Xero offers free counseling to all 200,000+ Auckland small business owners

Auckland – 3 November 2021 – Xero, the global small business platform, announced today that all 200,000+ small business owners in Auckland are now eligible for free and confidential professional counseling through the Xero Assistance Program (XAP) until the end of the year.

Craig Hudson, Xero’s Managing Director for New Zealand & Pacific Islands, says there is an enormous strain on the wellbeing of Auckland business almost 80 consecutive days in lockdown.

“Lockdowns are tough for everyone, but especially for small business owners. There’s a huge weight on their shoulders with so many people relying on them including their families, staff and customers. With no clear end in sight, many are increasingly worried about their future livelihoods”.

“The data paints a grim picture. The latest Xero Small Business Insights showed sales were down 18.4 percent (y/y) in Auckland and small businesses were paid four and a half days slower (m/m). This is causing major cash flow issues and small businesses are currently on their knees."

“With Covid-19 now established in the community, even when lockdown restrictions ease there are no guarantees things will bounce back to pre-lockdown levels,” says Hudson.

The Xero Assistance Program is facilitated through world-leading wellbeing provider, Benestar, and offers confidential and free access to three telephone, live chat, or online counseling sessions.

All Xero customers across Aotearoa, along with their staff and families, are already eligible for free and confidential professional counseling through XAP. This equates to more than one million Kiwis throughout the country.

“At Xero, we understand the importance of taking care of your wellbeing. New Zealanders should see talking to a counselor as a strength. It’s an active step towards taking better care of your wellbeing and strengthens your ability to take on all manner of challenges,” says Hudson.

To access, users simply need to message xap@xero.com with the name of their business, or follow the instructions here.

ENDS

Media Contact

Natalie Weber-Benning | natalie.weberbenning@xero.com | 021 026 19604

About Xero

Xero is a cloud-based accounting software platform for small businesses with over 2.7 million subscribers globally. Through Xero, small business owners and their advisors have access to real-time financial data any time, anywhere and on any device. Xero offers an ecosystem of over 1,000 third-party apps and 300 plus connections to banks and other financial partners. In 2020 and 2021, Xero was included in the Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index and in 2020, Xero was recognized by IDC MarketScape as a leader in its worldwide SaaS and cloud-enabled small business finance and accounting applications vendor assessment.