For small businesses in sectors like farming, trades, and forestry, these rising costs can put a real squeeze on your margins. But, what many business owners don’t realise is that they may be paying a road tax – known as Fuel Excise Duty – for fuel that never touches a public road.

If your business uses petrol for off-road machinery or commercial vessels, you are entitled to get that money back. Reclaiming these costs can make a major difference to your cash flow, with initial back-claims potentially ranging between NZ$3,000 and NZ$20,000.

What is fuel excise duty?

Every litre of petrol includes a tax designed to maintain public roads. However, if you rely on petrol to run equipment off the road, you needn’t be stuck paying it.

You may be eligible to claim a refund of 76¢ per litre plus GST if you use petrol for purposes such as:

• Agriculture and farming, including quad bikes, chainsaws, and pumps
• Trades and landscaping, including mowers, concrete cutters, and generators
• Marine operations, including commercial boating

Your accountants and bookkeepers may not typically handle these specialised excise duty claims, because it requires specific industry expertise, and it often becomes a hidden refund opportunity that businesses miss out on.

Simplify your refunds with PR Claims

PR Claims is a specialist help service in Aotearoa that focuses exclusively on maximising these specific Land Transport NZ refunds. Instead of adding extra administrative tasks to your day, they handle the paperwork and deal with the compliance side of your quarterly application.

Working with a specialist brings several advantages:

• success-based model, meaning there is no upfront fee and you don’t pay if you don’t get a refund
• historical claims lookback, allowing you to find unclaimed money from up to two years ago
• established relationships and a proven track record with Transport NZ

The Xero integration advantage

To make the refund process even easier, PR Claims connects directly to your Xero account. If you already enter your fuel supplier bills into Xero, the connection removes the manual paperwork.

When you connect the two platforms, PR Claims can securely pull your relevant fuel invoice data directly from your Xero transactions. This includes automated data flows from major suppliers like Farmlands, FarmSource, RD1, BP, and Z Energy. The system downloads attached PDFs to view line-item detail, applies the eligibility rules, and prepares your quarterly application.

PR Claims operates on a read-only basis, meaning it only requests the specific permissions required to identify fuel data and won’t write anything back to your Xero account. It also maintains secure records for the seven years required by law, giving you a clear audit trail within your accounting platform.

Unlock your Xero customer discount

Xero customers who connect through the Xero App Store receive a discounted service fee of 12.5%, compared to the standard 15% fee. Since PR Claims operates on a success-based model, there is no risk to trying it.

Don’t leave your business’s money in the government’s tank. Check your eligibility with PR Claims today and unlock your Xero-exclusive discount by visiting the PR claims listing on the Xero App Store.

The post Fuel for thought: how Kiwi businesses can claim back thousands on petrol appeared first on Xero Blog.

Scroll through certain corners of LinkedIn and you would think business owners are racing to replace their accountants with AI. Why pay for decades of experience when you can prompt your way to month-end?

The data tells a different story: business owners want more from their accountants than ever before. In a 2025 survey, 68% of small businesses said their accountant made them more productive,1 a clear shift from traditional expectations that accountants only offer compliance services.

This is the trend that James Ripley is seeing. As CEO of Venn Accounts, a fast-growing UK accounting firm, he describes the reality on the ground:

“Running a business in 2026 is more complex than ever, from supply chain disruption to regulatory pressure and rising employment costs. Most founders don’t want to take on financial risk themselves. They want a partner they can rely on to take that off their plate.”

Building an outsourced finance function

As trusted advisors, accountants are well positioned to support stretched founders.2 Venn Accounts is one of them. Responding to demand from their clients, they decided to move beyond compliance and offer a full finance function service. 

James explains what that means:
“We’ve moved beyond delivering compliance and now take ownership of the entire finance function. That includes payroll, supplier payments, cash flow management, and credit control. To deliver this consistently at scale, we build our service around best-in-class software.”

At the heart of Venn Accounts’ offering is Xero. They have always been a Xero-first practice and its rich application ecosystem means they can build a system customised to each of their clients.

