Item: Xero
Rating: 9
Author: Carolyn Swora

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

I'm a small business owner, and I use Xero to manage all the finances in my organization. I will send quotes and invoices to clients directly through Xero. It has a really nice user interface online and on my phone, giving me the confidence to manage my finances on the road or in my home office. I track my expenses with Xero as well, which means I don't have to fret with paper receipts. Take a picture and add a bit of information. I usually have my expense uploaded before I've left the place where I made a purchase.

Pros and Cons

Invoicing
Statement of accounts
Expense management
Syncing with bank statements

Communication when bank feed fails

Return on Investment

Allowed me to make decisions quickly because financial info is easily accessible

Alternatives Considered

FreshBooks and QuickBooks Online

Xero has enterprise capabilities but can be used for small businesses. Coming from a large enterprise, I had a certain way of looking at the business that I was used to. Xero met that whereas the other products didn't - they appealed directly to small businesses with a smaller perspective on the business.

Key Insights

Do you think Xero delivers good value for the price?

Yes

Are you happy with Xero's feature set?

Yes

Did Xero live up to sales and marketing promises?

Yes

Did implementation of Xero go as expected?

Yes

Would you buy Xero again?

Yes

Other Software Used

Adobe Acrobat Reader DC, Microsoft 365 (formerly Office 365), Zoom, Microsoft Teams

Usability

It has deep functionality, and it's easy to use for invoicing, quoting, financial reporting, and customer management. This product manages financial information for small business owners in a unique way. The phone interface is really good as well-meaning I can keep on top of the finances on my phone and feel confident about the financial decisions I'm making.

Support Rating

The few times I've needed support, I've used the help feature, and I was able to resolve my issue. It has been very rare that I've required support, though. I haven't had to reach out for live support. The major support issues I've needed help with are related to my bank feeds disconnecting

Likelihood to Recommend

Well suited for a small business like mine with less than 10 employees. I would suspect Xero would be good for companies with 100 people or less where there isn't a huge finance department. Xero allows people to easily monitor the finances of their business. I've not had to integrate payroll with Xero, so perhaps this is when Xero would be less suited.

Xero makes you a financial hero!

Overall Satisfaction with Xero