XU Biweekly - Issue 76 - 23rd March 2024

The independent user news source for accounting apps and their ecosystems

Roveel For Xero Beta Programme

WYour

We have limited spots available on our public Roveel for Xero beta program, which will be allocated on a first-come, firstserved basis.

The deadline for regis-

tering for the public beta is Thursday, 28th March 2024, so don't miss out on the opportunity to be among the first to experience the power of Roveel for Xero!

What are the benefits?

• Free early access until launch

• 50% off subscription price for first 3 months

• Unlimited users

Hear from Gabriel – A Private Beta Tester:

“Having used Roveel throughout the private beta, I can see how the platform

will change how we report in our business. The beta was very fast and worked seamlessly with my Xero accounts package."

"Now, my team won’t have to keep logging into Xero or bugging me for reports –Roveel sorts all of that, giving them access to all the important data they need. It's a real game-changer!”

Pricing On Release:

• £35 per month

• Unlimited Users

• Free set-up

Read more

Journey Teams Up with Karta: A Win for Everyday Gift Giving

POURNEY, A STANDOUT IN THE SAAS AGENCY REALM KNOWN FOR ITS MARKET-

ING PROWESS IN THE ACCOUNTING TECHNOLOGY MARKET, IS EXCITED TO ANNOUNCE A PARTNERSHIP WITH CORPORATE GIFT CARD PLATFORM KARTA.

Karta, stepping into the collaboration, aims to leverage Journey's vast experience and all-encompassing skills in rolling out and exe-

Saturday 23rd March 2024

cuting go-to-market strategies in the accounting industry.

Karta sets itself apart in the gift card market with its innovative, user-friendly platform. It allows for personalised gifting experiences powered by Mastercard, ensuring recipients enjoy the freedom of choice in their spending. This unique approach aligns with today's consumer demands for personalised and flexible gifting options.

Why Karta chose Journey to expand their Market Reach

Karta's platform addresses the evolving needs of today’s consumers who seek more thoughtful and customisable gifting options.

The current market trends indicate a shift towards personalisation in gift-giving, making Karta’s solution timely and relevant.

Find out more

UK Fintech Anna.Money expands into Australia with acquisition of GetCape

PLANS TO COMPETE WITH THE BIG BANKS, OFFERING CORPORATE CARD AND EXPENSE MANAGEMENT PLATFORM FOR SMALL BUSINESS

UK business current account and tax app Anna. Money today announced its strategic acquisition of Sydney-based fintech GetCape, a business spend management platform. This acquisition signals Anna. Money’s ambition to create a new SaaS category to take on competitors including the ‘big four’ banks; ANZ, CommBank, NAB and Westpac, offering expense management and corporate cards designed to save small businesses valuable time and money.

This move marks founder-owned Anna.Money's first acquisition and first in an international market. With the acquisition of GetCape, Anna.Money will now have the unique capability to blend corporate card and cash flow management with AI-powered business

account management and tax assistance to serve Australia’s estimated 2.5 million small businesses, targeting those with 1-19 employees. The key industries that will benefit are technology, healthcare, professional services, agencies, e-commerce and retail.

GetCape established itself as a leader in the Australian business spend management market, which is valued at more than $USD 21 billion globally1 and is forecast to grow a tan annual rate of 11.9% by 2030 to reach more than $46 billion. With the acquisition, Anna. Money will launch a smart business current account and debit card, followed by further products including; invoicing, bookkeeping, tax calculations and tax filings in Australia and the UK over a two-year period.

The expansion signals the first step in UK-based Anna. Money's goal of supporting small businesses worldwide with its cutting-edge technology and user-friendly

platform.Eduard Panteleev, Co-CEO of Anna.Money, says: "This acquisition is a monumental step in our journey and we’re so excited to be joining Australia’s dynamic startup landscape. Entering the Australian market with GetCape at our side empowers us to bring our award-winning financial services to Australia’s vibrant business community and help them to thrive.”

Ryan Edwards-Pritchard, Founder and CEO of GetCape who will stay on in the newly created role of CEO of ANNA.Money Australia commented, "Joining forces with Anna.Money is a huge step forward - integrating our software IP with their trusted platform means we can create the ultimate B2B payments solution. This will all be delivered via a best-inclass ChatGPT-style AI assistant that provides business owners with the power of a finance team in the palm of their hand, just without the unnecessary headcount.”

Find out more

XU

Product News: Ocerra POs, Invoice Approval and Integration Updates

WE'RE EXCITED TO SHARE OUR NEWEST PRODUCT UPDATE, PACKED WITH HELPFUL IMPROVEMENTS TO MAKE MANAGING YOUR INVOICES EVEN EASIER AND MORE EFFICIENT.

With this release, you'll discover a variety of enhancements designed to streamline your accounts payable processes.

Introducing Our New Video Library!

We would like to announce the release of our new Video Library!