“We work with high-growth businesses where change is constant, from new hires, new markets, new challenges. In that environment, a one-size-fits-all finance setup quickly breaks down. Xero’s ecosystem allows us to build a tailored tech stack around each client, rather than forcing them into a generic solution.”

Try before you buy

Always on the lookout for new software, the Venn Accounts team recently rolled out Trove, a debtor management software that automates the process of collecting overdue invoices. 

“One of our clients was struggling with overdue invoices and that’s a sensitive issue that needs handling carefully. We needed a solution that was effective, but also aligned with how we and our clients communicate with customers.”

As they do with all new software, the Venn Accounts team first trialled Trove themselves. Most of Venn Accounts’ customers are on direct debit but they were still building up unpaid invoices each month where a direct debit had failed or a bank transfer had slipped through the cracks.

They started using Trove to follow up with late payers automatically, all via their finance@ email address. Within two weeks, overdue invoices were down 60% and Days Sales Outstanding – a measure of how quickly invoices get paid – had improved by 22%.

The results have remained strong. As new invoices become overdue, Trove automatically gets in touch with the relevant customer to get the invoice paid. Using this system, 98% of invoices are consistently paid within two weeks of the due date. The remaining 2% are exceptional cases that Trove flags to the team. Here Venn Accounts can bring a human touch, working closely with the affected customer to find a path to payment.

Customising their service at scale

Having thoroughly tested Trove, Venn Accounts was able to implement it for their client and solve their problem. Doing this at scale, they have moved from providing checkbox compliance services to being a trusted member of their client’s team. It’s also what James prefers.

“This is where we add the most value, embedding ourselves into the client’s day-to-day operations and improving how their finance function actually runs,” says James. “It’s a fundamentally different model to traditional year-end compliance work.”

Learn more about Trove and other debtor management apps that integrate with Xero in the Xero App Store. 

1 https://gusto.com/resources/gusto-insights/beyond-the-books

2 https://www.xero.com/uk/media-releases/us-state-of-the-industry-report-2025/

The post Reducing overdue invoices by 60% with Trove and Xero appeared first on Xero Blog.

We’ve been listening to this feedback, and it’s why we built XeroForce.

XeroForce is a natural language custom AI agent builder designed to help you turn time-consuming repeatable and manual financial tasks into durable, scalable AI workflows. No technical expertise needed. No coding required. Just a team of agents designed to meet the specific needs of your business, working across Xero and third-party apps you already use.

Custom AI agents can be built using simple, natural language prompts. Describe how you work and share your specific requirements in plain language, including your review steps, client sign-off limits, and specific industry tax rules.  For a process like month-end close that involves a list of steps, XeroForce lets you build out your close process one workflow at a time. For each step, you can define a workflow – for example, “on the 5th of every month, get clarification on uncoded transactions.” Within seconds, your agents will be up and running, automating workflows across Xero and the apps you already use. Every workflow shows what ran, when, what data it touched, and what’s waiting on a sign-off. You decide what runs on its own.

These agents are always-on, watching for events or actions, such as email replies or filing dates, and completing tasks in the background over days or weeks while you focus on more strategic work. Other key features include:

No technical expertise required: Stay focused on the needs of your business, not on being a developer. With XeroForce you can easily customize agents without writing code or crafting complex prompts.

Purpose-built design: XeroForce is designed from the ground up with logic specific to small business financial workflows – from month-end close and ongoing reporting to organizing tax documents, PO validation, payrun approval and more.

Audit trails: Unlike generic AI platforms, every action is logged and traceable which is critical for compliance and client trust. 

Bulk action across clients: Many accountants and bookkeepers manage hundreds of clients and XeroForce enables workflows that operate at practice-wide scale, not one conversation at a time.

XeroForce is built on Xero’s two decades of powering millions of small businesses and accountants around the world, combined with its deep financial domain and compliance expertise. Xero doesn’t just capture data – it organizes how that data is connected and understood to create a rich context layer. This is what sets XeroForce apart, going beyond raw data to deliver tailored use cases for small business financial workflows, along with the auditability and visibility essential for compliance and client trust.

We’ve opened early access to XeroForce, with broader availability coming in the months ahead. Learn more and join the waitlist here.  

