Xero For Dummies. Heather Smith

       Ability to create new invoices, and view draft, unpaid and overdue invoices (see Chapter 6)

       Ability to view contact details — and call contacts from your phone (Chapter 5)

       Ability to submit receipts and expense claims (Chapter 7)

       Ability to upload files to the organisation’s Files inbox and attach files to receipts or invoices

       Access your Advisor and submit a Support ticket

      You can access full Xero features on your mobile device via a browser at m.xero.com. It is ubercool that Xero can be accessed on your phone!

Access any support you need to help your business. For example, an IT specialist can ensure you’re accessing a high-speed internet connection. This may involve reviewing your existing network and your internet provider’s plan. Technology is rapidly advancing, so reviewing this set-up on a regular basis can improve productivity.

Using Xero in a Training Environment

      Xero For Dummies is a comprehensive resource for any Xero training environment. At the time of writing, no Xero training platform is available, so if you want to organise a training session you need to establish your own live Xero training file — which is easy to do.

I recommend taking the following steps as you prepare for a workshop-style training session:

      1 Set up a single Xero file.See Chapter 2 for more on setting up a Xero file. This file can also be re-used for different training groups — though you may prefer to start with a fresh file each time.

      2 Before you start the session, invite students in as Users to the file.Make sure students have time to accept their access to the Xero organisation. Let them know that if they already have access to another Xero file, they should use that same email address and password. Also, remind students to bring their email address and password to the training session. Remind users that they’re entering information into a shared training file, so they shouldn’t enter private information.

      

You can access sample data and lesson plans at www.heathersmithsmallbusiness.com/XeroTM; the password to access these files is ‘Charlie’.

Chapter 2

      Getting Organised: Setting Up Xero from Scratch

      IN THIS CHAPTER

      

Getting together everything you need for set-up

      

Making your way through the set-up guide

      

Organising your Chart of Accounts

      

Checking your balances and increasing your payment accounts

      

Confirming your consumer tax rates

      Customers of mine, a husband and wife partnership who run an electrical importing business out of their small apartment, confided to me that, prior to investing in their business accounting system, they were close to divorce. Signing up to Xero was such a relief. They now know who owes them money and who they owe money to. They understand how different areas in the business are tracking and are more informed when making decisions. They no longer lie in bed awake at night worrying or having protracted discussions about the business. They are in control. Who knew investing in an accounting system could buy you a peaceful night’s sleep and save your relationships?!

So what are you waiting for? This chapter provides everything you need to know to set yourself up on Xero and start organising your accounts. I cover assessing your system requirements and making sure you have all the necessary information at your fingertips before you start. I help you work through the basic steps required when signing up and take you through the Chart of Accounts dashboard. I provide some help on adding options for that all-important matter — getting paid — and give a quick run-through of your consumer tax options.

      

The instructions for the Xero set-up process covered in this chapter and the appearance of Xero’s set-up wizard shown in the figures were correct at the time of writing. Because of the cloud-based nature of Xero, processes and screen designs can change at any time, but don’t worry. Even if you’re looking at something slightly different to the screenshots shown in this chapter, the basic principles behind the set-up process, and the information required to complete it, will be the same. If in any doubt, check out the Xero Help Centre for information on the latest updates.

      

How do you eat an elephant? One chunk at a time. If you need to take a break during the Xero set-up process, the file stays in place, so you can return to it later. Sometimes it can be easier to tackle one section of the set-up process, understand this area fully, sleep on it, and then move onto the next area.

Preparing for Set-Up

      Before jumping straight in to signing up to Xero, getting yourself organised and checking you have everything you need is worthwhile.

      Checking your browser and system requirements

      Xero is accessed on the internet, so you don’t need to worry about how working on a Mac, a PC or a mobile device may change performance, or whether you have enough memory or space to install software. You simply need access to the internet! However, to ensure efficient and effective access to Xero online, including viewing graphical charts, you may need to install or update to the latest versions of certain products or tools, or change settings to support requirements.

      At a bare minimum, here’s what you need to use or set up (in the order you need to look at them):

       Supported internet browser: Options include recent versions of Microsoft Edge, Mozilla Firefox, Safari, Google Chrome and, if accessing via a mobile device, Opera Mini or the device’s default browser. Ensure you are using the latest operating system available.

       Javascript: You can activate this in your browser (further help can be found at www.activatejavascript.org).

       Cookies: Set your browser to enable cookies from www.xero.com. This allows the website to work properly on your browser and can typically be activated through your internet browser preferences or settings options.

      

SNAPPY TIPS TO MASTER YOUR BROWSER

      To optimise your Xero work time, I offer