Now, accessing helpful tutorials and demos is easier than ever. Whether you're a new user or looking to understand and learn more about Ocerra, our Video Library has you covered. We have started uploading videos, and we will add new video content on a weekly basis to ensure that we have all the necessary videos to help you maximise the

XU BIWEEKLY - No. 76

Newsdesk:

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Managing Editor: Wesley Cornell

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‘Xero’ is a trademark of Xero Limited (New Zealand). XU Biweekly and XU Magazine is collaboratively produced by an independent group of Xero users and is not affiliated in any way with Xero. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

© XU Magazine Ltd 2014-2024. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be used or reproduced without the written permission of the publisher.

XU

The

benefits of using our system.

Ocerra Purchase Order enhancements

In September, we introduced 'Ocerra POs', a new product feature that enables the creation, approval, and sending of Purchase Orders (POs) directly from Ocerra.

We have made an enhancements to Ocerra's PO feature. Keep reading to discover the enhancements we've made and how they can benefit you.

General product enhancements

Approval Workflow Enhancement

Ocerra now supports a 5-step workflow! This means we've extended our capabilities to provide even more flexibility and control in your approval processes.

Keep reading

Introducing Pay Someone: make outbound bank transfers directly from Soldo

TODAY WE’RE EXCITED TO ANNOUNCE SOLDO’S NEW OUTBOUND BANK TRANSFER FEATURE, PAY SOMEONE.

Pay Someone is a significant step forward in enhancing Soldo’s payment capabilities, giving you more payment options than ever before.

With Pay Someone you can make outbound bank transfers to pay others, like employees or suppliers, right from the Soldo platform. It’s a simple yet effective payment capability that helps you manage all types of payment from a single platform.

This feature sets the stage for further supplier management and payment enhancements coming later in 2024 – so watch this space!

Find out more

CMeet Apron Capture

Done are the days of slow, clunky, expensive invoice capture. Today, we’re launching a tool that’s set to reinvent how you and your clients work together, by taking the pain out of submitting documents.

We’ve built Apron Capture for the busiest businesses. It makes uploading invoices as easy as sharing photos. It instantly fetches and matches all the info inside. It makes plugging document gaps a breeze.

Inspired by accountants. Built for your clients.

We heard from our key accountant and bookkeeper partners, who were losing patience with existing invoice capture tools.

Saturday 23rd March 2024

and QuickBooks Reports and Upgraded UI

G-ACCON’S NEWEST OFFERINGS HAVE ARRIVED TO REFINE YOUR FINANCIAL DATA MANAGEMENT WITH UNMATCHED EASE.

Crafted

Transforming

WITH THREE MAJOR RELEASES IN AS MANY MONTHS, JOIIN NOW BOASTS A GLOBAL SEARCH FEATURE, THE ABILITY TO DRILL DOWN INTO TRANSACTIONS, AND CUSTOMISABLE

About Joiin’s new features

The new features continue to enhance the Joiin platform’s capabilities in managing complex multi-entity consolidated reporting, marking a further rise in the financial reporting space for Joiin, the company.

Joiin’s new Global Search feature

When connecting to Joiin, users can automatically upload transactions from Xero, QuickBooks Online or Sage.

out more

Sharesight product updates – March 2024

NEXT WEEK WE BRING ON A BUSINESS ANALYST DEDICATED TO SUPPORTING OUR MARKET DATA FEEDS. BEING ABLE TO PROVIDE SPECIALIST ROLES AS WE GROW NOT ONLY ALLOWS US TO EXPAND OUR FEATURE OFFERING BUT IT ALSO ALLOWS US TO PROVIDE MORE STABILITY AND RELIABILITY TO EACH OF OUR FUNCTIONAL AREAS.

From 1 April we will also see our development team expand from six to seven permanent cross functional teams. These teams each have a mixture of frontend and backend engineers, as

well as design and product expertise. We now have teams dedicated to our security and infrastructure, billing, reporting, market data onboarding and more.

New functionality / enhancements

• Added support for 1,974 exchange-traded commodities. An example listing is IBIT.NASDAQ - iShares Bitcoin Trust

• Migrated our CSV import functionality onto a new architecture which removes most timeouts

Keep reading

UK mobile app, Xero Go, to be retired

OVER A YEAR AGO, WE LAUNCHED AN EARLY VERSION OF XERO GO TO SEE HOW A PURPOSE BUILT APP COULD HELP CATER FOR THE ENTRY-LEVEL ACCOUNTING NEEDS OF THE SELF-EMPLOYED IN THE UK.

We have spent the last year testing and refining Xero Go and after completing a careful review to understand the future of the product, we found greater investment was required to meet the changing customer needs and expectations around the product.

By putting those resources into our core Xero accounting platform, payroll and our mobile app, it will allow us to better meet our customers’ needs over the long term.

