Understanding the environmental impact of your business is critical in today’s business environment — and carbon accounting is a fundamental step in this process. With carbon accounting increasingly becoming another compliance measure mandated by regulators, businesses of all types and sizes need to get their emissions numbers in order. This is particularly true if you’re a small business that provides goods and services to a larger organisation. Many large companies are scrutinising their entire business operations in line with new compliance requirements, including product life cycles a ..read more

If you or your clients are looking for ways to grow profits, drop prices or pay staff more, then one strategy is to lift productivity in your business. But what is productivity exactly (hint: it’s not about working longer hours), and how can you lift it in your small business or practice? What is small business productivity? Small business productivity is the measure of how much value a business can produce using the resources it has at its disposal (ie staff, capital, materials). It’s usually measured using the dollar-value of outputs per hour worked or per employee. To put it more simply: sa ..read more

As nearly a thousand of our employees around the globe down tools this week for one of our twice-yearly hackathons, I’ve been reflecting on the purpose and benefits of this practice. Hackathons have been a fixture in the tech world for decades. But today the concept is widely utilised in fields as diverse as businesses, healthcare, education and social impact to solve some of the world’s most pressing issues.  Hackathons – which signifies the act to hack by applying one’s technical and creative skills in bursts of continuous and intensive efforts as one would in a marathon – are popular f ..read more

It’s with great excitement and anticipation that we announce the winner of Xero Australia’s Xerocon London partner competition. One lucky partner and a guest of their choosing will be treated to flights and accommodation to London and tickets to attend this year’s Xerocon London on 12 – 13 June. So, the moment of truth. The winner is… A. Kirk (postcode 2340)! Congratulations to you, and we can’t wait to see the fun you’ll have across the pond. To provide some trip inspo for our winner and those of you in Australia also attending Xerocon, here’s how you can plan out your week abroad. Day 1: Tou ..read more

With the new financial year officially upon us, now is your chance at a fresh start. This means it’s time to revisit goals, set intentions, and level up in order to make the most of the next 12 months. A good place to start? By optimising your systems and processes to create more seamless workflows and win back time.  To help you set off on the right foot, we’ve rounded up a list of ways to work smarter in Xero. Take what you need from these tips and tricks to stay on top of your numbers, and remember, your financial advisor is always there for more support should you need it. 1. Automate ..read more

To further support women’s football worldwide, FIFA has provided 14 Coach Education Scholarships for aspiring female coaches in Aotearoa New Zealand. The scholarships were backed by Xero as part of its global women’s football partnership with FIFA, and ongoing commitment to support the growth of the game and uplift the wahine involved. The 14 female coaches took the first steps on their coaching pathways this month when they joined a female-only OFC C Licence course in Auckland. The course, run by New Zealand Football, took place from 22-25 March at Bruce Pulman Park. Xero Country Manager Brid ..read more

We recently announced that we’ll be retiring the older version of our invoicing product — classic invoicing — on 2 September 2024. We know you have plenty of questions and concerns about this change, so we thought we’d share an update on what’s happening behind the scenes. The good news: our teams are busy building a new invoicing product that is going to give you far more flexibility and customisation in the future, with beautiful checkout experiences and unlimited payment methods. It’s also built using the latest technology, so we can roll out more of your Xero Product Ideas over time. Build ..read more

Dive into the world of franchising in this Q&A with Lime Licensing’s CEO, Andy Cheetham, as he shares his expertise, insights, and advice for businesses looking to franchise.  How can a business determine if its model is suitable for franchising?  Franchising is all about replication. If your current business can create a clone of itself in another location then it’s likely that your clone could be a franchise, provided it can be profitable of course!  I like to see a business that has gone through its learning curve already, and whilst no business is ever the finished artic ..read more

In Xero we’ve improved how you adjust your financial year-end settings. To see the latest changes check out this article – setting up your organisation’s financial settings.   The start date for Basis Period Reform is fast approaching. From April 2024, your sole trader and partnership clients will need to follow a tax year basis for Income Tax as part of HMRC’s Basis Period Reform.  The reform is only expected to impact 7% of sole traders. However, 33% of partnerships are likely to be affected.  The 2023/24 tax year is a transitional period, and you’ll need to do some extra ..read more

Recently, small businesses have had to navigate some pretty significant headwinds in the macroeconomic environment. Persistent inflation has led to rising interest rates, flowing through to slowing economic growth. The unemployment rate is still low, which is great news… except if you’re a small business looking for staff. Yes, these issues are all featured widely in the media. But what’s often missing from this coverage is how these trends are affecting small businesses. To be an effective advisor, it’s critical to understand what’s happening in the economy and how it’s impacting your clients ..read more