We’re big fans of Xero as an accounting platform. As we explained in our Xero to Hero blog a while back, Xero’s cloud accounting software has given us the flexibility and the deep access to our clients’ numbers to truly help them drive their businesses forward.
But how did we first start using Xero and why? As Stubbs Parkin Director, Katharine Thompson explains, it’s been a gradual process of discovery, evolution and honing of processes that’s made Xero our software of choice.
“We started exploring online accounting software back in 2009 as we were looking for an easy to use accounting software for clients. Typically they would start to use Sage or QuickBooks and come back to us 12 or more months later with a very messy set of records. Or, possibly worse, they would make it up and do it in their own unique way which meant staff having to figure out what they had done.”
The black cloud of bookkeeping
A turning point for Katharine was something a client said to her about keeping records and how much stress and worry it actually brought her.
“This client said to me that she hated bookkeeping and that it was like a big black cloud hanging over her head. That confession that she truly hated bookkeeping stuck with me and got me thinking. I was sure there must be a better way. So I started looking for an alternative product – something to take that black cloud away.
I knew it needed to be software which clients and their bookkeepers wouldn’t need to go to night school for three months to learn how to use. And despite a relative lack of functionality at the time, Xero stood out as the nicest and easiest cloud software to use.
The more we explored the product with our clients the more we realised that most didn’t need the functions we thought they might. What they wanted was a great bookkeeping system. For them, that was better than having an all-singing, all-dancing product which was difficult to use and where many of the deeper functions were underused.”
Constantly evolving software
This client need for a simple bookkeeping system was what sealed the deal for Katharine. Xero’s easy-to-use interface meant it was perfect for clients to use. But the more complex reporting functions were also there for the Stubbs Parkin team to really drill down into the client’s numbers. It was a perfect marriage of simplicity and functionality.
“We signed up with Xero and started to use it for our own accounting records in April 2010 and since then the product has improved consistently, always at the forefront of the market. We’ve been able to solve ongoing bookkeeping problems for clients and harness the benefits of working in the cloud to assist our clients and help them improve their business results.”
A vital part of our clients’ businesses
Helping our clients harness their true potential is always at the centre of what we do at Stubbs Parkin. Xero really has been the bedrock on which we’ve built our advisory services. And Xero’s star shows no signs of waning anytime soon, as Katharine makes clear.
“Thankfully even more people are starting to know about Xero and cloud technology in general and we are able to improve our service to our clients every year. Our focus is now on moving our Xero clients forward so that it is not just a bookkeeping system but a vital part of their business planning and decision making.”
Find out more about how Xero can help your business.