As a result, we will be retiring Xero Go on 12 September 2024 and will reallocate these resources, capabilities and expertise as we sharpen our focus on delivering to customer needs. We really appreciate the support of the sole traders and our accounting and bookkeeping partners who have been using the app during this free period.

Find out more

Wolters Kluwer launches cloud-based AML module for CCH iFirm® in the U.K.

ANTI-MONEY LAUNDERING MODULE

HELPS ACCELERATE COMPLIANCE AND ONBOARDING PROCESS

Wolters Kluwer Tax & Accounting (TAA) U.K. has released an anti-money laundering module (AML) within CCH iFirm®, its cloudbased practice management and compliance software platform. Wolters Kluwer CCH iFirm AML seamlessly integrates with CCH Central, Wolters Kluwer TAA’s on-premise system, reducing the need to rekey data into a separate system and helping to speed up the AML compliance process and client onboarding.

“We realize that compliance with AML and know-your-customer [KYC] requirements is vital for accounting firms, especially in light of continually shifting regulations. CCH iFirm AML helps to transform the way companies manage their AML duties, helping them mitigate the risks associated with poor AML and KYC practices,” said Natasha Chryssafi, Director of Product Management, Wolters Kluwer TAA U.K.

As a cloud-based solution CCH iFirm AML provides accounting practices with the flexibility to manage AML compliance from anywhere at any time. Find out

Introducing Call recording: How and why to record debtor phone calls

YWith Call recording functionality, you

Chaser has released Call recording functionality which lets users record phone calls made in-app automatically, and easily playback conversations to review key details.

In January, Chaser released in-app calls; allowing users to phone their debtors directly from within the Chaser software. Now, these phone calls can be recorded and stored automatically within the Chaser software. Thanks to recorded, in-app calls, Chaser users can benefit from a seamless debtor-chasing process that can be managed and logged comprehensively on one system.

The benefits of recording your debtor phone calls

Save time

61% of businesses say debtor phone calls are a staple in their debtor-chasing process.

However, these phone calls take time, and recent studies show businesses in the USA spend over 14 hours every week on manual tasks when chasing debtors. Now, businesses can reduce time spent on manual tasks by recording their debtor calls. No more scribbling notes during calls: every detail is recorded automatically in Chaser so you can minimize manual note-taking and avoid forgetting important details.

Hold debtors accountable

By tracking your telephone communications about invoices and payments, you will always have a recorded log of promises and payment dates that are agreed on calls, so you can hold debtors accountable more easily.

Resolve disputes

Navigate invoice disputes with ease by accessing recorded conversations, agreements, and payment terms discussed via phone call. Armed with detailed records, you can resolve disagreements swiftly and with greater clarity, fostering positive relationships with debtors. For example, in a contractual dispute, a recorded call can serve as proof of the terms agreed upon, helping to expedite resolution without escalating the matter.

Find out more

New: Supercharge Your Reporting With These New Features

FATHOM TAKES PRIDE IN OUR BESTIN-CLASS REPORTING AND WE’VE JUST ADDED NEW FEATURES TO MAKE THIS AREA OF FATHOM EVEN BETTER FOR OUR USERS.

Our thoughtfully designed reporting features allow users to transform their financial data into actionable insights to share with stakeholders in clear, compelling, and efficient ways. Learn about how our latest product releases improve the report editing experience and add new options for measuring KPI results.

Two new KPI reporting components for Consolidated Groups

'KPIs by Company': See how individual companies within a group perform across key metrics

Our new ‘KPIs by Company’ table provides a side-by-side view of KPI performance for companies within your consolidated group. Use this table to measure results for all KPIs, including custom metrics.

The 'KPIs by Company' table also enables you to compare budgets or targets for each company.

You can see how results compare to the groups’ totals which display in an optional

ezyCollect Payments New Zealand is here

WE’RE EXCITED TO UNVEIL EZYCOLLECT PAYMENTS IN NEW ZEALAND, A BREAKTHROUGH IN SIMPLIFYING B2B PAYMENT TRANSACTIONS. GONE ARE THE DAYS OF CUMBERSOME PAYMENT PROCESSES AND DISJOINTED FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT.

Now, you can leverage a seamless and secure method for collecting payments and managing accounts receivable, all from a single, centralised platform.

Key Benefits of ezyCollect Payments

ezyCollect Payments brings you a suite of benefits designed to streamline your payment process:

Flexible Card Payments

ezyCollect Payments supports both debit and credit card transactions. It will soon also facilitate direct debit authorizations via cards for continuous, effortless transactions, providing convenience for you and your customers alike.

Hassle-Free Payment Collection

With ezyCollect Payments, offer your customers the ease of a ‘Pay Now’ button or payment link directly on your invoices or sales orders, transforming the payment experience from a chore to a convenience. Keep reading

total column in the table.

You’ll find the new 'KPIs by Company' table under ‘Tables and Financials’ within the component gallery while editing a Fathom report.

