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The problem

Underpinning the growth and profit of all small businesses is effective financial planning and accounting.

Xero is based on the principle that small businesses are highly sensitive to shifts in their balance sheet and cashflow. Their ability to monitor financial performance in real-time and plan ahead is crucial. Small businesses make up more than 90% of all businesses by number across OECD countries, so their success or otherwise has a direct effect on the greater economy.

The solution

At its core, Xero is an easy-to-use but powerful online accounting system that was born in the cloud. Xero provides a growing family of connected solutions as a platform for beautiful business:

• client accounting for small business available anywhere, anytime, and on mobile devices
• accountant tools for management reporting, final accounts production and compliance
• apps like Xero Payroll, Projects and Expenses
• integrations with 1000+ connected ecosystem apps

Software as a service

Xero’s software-as-a-service business model, where software is hosted securely on the internet, allows Xero to address the large and fragmented small business market. Xero releases new features monthly. Additions and extensions to functionality are developed in response to the needs of new customers and new industries.

The market

The size of the small business market is second only to that of individual consumers. Typically the consumer internet has reverted to non-direct, usually advertising-based, revenue models. In contrast, we believe the small business market provides the greatest opportunity for monetisation on the internet and Xero is proving itself to be a leading innovator in this market.

Technology

Xero software is developed using Microsoft’s .NET development environment over resilient SQL server databases, on a Windows application server infrastructure. Our production servers are primarily hosted by AWS which monitors our servers and firewalls 24/7/365 at guarded facilities.

Financial

Founded in 2006, Xero listed on the New Zealand Stock Exchange in June 2007 and the Australian Securities Exchange in November 2012. In 2018 Xero consolidated its listing on the ASX and was included in the S&P/ASX 100 index. Xero is used in over 180 countries by 2.7M+ paying subscribers and integrates with 1000+ add-on apps.

Key people

View the Xero country leaders, executives and board here.