There is a lot in Xero you will never need. These four things, in this order, cover most of what a business owner actually does.
- Bank reconciliation first, because everything else depends on it being right
- Invoicing has the most direct effect on your bank balance
- Supplier bills entered properly are what makes GST on purchases correct
- Four reports answer almost every question you will have
One: bank reconciliation
First, because if your bank reconciliation is out, everything is out. This is also where the habit matters more than the knowledge: a weekly ten minutes is easier than a quarterly afternoon.
Two: invoicing
Getting paid is the part of the software with the most direct effect on your bank balance. Branding, terms and payment options set up once, then invoices that go out the day the work is done.
Three: bills and purchases
Supplier bills entered properly are what makes your GST on purchases correct. This is also where duplicates creep in, and where knowing what a duplicate looks like saves you finding it three quarters later.
Four: reports
The reason for the other three. Four reports will tell you almost everything you need about how the business is going, and being able to run them yourself means you find out on the day rather than weeks late.
You should not have to wait on someone else to tell you how your own business is going.
Straight answers, in plain English
Does Xero have free training?
Yes. Xero Central carries free guides and Xero's own learning centre runs free courses, and for learning which buttons to press they are a sensible place to start. What they cannot do is look at your file, because they teach on a demo company where nothing is already wrong.
Can I learn Xero by myself?
Many people do, and if your file is in reasonable shape and you have time to read, self-teaching works. It stops working when the problem is the file rather than the software: a chart of accounts set up wrongly two years ago is not something a tutorial can see, and that is the point at which a session on your own data is faster than another video.
How much does a Xero training course cost?
Every package has its price published on its own page, including GST, so you can see the figure before you book anything. The packages are linked from the Xero training and courses page, and a free 30-minute Initial Discovery Session comes first if you would rather talk it through than choose from a list.
Is it possible to learn Xero online for free?
Yes, and we will say so plainly rather than pretend otherwise. Free online material is enough for a straightforward file and a patient reader. Paid training earns its place when you need someone to look at your actual transactions, when a mistake has already been made, or when you want the answer this week instead of after the next three videos.
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