'KPI Comparatives': Focus on your most important metrics

The new 'KPI Comparatives' table provides a side-by-side view of individual company performance for a single KPI within the context of a consolidated group. This table can also be filtered to show results for a specific company or multiple companies. Add comparison columns to see how results compare to the target, budget, or prior period results.

You’ll find the 'KPI Comparatives' table within ‘Tables and Financials’ within the component gallery while editing a Fathom report.

Deeper insights: comparisons added to the Breakdown Chart

The Breakdown tool in Fathom shows how individual companies within a consolidated group, or individual tracking categories (class, location, etc.) within a company, perform against a specific measure.

Keep reading

With

and Bookkeeping market.

Troy Brown, Founder and CEO of XBert, expressed confidence in Will's capabilities, stating, "Will brings a

of experience

a fresh perspective to our team. We're excited to have him on board as we expand our presence in the UK."

XBert's platform offers advanced AI-powered alerts tailored to individual practices and clients, revolutionising the way professionals manage their workflows.

In addition to this, the platform enables users to monitor data integrity, team performance, and productivity, enhancing operational efficiency and client service delivery.

Find out more

Introducing our inaugural Quarterly Figured Partner Awards winners!

DRIVING THE BUSINESS OF FARMING FORWARD IS FIGURED’S MISSION, SO WE WERE ABSOLUTELY THRILLED TO SEE SO MANY STORIES FROM ADVISORS AND ACCOUNTANTS WHO ARE DOING AMAZING WORK ON THIS FRONT ALONGSIDE US.

From transformative advisory service design, to integrating Figured Insights into core advisory services, to proactive, handson support for the local community, we received some outstanding submission for the FY24 Q3 Quarterly Figured Partner Awards.

We'd like to give everyone who submitted entries a massive thank you. Each entry was worthy of celebration and appreciation.

But as the saying goes, there can be only one...So here are your winners of each Quarterly Figured Partner Award.

Top Partner of the Quarter: Lawson Avery

Identifying a gap between what advisory support is being proactively offered to farmers and what they currently need in order to improve their outcomes with the banks, Lawson Avery undertook several initiatives to ensure farmers have the best access to the right information when it is most relevant.

Keep reading

FWe’re paying back time with new changes in Xero Payroll

IF YOU’RE RUNNING A SMALL BUSINESS THAT EMPLOYS STAFF, YOU KNOW THE ADMINISTRATIVE ‘TO-DO’ LIST CAN BE QUITE LENGTHY.

Onboarding, managing timesheets, setting wages, processing payroll, preparing for end of financial year… it can all take up valuable time. Pay runs in particular need to be easy and efficient for you, as well as your accountant and bookkeeper.

We’ve been listening to your feedback about Xero Payroll and excited to share some great new enhancements in the UK, marking the beginning of more improvements to come. These will automate processes and reduce the risk of manual calculation errors, so you can stress less about payroll compliance and get more time back to do what matters most: running your business.

You can now switch to Xero Payroll in a few easy steps

Moving payroll data from one software system to another can be complex and time consuming, and there’s no room for error. If you love using Xero but haven’t tried Xero Payroll yet, we’ve made it super easy to get set up.

Keep reading

How Xero can support you with Basis Period Reform

TNPS compares with others.

Congratulations to all the winners and finalists of the 2024 Client Choice Awards! Accounting &

The reform is only expected to impact

of sole traders. However, 33% of partnerships are likely to be affected. The 2023/24 tax year is a transitional period, and you’ll need to do some extra admin to make sure your sole trader and partnership clients are compliant. We explore how to prepare for Basis Period Reform and how Xero can support you.

What is Basis Period Reform and who’s affected?

As outlined above, Basis Period Reform is a change to the reporting period used for Income Tax purposes. The measure impacts sole trader and partnership clients who use their own accounting year for Income Tax reporting.

Going forward, you’ll need to report the profits clients generate in the tax year on their Income Tax Return, instead of the profits they generate during their accounting year. Clients who already use the tax year basis won’t need to make any changes.

Some of your clients might decide to change their accounting date, in order to simplify Income Tax reporting. HMRC counts any date between 31 March to 5 April as tax year-aligned, but clients can still keep their original accounting date if needed.

Find out more

INDEPENDENT PROVIDER OF SECURE BANK DATA FEEDS, PROUDLY ANNOUNCES ITS LATEST CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP WITH ARROW RESEARCH CORPORATION, AND THEIR ERP SOLUTION FOR BUSINESSES, TENCIA.

This strategic relationship underscores a mutual commitment to advancing the integration and utilisation of bank data feeds, setting a new benchmark for efficiency and data-driven decision-making across industries.

The ACSISS Platform, provided by SISS Data Services, offers unparalleled access to bank transaction data, with direct data feeds from all major retail banks, plus access to Open Banking through the Consumer Data Right.

