A Few Xero Tips to Streamline your Bookkeeping

Xero is great. Many of you already use Xero for your bookkeeping, whether you do it yourself or you use a bookkeeper. While already speeding up the whole bookkeeping process, Xero has many shortcuts to make bookkeeping even faster.

Tip #1

Head to Outlook and update your address book. Add your Xero Bill and File email addresses to your contacts and email your bills straight into your software. Most of our bills arrive electronically nowadays and for the ones that don't, snap a pic and email it straight from your phone. For bills that always arrive electronically, set up a rule so all these bills are auto-forwarded to your Xero account.

Tip #2

Another way to improve your data entry accuracy is to review your Chart of Accounts as part of your end of financial review. Archive any accounts that are no longer in use and check for any duplicates.

Tip #3

Do you deal with a lot of suppliers or customers who use Xero? Share your unique network key found in Xero and you can both directly send invoices from inside your Xero software. The invoice will become a draft invoice inside their organisation or yours if you're receiving it so you can approve the invoice and pay when due.

Tip #4

Save time by marking transactions such as prepayments or deposit payments from inside the transaction itself while reconciling your bank accounts. Enter the amount received or paid and Xero will split the payment for you so you don't have to leave your page to reconcile.

Tip #5

While you're in there, use the dropdown options on your transaction to create a bank rule, review Xero's suggestions, approve and reconcile.