XeroForce is the latest AI innovation in the continued evolution of Xero from a system of record to a system of action to help small businesses and accountants thrive in the agentic era. It is built on Xero OS,  Xero’s AI-native financial operating system, which also powers JAX, and is grounded in our commitment to Accountable Intelligence.

The post Introducing XeroForce: Your no code custom AI agent builder for financial workflows appeared first on Xero Blog.

In our last blog post, we talked about what winning unlocks, from new growth opportunities to a deeper sense of purpose. With the Awards fast approaching, there’s still time to throw your hat in the ring. Submissions are open until 23:59 SGT on 12 June 2026.

Three ways to submit your best entry – in less than a week

Putting your best entry forward doesn’t have to be time-consuming or daunting. Similar to last year, nominations will take the form of video entries of up to three minutes – but rather than polished productions, we’re looking for authentic stories of how you’ve reimagined your practice and helped your clients reach their full potential. Whether you’re mid-way through your submission or just getting started, here are three tips to help you put together a compelling entry.

1. Familiarise yourself with the criteria

Before you hit record, spend some time going through the awards criteria and familiarise yourself with what the judges are looking for. Entries that speak directly to each category’s criteria tend to resonate better, so frame your story to let your best work shine through.

Take Ventureskey Solutions, for example. The 2025 Digital Innovator of the Year finalist were specific about what innovation looks like at their firm – using Xero to automate tasks, build real-time dashboards and cut manual work by around 60% – and where they’re headed next, with AI-powered dashboards, smarter KPI trackers and new Xero app integrations in the pipeline.

If you’re a returning applicant, this is also a good moment to reflect on what’s happened since your last submission. The judges want to hear about the past twelve months – new achievements, fresh client outcomes and the milestones you’ve reached most recently.

2. Lead with your story

More than anything, the judges want to know what your firm has genuinely experienced, including the client challenges you stepped up to and the positive outcomes you created. Where credentials are relevant, let them arise naturally from the story rather than lead it. 

In their award-winning entries for the Xero Partner of the Year – Singapore and Digital Innovator of the Year categories, digital-first accounting firm Harvest Accounting showed how putting Xero at the heart of their practice allowed their clients to reclaim time, energy and peace of mind. They brought in testimonials from real clients whose lives had genuinely been changed – from one who said they never have to think twice about renewing their contract, to another who described Harvest as helping them focus on what they do best. Harvest’s credentials were all there, with 550 clients on Xero and 100% Xero-certified staff, but what really clinched their wins was how clearly people-first their practice was.

3. Let your supporting documents do the heavy lifting

While your video tells your story, your supporting documents will substantiate it. Rather than covering every data point on camera, use your attachments to present the full picture: the metrics, testimonials and results that give weight to what you’ve shared.

CKP, who won both Xero Partner of the Year – Malaysia and Advisory Partner of the Year in 2025, were focused and intentional across their submissions. In both videos, co-founder and managing partner Jeremy Chia honed in on what mattered most for each category – from the firm’s broader impact on Malaysia’s accounting community, to the specific client outcomes that defined their advisory work. He then let the supporting documents back up his claims and tell the rest of the story.

Every practice has a story worth telling

As you work on your submission, remember that the strongest entries are simply the most honest ones. There is so much incredible work being done by our partners in Asia, and these Awards aim to give these achievements the visibility they deserve. 

If this is the year your firm steps forward, we’d love to hear from you. Nominate your practice – we can’t wait to hear what you’ve been up to.

The post Xero Asia Awards 2026: putting your best story forward appeared first on Xero Blog.

This, among others, was one of the key findings from Xero’s latest research examining Kiwi small and medium businesses’ use of and attitudes towards AI in 2026. 

We found that nearly half (45%) of small and medium businesses believe that AI could be the most significant opportunity since the rise of the internet. Yet, despite this high-level hope, a deep-seated confidence gap could be holding some business owners back.

The findings go beyond the typical hype to uncover the lived reality for Kiwi small and medium businesses. It’s not a story of resistance, but one of resource constraints: a lack of time, trust in platform privacy and data protections, and a clear roadmap for implementation.