Grant Augustin, Founder and Managing Director of SISS, expressed his enthusiasm about this significant agreement, stating;

“We are delighted to welcome Arrow as a customer of our ACSISS Platform. Users of Arrow’s Tencia ERP system will now enjoy highly secure, accurate bank data feeds from the widest range of Australian banks and financial institutions.”

“This is a great step forward for our Tencia customers, and another way we continually add value to our solution,” said Shaun Wilkinson, General Manager of Arrow.

Find out more

MMotorway connects car owners directly with their network of more than 5,000 car dealers. These verified dealers compete to buy each car in an online daily sale, allowing the seller to get more money in the process. For sellers, profiling and selling their car is a 100% online process, with their car collected from home for free. As a result, they get more money and a convenient selling process. Leveraging Modulr's payment technology Motorway created Motorway Pay, taking their payment experience to the next level.

Instant, secure, in-platform payments

Despite being the UK’s fastest growing used-car marketplace, payments between car dealers and car sellers were still taking place outside of Motorway’s marketplace platform. Traditional payment processes caused transaction delays at the doorstep for the dealer and the seller and Motorway needed to find a solution.

To do this, Motorway needed to bring payments in-house, into its own platform, and it needed those payments to be fast, easy and secure. Thanks to Modulr’s embedded payments technology, Motorway was able to create Motorway Pay and benefit from a tailor made solution.

Deputy and Express Employment Professionals Partner to Modernise Work Life for up to 500,000 Hourly Employees

DEPUTY, THE LEADING GLOBAL PEOPLE PLATFORM FOR HOURLY WORK, AND EXPRESS EMPLOYMENT PROFESSIONALS, A LEADING GLOBAL STAFFING PROVIDER ANNOUNCE A LANDMARK STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP THAT WILL TRANSFORM THE EMPLOYEE EXPERIENCE FOR HOURLY WORKERS.

Deputy's intuitive technology is set to play a critical role in digitizing and transforming Express' operations. This partnership is tailored to address the needs of an increasingly digital-native, mobile-first workforce engaged in casual employment — significantly impacting businesses relying on Express for staffing solutions.

Deputy's platform will enable these businesses to manage their workforce requirements more efficiently while also empowering their workers to manage their schedules and work lives seamlessly using the Deputy app.

Express Employment Professionals was established in 1983 by Robert A. Funk and William H. Stoller and has grown into one of the largest privately held staffing companies worldwide. With more than 860 franchised locations across North America, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand, the company is committed to connecting individuals with meaningful work opportunities and providing businesses with skilled professionals.

Their mission is driven by a culture that values purposeful work and finding the right fit for both people and companies.

The strategic partnership between Deputy and Express is unique and rooted in shared history and values. Deputy's founding as a technology solution designed for the staffing needs in the Australian aviation industry, as well as its expertise in complex labour and compliance environments, resonates deeply with Express.

“Today’s workforce is on the go, and employees are looking for a schedule management tool that will keep up with them,” said Bill Stoller, Express Employment International CEO. “We are excited that by establishing this relationship with Deputy and their platform, both the client and associate experience will transform to be more efficient and streamlined.”

The strategic partnership marks a significant step for Deputy in its global expansion efforts. The potential activation of new Deputy users will further amplify Deputy’s impact on the world of hourly work.

"Today marks a significant milestone in Deputy’s journey. Our partnership with Express is not just a collaboration, it's a fusion of shared values and vision,” said Silvija Martincevic, CEO of Deputy. “We are beyond excited to join forces with a company that is as committed as we are to creating thriving workplaces in every community. Together, we're not just reimagining the future of hourly work, we're actively shaping it to be more flexible, empowering and responsive to the needs of tomorrow's workforce."

Keep reading

Cradle for Accountants

GLOBAL

AU/NZ - Cloud reporting software solution that provides up to date insight into your business's performance

Xemplo

AU/UK/HK/NZ/SG/MY - Simplifying workforce management to enable businesses and service providers to achieve their goals and grow. Designed by HR, staffing and payroll experts to support the compliant worker life cycle from end to end.

Castaway Cloud

GLOBAL - Powerful 3-way forecasting and reporting solution in the market. Used by businesses and their advisors to design a better future and build resilient businesses prepared for uncertainty. From simple cashflow to complex strategy, Castaway is your partner in performance.

Invoice Assist

AU/CAN/NZ/SG/US - Invoice Assist lets you effortlessly track products with QR and barcodes, resulting in up to 7x faster invoicing. Say goodbye to manual data entry and hello to a much more efficient invoicing process.

Pinvo.ai

UK - Leveraging AI, our software streamlines document collection, organization, and verification between clients and accountants. With automated tasks and minimized human error, it boosts efficiency and cost-effectiveness

UK - MotorDesk is a web-based automotive dealership management platform designed to modernise your stock management, advertising, communication, sales, social media & website.

generate.TAX

GLOBAL - generate.TAX is a tax suite that seamlessly connects to your accounting software and helps accountants and finance teams with statutory tax compliance/obligations.

