Today we’re excited to feature guest author Ryan Lazanis, founder of Xen Accounting.
I was invited by Apple and Xero to speak at Apple’s flagship store in Montreal later this month about how Apple’s business customers can leverage new apps and technology to help run (and grow) their small businesses. The app to be spotlighted at the event is Xero’s cloud accounting software. As the event is fast approaching, I thought I would write a brief post for those out there that are looking for accounting software for Mac – and why Xero is a spectacular choice for Apple lovers out there.
As a an Apple Mobility Partner, Xero, Apple and other technology companies are working together to enhance the experience that their business customers receive from their respective products. It’s great to see that both businesses not only see synergies by working together, but they also envision ways in which they can help out small business owners in the digital age.
So how do Xero and Apple play well together for Mac users?
1. Xero works in the cloud
Since Xero works in the cloud, there is nothing to install locally on your computer. This means the accounting software that is operating system-agnostic. Maybe in the past you would need to worry about whether you were buying the correct version of the product and whether you would get the same updates as often or as quickly as the PC product would, but this is no longer the case.
To get to the point, if you’re a Mac user, Xero is accounting software that will work perfectly for you and your devices.
2. iPhone & iPad mobility
Xero is optimized to work quite well not just on MacBooks, but on iPhones and iPads – in fact there’s an app for each of these devices. If you’re someone who works while on the go, these apps can be a godsend.
Firstly, the mobile apps sync seamlessly with the web app, so any changes being made while on the go will be reflected on the web.
Secondly, the apps allow you to raise sales invoices and send them directly to your customers for payments no matter where you are. This translates into being able to get paid more quickly, thus assisting your cash flow.
Thirdly, if you’re the type to leave your accounting and bank reconciliations to the last minute (because you always have better things to do at the office), good news: the iOS mobile apps allow you to reconcile while on the go. Xero automatically pulls in your bank, credit card and PayPal transactions – so when you’re stuck in the waiting room at your dentist’s office, for example, you can actually be quite productive. Pull out your iPhone or iPad and you can easily start reconciling your bank transactions using the Xero mobile app.
Lastly, if you’re the kind of person that doesn’t know what to do with your expense receipts and lets them pile up until the end of the year, fret no more. Xero’s mobile app allows you to snap pictures of your receipts and easily enter the details into the iPhone or iPad app. This means that you no longer have to procrastinate over these administrative tasks until the very last minute… and you can ditch your Excel spreadsheets. It’s good practice to enter these items into the mobile app as soon as you receive them. Easy peasy.
All of the points above have to do with being productive while on the move. As our lives get busier and busier, being able to handle your accounting oriented functions no matter where you are means that you can get these kinds of tasks out of the way whenever and wherever you want to.
3. Xero for Apple Watch is pretty damn cool
If you’re running a small business, you know that cash is king. Any little thing that can provide you with more insight into your cash flow end of things will help you in your day to day decision making when running your business. Xero gets this, which is probably why Xero for Apple Watch exists.
This little app will show you your connected bank accounts in Xero and will notify you of any new transactions that hit these bank accounts so that you can always keep an eye on your account balances, the money that’s going out of these accounts as well as the money coming into them.
This is just another example of how we are moving in a direction where we will be receiving more and more real time data to help drive your decision making while running your business.
Apple + Xero = a great customer experience
Both Apple and Xero share something in common: they are focused on the experience their customers receive. It’s not about the number of features in the product, it’s about the feeling the customer has when they use their products, it’s about how the product can help improve their lives and their businesses – and I personally believe that they’re succeeding when it comes to this.
For those looking for an outstanding hardware and software experience when dealing with their accounting can do no wrong with Apple and Xero.
Ryan Lazanis, CPA, CA is the founder of Xen Accounting – a completely cloud-based, 100% paperless Canadian accounting firm – which combines online accredited accountants with innovative software. He believes today’s technology can make small business accounting more convenient, less time-consuming and less frustrating.
A tech enthusiast at heart and passionate about disruptive technologies in general, Ryan also became immersed in the world of Bitcoin in 2013 and helped Xen Accounting become the first professional accounting firm in North America to accept Bitcoins as payment. When he’s not busy with accounting or tech gadgets, Ryan has been known to be an active DJ in Montreal and enjoys “traveling to places that are hard to pronounce”.