The belief systems influencing how business owners are adopting AI

According to our research, nearly two-thirds (61%) of small and medium businesses are proactively* using AI technologies. Among them, most (79%) are learning through self-guided experimentation. 

To better understand what’s driving this decision – the choice to use or not use AI technologies – we uncovered four distinct archetypes, each representing a set of beliefs that influence how they approach AI adoption. 

Importantly, these archetypes can help us identify opportunities. In acknowledging that everyone has different views, motivations and needs, we can accept that how small and medium businesses use AI will look different – and that this could change over time. 

So, instead of a ‘one size fits all’ approach, these archetypes point to possibilities by asking: what could move the needle on how business owners utilise AI?

1. Explorers (44%)

Explorers represent the largest group of Kiwi small and medium businesses at 44%. The vast majority (99%) use AI tools for specific tasks within their business, and most claim to have a good working knowledge (57%) or a basic understanding (39%) of AI technologies.

They’re motivated by saving time and making work easier (40%), and are among the most likely to increase AI use over the next 12 months (58%).

Explorers are curious, practical, and willing to try new tools. However, their approach is largely experimental and self‑guided (55%), layering AI onto existing ways of working rather than rethinking processes altogether. 

The opportunity we see for Explorers: Move away from ‘bolting on’ AI tools to specific tasks and start ‘baking them in’. This could mean developing a deeper understanding of your business processes to better target AI deployment, or more experimentation to reimagine workflows with an AI-first lens.

2. Sceptics (26%)

Sceptics represent just over a quarter (26%) of small and medium businesses. They’re unconvinced on AI’s potential, with almost half (44%) believing it isn’t relevant to their business.

Of all the archetypes, they have the highest levels of concern – valid ones, at that – about risks such as data privacy and security (47%) and the accuracy of AI outputs (46%). Given this, most (89%) have no plans to invest in AI in the near term. 

While some (12%) acknowledge that AI could help with simple automation when used carefully, this group is cautious about unintended consequences, such as a loss of ‘human connection’ and over‑reliance. 

The opportunity we see for Sceptics: Without ignoring the concerns around some types of AI, small mindset shifts – to whatever extent you feel comfortable – could present green shoots of opportunity. Whether it’s talking to other business owners about how they tailor AI implementation, or taking another look at your end-to-end business processes to identify specific opportunities that align to the capabilities on offer, knowledge and guardrails could be key to building confidence.

3. Trailblazers (15%)

Representing 15% of small and medium businesses, Trailblazers are the early adopters of AI technologies. They’re the most likely to use AI tools extensively (83%), and almost two-thirds (65%) believe AI capabilities have the power to truly revolutionise the way their business operates. 

Trailblazers are also the most likely to agree on the benefits of AI technologies, reporting tangible gains in productivity (76%), time savings (71%), and improved decision making (47%). So it makes sense that most (91%) plan to increase their use of AI tools within the next 12 months.

The opportunity we see for Trailblazers: Ensure your focus isn’t just on chasing the newest, hyped-up tool and deploy some of your efforts towards mastering the strategic integration of what you already have. The real opportunity isn’t just doing things faster or using as much AI as possible, but rather using a purpose-fit, context-aligned AI stack to realise even greater benefits within your business.

4. Pragmatists (15%)

Pragmatists also comprise 15% of small and medium businesses. They largely believe AI could be useful; 78% have started exploring or testing AI tools, or plan to utilise them within the next year. 

However, it’s not a lack of interest that’s stopping them from doing more with AI tools; rather, it’s a lack of time to properly investigate and experiment with them. In fact, they’re the most likely to cite time as the biggest barrier to adoption (55%).

The data shows that Pragmatists are less driven by leveraging AI technologies to unlock competitive advantages (5%) and appear more motivated by the promise of lower stress and better work‑life balance (25%). 

The opportunity we see for Pragmatists: View the time spent learning AI not as a ‘cost’ that takes you away from work, but as a ‘capital investment’ that buys back future time. Focusing on optimising the right processes could mean five hours spent today saves five hours every week – a worthy trade-off, indeed.