Cryptoworth

GLOBAL - An institutional-grade digital asset platform that delivers amplifies the power of Xero. Cryptoworth helps you to seamlessly sync crypto data to your Xero account.

AU - Free employee onboarding for Xero Payroll.

GLOBAL - Simple Stripe x Xero Synchronisation. SubSync brings together two of the most powerful apps available to small business business – Stripe & Xero. Our two way integration ensures that you have all of your Stripe initiated invoices in both systems all the time.

Aider Leads the Way in AI Accounting:

Simplifying Compliance, Scaling Advisory

By Craig Scarr, Marketing Director, APAC, Fishbowl

MAXIMISE EFFICIENCY AND GROWTH POTENTIAL WITH AIDER'S INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS: THIS ARTICLE EXPLORES AIDER’S LATEST RELEASES, PROVIDES A SNEAK PEEK OF THEIR ROADMAP, AND SHARES A CUSTOMER'S EXPERIENCE WITH AIDER

Aider’s AI powered platform is helping accountants streamline compliance and advisory, enabling them to expand their value-add advisory services to more clients in a fraction of the time.

Aider had a busy 2023, establishing itself as a game-changer in modern accounting. Currently available in New Zealand and Australia, Aider has been referred to as the "ChatGPT for Accountants” as well as an “Accounting Virtual Assistant” and was named as part of Xero’s “preferred app stack” for accounting practices.

But first, nailing compliance.

Navigating compliance requirements is a time-consuming task that can divert your most valuable resourc-

es, the team at Aider understands this firsthand. That's why they developed a tool that streamlines compliance processes, freeing up time and resources for more impactful client-focused initiatives.

Data reconciliations made easy with the Data Compliance tool.

Aider's platform helps get your firm closer to a "real time data" strategy, which is integral for accountants wishing to scale their advisory services. With their Data Compliance tool, accountants can breeze through data compliance tasks, boosting profits on every client job.

By automating data due diligence checks, the tool helps accountants standardise and streamline processes, saving valuable time previously spent on cumbersome admin work.

The updated Data Compliance tool not only cuts down on data cleanup time but also promotes consistency and improves data quality across all clients. This means faster completion of Accounts and Tax Return filing

jobs, providing accountants with accurate real-time data to deliver top-tier advisory services to more clients.

Don’t get caught out working for free

Aider’s recently released Client Activity Summary ensures accountants have the data they need to quote for jobs accurately and plan resources accordingly. No more underquoting and having to do unpaid work. No more stress of inadequate planning and staffing. No more upset clients waiting for their jobs to be done yesterday.

By summarising the volume of client transactions, invoices and bills, the Activity Summary gives accountants a snapshot of their client's key Xero activity trends. This enables accountants to adjust their service pricing accordingly.

Democratising Advisory Services for All.

The traditional approach to advisory is not scalable. Aider changes that.

With a commitment to enhancing efficiency for ac-

countants and staying at the forefront of evolving AI technologies, Aider introduced a world-first Advisory Assistant in mid 2023. This innovative tool changed the game, reducing analysis burdens, allowing accountants to add value for more of their clients.

Aider's AI-powered Advisory Assistant helps accountants analyse data and craft client communications in small-business-friendly language, this makes it easy to assist more clients with minimal effort. Perhaps the best part is accountants can rest assured that the data is fully secure, providing peace of mind to both accountants and their clients.

Hassle-free reporting with Aider’s report pack

Aider's report pack – featuring an AI-powered executive summary – is another feature that they released in 2023 and has become a valuable time-saving asset.

Aider understands that report writing can be tedious, so they’ve incorporated an AI-powered executive summary and action points, as well as automated graph

generation in their report pack. All you have to do is give it your final approval, and the AI-powered tool generates a comprehensive report.

This report can be downloaded as a Word document, with customisable branding, ready for editing, printing, or saving and sending.

Traditionally, advisory services have been reserved for a select group of high-value clients. However, Aider disrupts this norm by democratising advisory services supporting a productised and productionised advisory approach. This shift not only aids clients in their growth but contributes to the expansion of an accountant's own business.

Take it from a customer.

Aider helps Fiscal Artisans to “go beyond the numbers”.

Hear how Stuart Smith, CEO of Fiscal Artisans, uses Aider to propel their business beyond traditional accounting services.

“In the 30 or so years I’ve been in business, the accounting industry has

changed a lot. The move to real-time data and automated dashboards that crystallise client data has been key. Over the past couple of years I was looking for a platform like this and that’s how I found Aider.

Since using Aider, we’re spending less time on low-dollar services and more time on high-value services. The time we’ve saved has enabled us to do more than just help our clients with basic accounting data – we’re able to offer more $300 advisory services, instead of just basic $30 accounting services.”

