Highlights from the Xerocon Business Connect event

Over the past week, thousands of Xero accountants, bookkeepers and app partners descended on Brisbane for two days of Xerocon. If you haven’t already heard about the event from your advisor, picture a conference like no other. From world-class speakers and discovery sessions hosted by industry leaders, to activations like an on-site pickleball tournament, we’re always striving to elevate the experience for our partners – and this year, our small business customers, too. 

For the first time, we invited some of Brisbane’s local small business community to experience the magic of Xerocon at the Business Connect event. 

We often hear that founders can feel isolated. Whether it’s being the sole decision-maker, worrying about cash flow, or trying to maintain a semblance of balance outside of work, it’s no easy feat. These are the shared experiences that unite entrepreneurs, yet, so rarely are there opportunities to discuss them. That’s why we created Business Connect as not only a celebration of small businesses, but an opportunity for these founders to connect, share stories, and leave with valuable insights from Xero experts. Read on for a rundown of what we covered. 

Introducing JAX, your new AI business companion and financial superagent

We heard about JAX (Just Ask Xero, currently in beta), your AI business companion that works as a financial superagent to automate repetitive tasks that typically slow small businesses down and provide actionable insights 

The Xero team demonstrated several of its key features. For example, you can ask JAX to create an invoice by copying details of a previous one, or generate a quick summary of your overdue invoices. We also announced a new web search feature that will gradually roll out in the coming months. This feature helps you research general business questions within Xero, without leaving your workflow. 

JAX also works on the go. You can create draft quotes and invoices via WhatsApp or forward an entire email conversation to your unique JAX address with a command like ‘raise invoice at today’s date’. JAX will read the email thread and automatically create a draft invoice from the key information, saving you from manual data entry. 

Check out how JAX can help save your business time here. 

Simplifying payments to boost cash flow

In the ‘Supercharge your cash flow’ session, we focused on more ways to pay and get paid. Of course, we know that late payments are a major challenge for small businesses, partly due to the disconnect between how customers want to pay and how businesses accept payments. 

According to Xero’s ‘I want to pay that way’ report, 86% of consumers prefer using cards, but only 55% of small businesses offer this option. So, to help close this gap, we shared some Xero features that simplify payments for small businesses and their customers.

For example, we’ve added more ways to get paid with Stripe, including secure bank payments via PayTo, Buy Now, Pay Later via Zip, and Tap to Pay for on-the-spot mobile payments. We also announced new features like SMS invoicing, which can help you get paid up to four times faster, and statement payments, which lets customers pay multiple outstanding invoices with just one payment. Less friction means more predictable income, making getting paid even easier.

We’re also showed how we’re simplifying accounts payable with our new bill payments solution (beta launching soon) that brings bill management, payments, and reconciliation together in one place. This will help you save time, reduce admin and gain full visibility of cash flow while giving you the flexibility to pay the way you want. Pay multiple bills at once, schedule payments for later, delegate approvals and view payment activity directly from Xero without the hassle of manual processes or juggling multiple platforms.

For more information on Xero’s online payments, head here.

Uncovering the latest economic trends 

Xero Economist Louise Southall shared some key findings from our latest Xero Small Business Insights (XSBI) data. The XSBI program uses anonymised, aggregated data from hundreds of thousands of real small businesses to provide regular updates on sales, jobs growth, and wages growth, helping us better understand how business owners are faring.

While we saw some positive signs earlier in the year, Louise highlighted that economic uncertainty has indeed dominated 2025. Major shifts in US trade policy have been a key driver, impacting many small businesses.

While there’s no silver bullet solution, Louise stressed the importance of working closely with an advisor to help navigate the current climate and, importantly, plan for whatever’s around the corner. 

Explore the latest XSBI report and learn more about the program here. 

From hands-on support with our expert ‘Xero Pit Crew’ to live demos from app partners solving real-world problems, it was inspiring to see the accounting, small business, and app community in action. We’re excited to bring more of the Xerocon experience directly to small businesses. This is just the beginning!