Introducing ‘Know Your Numbers’, a new financial literacy program for every Kiwi small business

LAST UPDATED: Apr 10, 2025

In the world of small business and beyond, financial literacy is an essential skill. However, we know that understanding how and when to save, spend or invest – and what’s more, having confidence about these decisions – isn’t innate knowledge; it’s learned. This ultimately means financial literacy can be a position of privilege. 

So, to help level the playing field, we’re proud to announce Know Your Numbers, a free program designed to improve the financial literacy of small business owners across Aotearoa New Zealand. 

Created with and for small businesses, Know Your Numbers is about empowering Kiwi entrepreneurs – whether a Xero customer or not – with tools and support to help them achieve long-term success. This exciting development is part of our global social impact initiative, Xero For Good, and another way we’re striving to deliver on our purpose of making life better for people in small business, their advisors, and communities around the world.

Supercharge your skills with one central content hub

Learning about finances can feel overwhelming for some. With so many different channels, voices and opinions to wade through, cutting through the noise to distill relevant information can be a real challenge. This is why we created the Know Your Numbers dedicated content hub. With an expanding library of short and engaging videos, insightful podcasts, and easy-to-navigate guides, it’s one central place to go to, in order to build your business smarts.

There, you can get a clear picture of where you stand by taking a financial knowledge quiz before diving into learning resources to supercharge your skills. 

Importantly, all of the content is available on demand, so you can make it work around your schedule. Even if it’s taking five minutes a week to watch a video or listen to a podcast, every minute you put in supports your journey towards productivity and profitability.

Put your learnings into practice with free mentoring

In addition to the Know Your Numbers content hub, we’ve launched the Xero For Good Ambassador Programme, which offers free mentoring to small businesses from Xero accountants and bookkeepers. This aims to help small business mentees apply their financial learnings through meaningful conversations with an expert. 

Xero For Good ambassador Manoli Aerakis, director and CEO of Go Accounting, and member of the Aotearoa New Zealand Xero Partner Advisory Council, said, “Understanding your numbers is about more than just compliance. As an ambassador, my goal is to make financial literacy more accessible for more small businesses, helping them turn insights into action.”

Like Manoli, Xero accountants and bookkeepers can become a Xero For Good ambassador by signing up as a volunteer to empower small businesses through mentoring. Ambassadors provide small businesses with eight hours of mentoring over 8 to 12 months, which adds up to one day of volunteering across a whole year. 

Are you ready to write the next small business success story?

We know no one starts a small business to manage finances, which is ultimately why this initiative exists – to boost financial literacy and help more New Zealanders to upskill, gain confidence, and feel empowered when it comes to managing their business finances.

After all, Aotearoa New Zealand is built on small business success stories. And we want to enable many more through Know Your Numbers.

Visit the Know Your Numbers content hub to start your financial literacy journey, and join the Xero For Good Ambassador Programme today.