A Glimpse into the Future: Aider's Dedication to Innovation

Aider is dedicated to optimising technology and AI for accountants. Brendan Roberts, Aider's CEO, recently shared his insights at CPA.com's AI in Accounting Symposium, emphasising Aider's unwavering commitment to providing AI-powered software that not only saves time but also significantly boosts profitability for advisors.

Keep reading

Parlez-vous français?

New name, same must-attend event: The Accounting & Business Show Asia 2024

By Laura Binns, General Manager, Accounting & Business Show Asia

AWHETHER YOU’RE EMPLOYED AS A BOOKKEEPER IN PRACTICE, CAPTAIN OF YOUR OWN SHIP OR EVEN STUDYING TO BE A BOOKKEEPER, THERE ARE A WIDE RANGE OF EVENTS FOR YOU TO CHOOSE FROM IN 2024.

Over the past six years, the Accounting & Business Show has truly cemented its place as the go-to event for accountants and finance professionals from SMEs, large enterprises and accounting firms alike. The 2024 edition returns with a new name – the Accounting & Business Show Asia, scheduled to take place on 16 - 17 October 2024 at Sands Expo & Convention Centre, Singapore.

The event will continue to provide invaluable technology-centric updates and insights for accounting and finance leaders while growing to include a brand-new SME Leaders Theatre, providing a dedicated area for SME Business Owners and Senior Leaders to discover new solutions for their wider organisations.

We are set to welcome more than 4,000 businesses and accounting firms from Asia and beyond, who are actively sourcing and purchasing technology solutions to transform their accounting and finance processes, streamline their operations, safeguard their

businesses and convert data into intelligence.

To help innovative companies meet and engage with their market, there are a range of tailored sponsorship opportunities available across 5 conference theatres.

Each of the theatre will bring together a different profile of our audience, enabling you to get your message to just the right audience. Maximise the impact by choosing the right theatre to tailor your sponsorship and connect with decision-makers.

Digital Innovation Theatre

Target Audience: A cross-section of all event attendees from SMEs, large enterprises and accounting firms.

Opportunity: Showcase your brand's cutting-edge solutions to a diverse audience interested in the very latest technologies and trends transforming accounting, finance and business.

Enterprise CFO Theatre

Target Audience: Senior leaders heading finance teams in Asia’s largest organisations

Opportunity: Connect with decision-makers actively seeking ways to stream-

Accounting for the Planet: How Tech Innovations Empower Sustainable Practices

By Jonathan Mifsud

Dline financial processes and stay ahead in a rapidly evolving landscape.

SME Finance Transformation Theatre

Target Audience: CFOs and Finance Leaders from small and medium-sized enterprises

Opportunity: Position your brand as a solution provider for companies actively seeking new digital solutions to drive financial transformation within a smaller finance function.

SME Leaders Theatre (NEW!)

Target Audience: Founders, Managing Directors, and Leadership teams from small and medium-sized businesses.

Opportunity: Engage with business leaders seeking comprehensive solutions across various aspects of their organisations.

Digital Practice Theatre

Target Audience: Leaders of Accounting, Bookkeeping, and Professional Services firms in Asia.

Opportunity: Showcase your offerings to professionals committed to ensuring their practices are future-ready and digitally advanced.

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As

As public perception and the reality of sustainability have emerged, one would wonder when accountants and their respective charters will start to take on more moral responsibility of holding businesses to higher standards.

To create a sustainable future; technology will be a necessity. While we expect to see technology evolve, I want to look at a few key technologies available today that will help you and your clients be more sustainable.

Cloud Accounting

Cloud computing has played a key role in enhancing sustainability. We may be used to the Xero’s of this world being easily accessible, and giving us incredible benefits. What is sometimes overlooked is that cloud accounting solutions are also more resource-efficient.

Back when we needed servers to run legacy applications, it meant that each business or accounting firm had servers running 24/7, spending most of the time running idle. Moving to the cloud has allowed the big accounting players to take on the processing power, and share it on-demand amongst all their clients. Being global players, the resources are more easily distributed.

Data Analytics and AI

AI and its analytical capa-

bilities, being able to process massive amounts of data and churn out information that can power the world of tomorrow. Paired with a trusted advisor, the insights can drive positive change.

After all, being sustainable means being profitable. Otherwise, businesses are not empowered to create positive change.

Within the UN’s goals for sustainable development AI also brings the promise of reducing inequalities, key in creating a sustainable future..

Carbon & Environmental Reporting

Several accounting events worldwide have been raising awareness about this novel area in accounting. It’s not everyone’s bread and butter, however, environmental reporting is proving to be a unique niche for some.

Carbon Accounting, as it’s been touted comes in different levels. In its most accurate form, it involved indepth analysis and research of all the elements which cause emissions. Possibly overwhelming for small and micro businesses. Technology has however lowered the barrier to entry for many of the smaller accounting firms, including with white-label products that you can package for clients.

APIs

App stacks and partnership collaborations across the accounting sphere, or tech worldwide wouldn’t be possible without the use of APIs.

