Getting up Tuesday morning, my co-worker and I headed over to the Austin convention center for Pre-Con. It was a slow start to the morning as I left my umbrella in our Lyft and then we proceeded to wander around the cavernous convention center for about 15 minutes before figuring out where we were going. It seemed everyone had an option, whether it be firm owners with Accelerate, newbies taking the live certification, innovators trying the new mobile-focused Finding Your Niche, or the much-needed Art of the Sale. Having taken most of those I opted for another new offering, Bookkeeper X with Ryan Watson. Ryan is the co-founder of Upsourced Accounting and Xero Ambassador for the Midwest. I thoroughly enjoyed the content, conversation, and community aspect the course brought.
Consumer Products & Retail
BizEquity, the leading provider of cloud-based business valuation solutions, today announced the release of its new Exit Valuation Module, an eighth… 10 years ago, when Xero started, the conditions were prime for market entry. Details of events for accountants and bookkeepers in the United States. While I couldn’t wait to get home to my family, I miss my Xero community. I know the conversations will continue at Xero Hour and through the Facebook Group, but there’s simply nothing like the critical mass that comes with Xerocon. Luckily, this year we only have to wait half a year for another opportunity with Xerocon Atlanta coming up in June 2018.
- Utilizing artificial intelligence, structured data can now be managed without user input, essentially creating “code-free accounting”.
- If you were among the lucky few to snag a ticket to this year’s sold-out Xerocon in Austin, you are in for quite a treat.
- On Wednesday morning a procession of 3000 accountants and bookkeepers rolled into the Xerocon exhibitor hall to be met by, the pounding beats of Xerocon.
- Ever — Rumor has it that this year’sXerocon in Austinwill become the biggest Xerocon yet, with more exhibitors and educational sessions headlining the conference.
- Just remember to add something valuable – it’s all too easy to jump on the hype train and simply fade away.
Xerocon a.k.a #Blanketcon, the world’s most beautiful and innovative conference for cloud accounting leaders, kicked off on December 5th, in Austin, Texas. Nick Pasquarosa, founder and CEO of Bookkeeper360, was one of the speakers, presenting on the ‘The art of the sale’. Nick along with his co-hosts spoke on the sales qualification process and how advisors can provide ongoing value for businesses. Kicking off the conference was Xero CEO Rod Drury who proclaimed that the ‘end of accounting software’ has arrived in reference to how Xero is creating both a streamlined back and front office. Utilizing artificial intelligence, structured data can now be managed without user input, essentially creating “code-free accounting”.
- I believe it to be a currently unique, first-mover, big competitive advantage.
- Make the most of your partner status Xerocon is the best place to learn about upcoming Xero initiatives, technologies and offers that help our partners flourish.
- Sholto from Digital First has written a great detailed explanation on this if you would like to know more about the “Modular Practice Concept“.
- We had another great week of networking and social schmoozing.
- The core product offers slick practice management, reporting and work papers with its own ecosystem providing automation of proposals and payments and much more.
Twitter especially blows up with the #xerocon hashtag, opening up a whole new way of experiencing the conference. In the time leading up to Xerocon, keep an eye on #xerocon hashtag and use it to get your own personality into the mix. Just remember to add something valuable – it’s all too easy to jump on the hype train and simply fade away. Xero announced that they will be adding Microsoft’s MileIQ to their app marketplace, offering a more simplified expense reporting process and mileage deduction process for freelance Workers. MileIQ, offers a beautifully designed and simple platform, for business owners and freelancers, to utilize.
Notable Speakers
The accounting profession is filled with too many people who are completely jaded. It’s incredibly refreshing to be surrounded for a few days by people who aren’t. People who dare to imagine that accounting can be fun and make a meaningful difference in the world. Collaborate with your peers, support your clients and boost your practice.
Thank you to our event partners
I personally cannot wait to see Marcus Lemonis from CNBC’s investment-based reality show “The Profit” talk about the power of relationship building or to have the Xero Ambassador team teach us to be cherished advisors. If you were among the lucky few to snag a ticket to this year’s sold-out Xerocon in Austin, you are in for quite a treat. Since Xerocon is being held in the (unofficial) barbecue capital of the world, I’ll be carrying sauce in my purse in the event of a brisket emergency. Over the two days I met plenty of accountant/bookkeeper come developers that are using the Xero API to automate their businesses. With our XD Hax hackathon in full swing at the moment, I encouraged them to submit some of their work, but when we delved deeper it was pretty clear their tools were suitable only to their business.
Account Kit AccountKit is a set of cloud based tools branded to your practice colours. The app marketplace of Xero may be growing beyond 600 “ecosystem partners”, BUT interestingly the number showing up at Xerocon is diminishing, despite the rapidly growing audience. The continued ignorance of the mid-market players (e.g. NetSuite) to core SMB usability and functionality like bank feeds, makes them primed for competition from the SMB players. Boma, a new Mail Chimp-esque marketing platform, has done an amazing job to partner with Xero. The amount of advertising across the conference during keynotes, must have been a massive leg-up. Providing content in platform, for Xero HQ Boma users to enter a world of professional, proactive marketing, effortlessly.
The 2017 Tax Season is Arriving
My Wednesday and Thursday are packed with ‘press events’ and one-on-one sessions with Xero executives and product managers. Another example might be a Law-firm Management App and a data capture engine App to turn legal briefs into fully indexed digital data at light speed. A key factor in this process is finding those 2 or 3 apps that all of your clients need and can use. Xerocon Melbourne 2017 is playing host to the world’s most beautiful and innovative conference for cloud accounting leaders and friends.
Ever — Rumor has it that this year’sXerocon in Austinwill become the biggest Xerocon yet, with more exhibitors and educational sessions headlining the conference. A world champion adventurer racer and NYT best-selling author, spoke on the importance of utilizing team members and leveraging their specific skills as components of an organization. Bookkeeper360 would like to welcome and congratulate Keri Gohman, on her one year anniversary, to the Xero team as their President of the Americas. Keri is a former Capital One executive and emphasized the need for businesses to have advisors. Statistics as displayed by Keri, showed that 85% of businesses survive over five years with an advisor whereas 65% fail without one and poor financial management.
Business Technology Overview
Intuit appears to to be very focused on the Small & Micro Business definition of the acronym SMB. Justifying their pricing and product strategies (that has seen them build a new product “Quick Books Self Employed”), on the growing #GigEconomy opportunity. Win marketshare first, monestise second appears the core strategy.
The reality is, many accountants and bookkeepers are unfamiliar with or uncomfortable in this space, making it easy is a great strategy for Xero to continue to grow. xerocon 2017 austin texas wrapup My maths says NetSuite have a CLTV of ~$800k, compared with Xero currently ~$2k. Moving the needle, even by a little, towards the NetSuite number, has massive bottom line benefits for Xero.
But if I were Chris Teeling and Rod Drury and driving Xero’s strategy, I’d also revisit their micro business offering. Keep to one platform play, but build out a mobile first, light-weight offering, that offers a growth path by adding modules over time. CCH have focused on monetising the practice, not the clients (they even originally had iBizz, a cloud based, bank feeds driven SME solution, which they practically gave away). Xero have focused on monetising the client, not the practice (charging for client files/solutions, not the practice management offerings).
Gusto and Xero Announce New Payroll Partnership
While beautiful, Fair Market was not exactly what I would call a winterized venue. With the main entrance being an epic circular opening without a door, the cold was continuously invading the space. The ceiling-mounted heaters in the former aircraft hangar were no match for Jack Frost.