Building confidence with clearer guardrails and more education

To take advantage of these opportunities across all archetypes, there’s a strong desire from small and medium businesses to see more AI governance and practical support. 

When asked what role the Government should play in encouraging AI adoption among small and medium businesses, the top responses were to set clear regulations and accountability standards (57%), and to enforce strong data protections and standards (55%). One in three also want Government to provide education and training resources. 

As for what would help business owners feel more confident in deploying AI, similar themes emerge in practical training and workshops (47%), access to trusted, vetted tools built specifically for small and medium businesses (46%), and real-world case studies showing how others are using AI (43%). 

Closing the gap with ASB

This clear call for help is why Xero has partnered with ASB to launch a fully funded, 12-week online AI bootcamp for Kiwi small and medium businesses, delivered by academyEX. 

The online programme is designed to help business owners build real‑world skills and capability to turn emerging tools into practical, productivity‑boosting parts of their everyday operations, with limited places available via an expression‑of‑interest process. 

Looking ahead

It’s clear that small and medium businesses believe AI tools can help them – many just want to be sure they’re using them in the right way. The desire is there; the next step for many is gaining knowledge and confidence, according to our research. Whether that means narrowing focus to avoid the hype, or carving out the time to deepen experimentation and learning, exploring ways to unlock value with AI – whatever that may look like for your business at this point in time – is a worthwhile endeavour. 

*For the purpose of this research, when we refer to AI, we mean any AI-enabled tool or platform that a small or medium business has actively adopted with the intention of adding or creating value.

Learn more about Aotearoa’s largest online AI Bootcamp for small and medium businesses, brought to you by Xero and ASB, delivered by academyEX, New Zealand’s postgraduate institute built for the age of disruption.

The post From curious to confident: how Kiwi business owners are adopting AI appeared first on Xero Blog.

We believe a small business’s back office should be a source of financial clarity, not a source of stress. It should be the place where a small business owner feels confident looking at their data and empowered to plan for the future. 

That’s why Xero has been focused on eradicating fragmented, time consuming processes and bringing you the real-time, actionable intelligence and insights you need to make critical business decisions.

Today, we’re taking this a step further with our live Claude integration. By bringing Xero’s financial data into Claude, high-stakes questions become a simple, real-time dialogue. You can unlock the full potential of your business and get an answer that’s backed by Xero’s trusted financial intelligence without switching tools. The insights generated in Claude link back to Xero so you can take action, such as reviewing the full report, contact record or invoice detail. 

Using Xero wherever you choose to work 

For the first time, Xero customers can leverage Xero and work with their financial data directly inside a leading AI platform. By combining Xero’s live financial data with Claude’s reasoning, rather than a static export, you can uncover actionable strategic insights and financial reporting in areas like: 

• Revenue and profit: See total earnings, if profit is up or down and how your performance compares over time 
• Contacts and receivables: Identify which customers contribute the most revenue and spot overdue invoices and outstanding payments immediately
• Financial position and cash position: Get a snapshot of your business health by viewing assets, liabilities and cash flow position

This rollout marks a significant milestone in our commitment to ensuring customers can leverage Xero wherever they choose to work and at every point in the decision-making process. We’ve tailored this experience specifically for natural language conversations in Claude, using the same foundational agentic reasoning that powers our financial superagent, JAX. 

Moving from insights to better-informed actions in Xero

Delivering smarter in-context insights is just the beginning of our integration with Claude. By uncovering trends or spotting anomalies within your financial data during a Claude conversation, customers are better equipped to take decisive action when they click back into Xero. Whether the data prompts you to send an invoice reminder to a key customer, complete your bank reconciliation, or adjust a budget,  you can move forward with confidence and take action. 

Our goal is to deliver AI-powered automation and financial intelligence that moves the administrative weight away from business owners and gives them the clarity to make informed decisions about the future. 

Learn more about how you can use your Xero subscription to bring your financial data directly into Claude here.

The post Leverage Xero’s real-time financial intelligence, wherever you work: our Claude integration is here appeared first on Xero Blog.