APIs, for Application Programming Interface, is effectively how different systems can communicate. Zapier is a prime example of leveraging this technology for connectivity, with thousands of connected apps, though it does leave an untrained user to fill the gaps.

Xero has for one built its empire on the App Ecosystem, with over 800+ apps that leverage Xero’s API to

push and pull data from it to do all sorts of magical things. Things that most of the time Xero themselves are not interested in. APIs allow Xero to focus on its core accounting package and other partner apps to solve niche problems that may be industry-specific.

Connecting the dots

Over the past decade, I’ve led teams that have leveraged the power of APIs to build bespoke applications, and tailored integrations in between various platforms.

Compare Your Footprint, is a prime example of how the world of sustainability leverages APIs to link itself into the accounting world. Leveraging the accounting data found in Xero and other leading accounting platforms, they can transform your spending data into a respectable carbon footprint.

To do this, we get your authorisation to request data from Xero via their API, pull up all your expenses and convert them into carbon emissions.

This then empowers a business to start measuring its environmental impact without having to significantly invest in the administrative burden, previously a necessary evil that kept micro and small businesses from attempting to track their emissions.

All-in-One App vs App Stacks

If you work for practice, for your own internal sanity and sustainability, you should always push for clients to use an app stack.

An app stack allows your team to leverage efficiencies both of scale and knowledge, ensuring that you can deliver better and more cost-effective results. Yet giving the business flexibility and scalability they need by having industry-specific products they can work with daily.

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WPayPal Names Aaron J. Webster as Executive Vice President, Chief Enterprise Services Officer

PAYPAL HOLDINGS, INC. (NASDAQ: PYPL) TODAY ANNOUNCED

THE APPOINTMENT OF AARON J. WEBSTER AS EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, CHIEF ENTERPRISE SERVICES OFFICER, EFFECTIVE MARCH 18.

Aaron will have end-toend accountability for global financial crime and fraud prevention programs, regulatory and government relations, and risk and compliance management.

"Aaron is a highly respected executive with extensive experience leading risk management and global operations for some of the world's most recognized companies," said Alex Chriss, President and CEO, PayPal. "Throughout his career, he's established himself as a growth leader with a

deep understanding of financial services products and how risk management can enhance customer relationships. I'm confident that Aaron will bring tremendous value and leadership to PayPal as we continue to grow and evolve."

Aaron joins PayPal from SoFi, where he was most recently Chief Risk Officer, Global Head of Operations and Latin America. In this role, Aaron built integrated risk management to achieve readiness for launch and growth of SoFi Bank, NA, scaled global operations across people, processes, and tools, and established a presence in Latin America to enable modern payment infrastructure unlocking financial inclusion across the region.

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Tap to Pay on iPhone Now Available for Venmo and PayPal Zettle Businesses in the U.S.

TA

Now

PayPal Holdings, Inc.

(NASDAQ: PYPL) today announced that Tap to Pay on iPhone is now available for all Venmo business profile and PayPal Zettle users in the U.S., enabling them to accept contactless card and digital wallet payments directly on their iPhones with no additional cost or hardware. This is the latest development in PayPal's ongoing efforts to help small businesses sell more, grow their

business, and manage their finances more efficiently.

Consumers are increasingly going cashless. More than 40 percent of Americans surveyed say that none of their purchases are made with cash in a typical week, and that trend is expected to continue.

As a result, accepting card and digital wallet payments in person is increasingly table stakes for small businesses, but until recently, businesses have had to purchase and manage card readers to do so.

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GoCardless

becomes an approved open banking supplier to central and local government

BANK PAYMENT COMPANY GOCARDLESS HAS BEEN NAMED AS A SUPPLIER ON CROWN COMMERCIAL SERVICE’S (CCS) OPEN BANKING DYNAMIC PURCHASING SYSTEM (DPS) FRAMEWORK, THE ‘ONE-STOP-SHOP’ FOR ALL OPEN BANKING SERVICES FOR THE PUBLIC SECTOR.

This means GoCardless will be eligible to bid for account information services (AIS) and payment initiation services (PIS) Request for Tenders issued by any UK public sector body that uses the DPS. These include central government departments and wider public sector bodies, such as local authorities, education institutions, not-for-profit and charitable organisations.

Joining the DPS will help

GoCardless unlock new strategic opportunities in government and deepen its footprint in the charity sector, where it already serves household names like JustGiving and Comic Relief.

CCS estimates that the DPS will generate a sales pipeline worth as much as £800m over the next eight years.

The news is the latest open banking milestone for GoCardless, which earlier this year became the open banking payment provider for JustGiving.

In 2023, credit card provider Yonder and ethical lender Plend, amongst others, selected GoCardless for Variable Recurring Payments (VRP).

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GoCardless,

Our payment management platform bezahl.de has created a new standard for payment management in the auto industry, and I am proud of the entire NXT team for the dedication and hard work that has allowed us to reach this exciting milestone.”

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