removing spaces or dashes means customers don’t have to type it out.

2. Pretty much everything is automated

If you’re currently using Excel or old versions of MYOB or Quickbooks, switching to Xero means you’ll spend less time on manual data entry and more time on the work you *actually* enjoy.

Xero’s features and functions provide timely and accurate information to help you make real-time decisions, which makes for a more efficient small business or finance department. Xero’s automated daily bank feeds import transactions directly from your financial institution to your feed, ready for you to reconcile.

One of our favourite Xero features and functions is the ‘Find & Recode’ function, which allows your accountant to update multiple transactions all at once. It’s especially useful when you need to fix similar transactions that were incorrectly accounted for.

Good to know: The ‘Find & Recode’ function isn’t a beginner-friendly tool in Xero – it’s better left to the experts. If you’ve found transactions that weren’t accounted for correctly, get in touch with us so we can help you out. Recoding can significantly change accounts and reports, and if you frequently recode large batches, it can impact the performance of reports.

3. There are no more fiddly integrations (Xero works with everything)

There are so many cool Xero features and functions that are already built in. But, if there’s something you need Xero to do that isn’t already baked in, check out Xero App Marketplace, which is home to over 1,000 different add-ons that can enhance your systems.

We’ve already mentioned you can link invoices to payment platforms, which can help you get paid faster. From ecommerce, POS and inventory management systems to time tracking, complex payroll and other HR tools, the Xero marketplace has it all. Having so many extra Xero features and functions at your fingertips that smoothly integrate with your accounting software means you can customise your Xero for your business’ specific needs.

Xero integrations also allow you to connect your accounting to your CRM system, helping streamline all your business functions, not just your finances.

And if you’re thinking about outsourcing your payroll, creditor management, GST, or any other bookkeeping activities, moving to a robust and secure cloud-based system like Xero is critical to efficient collaboration while making sure you’ve still got access to all your data.

Chat to us about using Xero features and functions

4. You don’t need to be finance wiz to master Xero

Xero’s a great accounting software choice for small and medium-sized businesses because it was designed with small business users in mind, rather than accountants. As long as you know your way around a computer, you’ll find Xero intuitive and easy to use.

Xero has excellent search functionality, so you can quickly find contacts, invoices, bills and bank transactions with high accuracy (something software often struggles with).

It also has really useful resources and a great help desk. There are support articles on every topic you could need as well as a library of courses, videos and webinars on Xero Learning.

Of course, when we help clients move to Xero, we guide them through the initial start up phase, show them Xero’s features and functions, and provide ongoing support to make sure Xero continues to meet their needs as they grow.

Ready to give Xero a go?

Whether you’re looking for a better way to run your books or have big plans for your business and want an accounting software that can keep up, consider moving to Xero.

Examining a business’ systems is one of the first things we encourage our clients to do to start the financial year strong but there’s no wrong time to make the change to a tool that helps you understand and manage your finances better.

Need help with Xero’s features and functions?

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