Thinking of the future
We’re always looking for innovative ways that we can do business better and as we grow we’re becoming more aware of the economic, environmental and social consequences.
To keep ourselves in check and strive to improve our processes we now have a Sustainability Team who are based at our Wellington HQ. We’ve also joined the New Zealand Sustainable Business Network as we strive to make some positive changes and push along some of the initiatives we’ve already put in place.
A company’s view on sustainability and whether it actually puts any of these principles into practice can influence customers. At Xero we have nothing to hide. We’re not perfect but we’re on our way to being more sustainable! You can read our Sustainability Policy here.
Jamtastic!
Everyone jammed into Mojo Old Bank Arcade for the jam-off, craning to see the damson plum jam made by Simon’s partner (Catherine) and the raspberry jam made by Craig. Big name judges for the event were in attendance – Grant Robertson, MP for Wellington Central and Simon Gault currently a judge on MasterChef New Zealand.
The contestants, very nervous by now each introduced their jam – plums picked from the 20-year old tree in the neighbour’s back yard with special ingredient Cointreau added into the jam vs fresh raspberries brought from local small business Julian’s Berry Farm in Whakatane by Craig’s mother-in-law and ‘made into jam with love’ when Craig is up there visiting and taking a 20 minute break from work to stir the jam!
xero.com.au
Today we became just that little bit more Australian.
Thanks to the generosity of Australia’s best computer store Xero Computing in Carlton, typing in xero.com.au will now find you right – back here. Xero Computing is now at xero.net.au.
Thanks guys.
ICB Aus
Xero is thrilled to have formed an alliance with the Institute of Certified Bookkeepers in Australia (ICB).
ICB is an association of bookkeepers that’s all about bookkeepers. It provides resources, information, support and guidance to employed and contract bookkeepers, including how to be the best and most competent professional bookkeeper.
Recognising the extensive role played by software in the provision of bookkeeping services, ICB is now working with Xero so that bookkeepers are aware of Xero and how it can improve the way they do business.This is an exciting alliance with great benefit for the bookkeeping community.
The timing of this alliance is pivotal with the introduction of the Tax Practitioners Board and pending changes to the BAS service legislation on 1 March 2010. Xero is working closely with the ICB to help Australian bookkeepers with the transition. Watch our blog and visit the ICB website for further updates on these changes for bookkeepers small business in Australia.
Wayne Schmidt Xero Country Manager, Australia is a speaker at the up coming national ICB conferences in March. You can register here.
Xero jam session
Every Christmas while visiting family in the Bay of Plenty, Craig our CTO makes raspberry jam (perhaps a surprising non-work activity for a geek!).
He’s very proud of it and sometimes lets a select few have a small jar of their own.
New York tweeting
I have exciting news! Next week Craig and I are heading off to New York for 4 months. It’s been our dream to live in New York and we’re stoked that we’re able to do it while still working at Xero. The company has grown to a reasonable size now and a number of us often work remotely – perhaps not as remote as New York but still, not in the office. This is not an official move into the United States (yet!) just the 2 of us having a change of scenery and working from somewhere else. We’d love to meet customers and partners in New York and hear how Xero is going for you and what we can do to make Xero better for the U.S. market. So if you want to meet Xero’s Community Manager or Chief Technology Officer please get in touch!
I’ll be taking ^OG on the road with me and tweeting as normal from @TeamXero so please keep the questions and feedback coming. Oh and by the way, if you have any suggestions or (dare I ask!) feedback on how we’re using the @TeamXero account, do let me know.
I just can’t wait to be a New Yorker for a little bit and will send back news and photos (as appropriate for a ‘corporate’ account of course!).
Bank rules rock
Some said it wasn’t possible to love reconciling transactions. Others said it was the most fun they’ve had in years (OK, no-one actually said this but people are still loving it). So if you thought Fast Cash Coding was cool and are looking for a way to make Bank Reconciliation even faster, then you’re going to love Bank Rules.
It’s the big feature in our product release today. Bank Rules is a brand new way to take control of how bank statements are coded into Xero. Check out the video below to see it in action and get the full scoop in Help Centre.
You can find out about the other things in today’s Xero product feature release here.
Enjoy.
P.S. It’s been a long night at Xero HQ this release – still a bit of fine tuning going on behind the scenes but we were so excited to tell you about bank rules that we’re letting you know Xero is back up online. As usual, if you notice anything strange let us know on support@xero.com. Thanks for your patience during this release.
My last BlackBerry
Anyone who knows me, knows that I just have to have the latest tech gear. So we’ve been hassling our Telecom account manager to get the latest BlackBerry 9700. Phones just aren’t cool for me if they’re on general release. Yes its a character flaw but I just have to have the shiny things.
The Bold 9000 has been hit. Most business people I meet have either an iPhone or the 9000 and the consensus seems to be that the 9000 is the best mobile experience out there. And not a bad phone. Continue reading
Webstock 2010
If there was a theme to Webstock this year, it was about ignition. It was well-timed: we’re coming out of a recession, and we’re going to see a lot of new businesses boot-strapping themselves into existence: many of whom will choose to use Xero as their financial engine.
Good on ya Xero!
Wow, Xero scooped three of the four awards we were finalists for in last nights ONYAs held at the Wellington Town Hall to close the great Webstock conference this year. (One of the guys will post something about the conference after our brains have settled down to normal levels after seeing, hearing, thinking and learning so much over the last two days!)
Our awards were for Best Web Application, Best User Experience and Most Outstanding Website.