This year I had the privilege of running the London Marathon on behalf of Xero and our amazing charity partner, Stonewall Housing, along with my colleague David Stribling. Running for Stonewall Housing and our Pride Employee Resource Group (ERG) was a powerful reminder of why this partnership matters: marathon training means pushing through tough moments with support around you. Stonewall Housing walks alongside LGBTQ+ people facing their own difficult journeys, helping provide specialist support and a safe place to call home when they need it most.

Finding balance

Now I’m not an athlete, but I do love exercise and staying healthy. At Xero we recognise the importance of prioritising health and wellbeing, but I know first-hand how hard it can be to balance that with family life and a full calendar, so I’ve been trying to lead by example. Training for the marathon meant blocking morning or lunchtime runs into my diary, stepping away from my desk, and being open with the team about the importance of taking a break.

It’s not all about pace or distance – as much as I enjoy a competitive race. It’s about protecting time for your wellbeing and the hobbies that help you recharge. A few things that helped me:

• Schedule it like any other meeting – if it’s in the diary, you’re more likely to honour it. We’re a global company, which means we often have meetings outside of the usual work hours. Our flexible approach helps us fit in our hobbies and exercise around our work commitments.
• Start small and be consistent – some days are harder than others to motivate yourself. A 20‑minute walk or jog at lunch can make a real difference and you never regret it.
• Bring others on the journey – let family, friends and colleagues know your goals so they can support you, and maybe even join you.

Taking real breaks and making time to stay active or enjoy hobbies outside work isn’t a ‘nice to have’ – it boosts energy, perspective and resilience, which in turn supports better focus, productivity and overall team wellbeing.

Pride at Xero: standing with Stonewall Housing

Our Pride ERG has been partnering with Stonewall Housing for a few years now, helping us learn more about LGBTQ+ homelessness and come together for a cause that matters to our people.

Thanks to our Pride ERG, we’ve had Xeros attend London Pride alongside Stonewall Housing, we’ve welcomed their colleagues in to share real stories with our team from their frontline services, and raised funds to help them reach more people, earlier, with the right support. You can read more about our partnership in this Stonewall Housing blog. The marathon was another step in that journey – turning a personal challenge into collective impact for the communities Stonewall Housing serves.

I wasn’t out there alone. As well as David and I running for Stonewall Housing, our colleagues Brad Mannings (running for Antenatal Results and Choices), Naomi Lawrence (running for Sarcoma UK) and Joshua Lackey (running for Epilepsy Action) all took on the marathon for causes deeply personal to them – a brilliant reflection of how our people bring their whole selves to work and stand up for the issues that matter most in their lives and communities.

Building a culture of belonging

At Xero, we’re proud of a culture where we get behind each other when we take on big challenges, and where our ERGs help us turn our values into action. 

These employee resource groups offer a space to connect with others who share similar backgrounds, life experiences, or interests, and help to create a greater sense of belonging at Xero. They’re voluntary, employee-led groups built on shared characteristics, experiences or allyship, where people can exchange ideas and feel at home. You can find out more about our approach to embedding inclusion into our culture here.

The post Putting our values in motion: running the London Marathon alongside Stonewall Housing appeared first on Xero Blog.

Every year, the Asia Awards shine a spotlight on partner firms across Asia raising the bar for their clients, teams and the profession as a whole. But the significance of the recognition runs deeper than a single evening and a moment on stage. For many of our past winners, it has catalysed growth, strengthened relationships and reaffirmed what their practice stands for. Here’s what they had to say.

What winning a Xero Asia Award means for your practice

Credibility that drives growth: Recognition from a globally trusted brand like Xero carries real commercial weight. Alfred Ang, founder and CEO of Caltrix, found that winning directly influenced his firm’s bottom line: “Winning a Xero Asia Award has strengthened our credibility significantly, leading to higher client trust and better conversion rates.” For WLP Group, co-founder Tan Li Han said winning “not only opened doors to new advisory opportunities, but has also differentiated [them] in a competitive market.”

Regional opportunities and new conversations: For Fastlane Group, winning sparked dialogue with businesses navigating cross-border expansion – clients who weren’t just looking for an accountant, but a partner who could grow with them across markets. Alex So, founder and group managing partner, said, “The recognition has opened up more meaningful conversations with businesses that are navigating regional expansion.” It also gave their clients confidence in a firm that “understands their growth ambitions and can support them as they expand from local to regional, and beyond.”

Building a team that’s proud of where they work: The impact of winning isn’t only felt externally. For many teams, it affirms that the heart they pour into their work genuinely makes a difference. As Alfred shared, “[E]very recognition reminds us that the impact we create through digitalisation truly matters.” For future hires, being part of a publicly recognised, award-winning practice is a powerful signal: that this is a firm with high standards, a strong culture and a team worth being a part of.

Recognition that runs deeper than revenue: Winning has real commercial impact, but for practices that have spent years building something meaningful, it affirms both their purpose and performance. Wienanto Tanuwidjaja, founding and managing partner of Logiframe, said, “Thirteen years in, our relationship with our clients has always come first. Being named the 2025 Xero Asia Partner of the Year (Rest of Asia) reflects exactly that – the trust our clients place in us and the commitment our team brings to earning it every day.”

Mark your calendars: your story deserves to be told!

This year’s Awards ceremony takes place on 6 August 2026 and the last day to nominate your firm is 12 June. We’re already looking forward to celebrating with you. 

Our categories this year are: Xero Partner of the Year (Singapore, Malaysia and Rest of Asia), Advisory Partner of the Year, Digital Innovator of the Year and Client Champion of the Year. Entries should be submitted as a short video of no longer than three minutes – and what matters most is authentic storytelling that speaks to the genuine impact you’ve made for your clients. More information on what we’re looking for can be found here.

We are constantly in awe of what our partners across Asia achieve, and believe these stories deserve to be seen and celebrated. If your firm has had a standout year, we want to hear from you!
Nominate your firm today — we can’t wait to see your entries!

The post Xero Asia Awards 2026: More than a moment on stage appeared first on Xero Blog.

Whether it’s the technical heavy lifting of importing historical data from a previous tool, the precision required to connect your bank feeds, or simply learning how to navigate new features, a little guidance at the right time can make all the difference.

That’s why we’re launching Xero Coaches in the U.S. – a new program designed to help eligible new small business customers get up and running with more confidence from the start. Available throughout your first 90 days of a new U.S. Xero subscription, Xero Coaches offers one-on-one onboarding support to help you set up your Xero account and streamline your financial workflows to get started on your journey with confidence.

Support that meets you at the start

Xero has evolved far beyond traditional accounting. It is now a one-stop shop where you can pay your vendors and employees, send invoices to get paid faster, and unlock real-time cash flow insights—all perfectly synced in one place. 

Through premium onboarding support, Xero Coaches help you navigate setup challenges and provide practical product training so you can start using the one-stop shop that’s at your fingertips. That support can include things like:

• Getting set up: Connecting bank feeds and ensuring your data is flowing correctly.
• Workflow training: Mastering the essentials of paying vendors, managing payroll, and sending invoices.
• Ecosystem navigation: Finding the right apps and tools in our ecosystem to fit your specific business needs.

Xero Coaches is specifically tailored for those starting their journey independently, so instead of navigating a new ecosystem alone, you have the guidance to help you get oriented and use the platform more effectively. Our goal is to help you build a solid foundation from day one, ensuring your data is organized and your workflows are clean and you are perfectly positioned to get the most out of working with an accountant or bookkeeper when the time is right. 

When you are ready for that next step, we can help connect you to thousands of Xero-certified accountants and bookkeepers through our Xero Advisor Directory.  

Building momentum from day one

Technology is most powerful when it’s approachable — and the power of a comprehensive financial operating system is most effective when you have clarity from day one. That’s why Xero Coaches is built around the reality that more capability deserves more guidance.

By combining an all-in-one financial platform with expert human support, Xero Coaches is our way of making sure no small business has to start their journey in the dark and we help you unlock value faster.  

Ready to get started?

Sign up for Xero today so you can get setup faster the first time with a Xero Coach. 

The post Meet Xero Coaches: Free Onboarding support for your first 90 days appeared first on Xero Blog.