the password to access these files is ‘Charlie’.
Chapter 2
Getting Organised: Setting Up Xero from Scratch
IN THIS CHAPTER
Customers of mine, a husband and wife partnership who run an electrical importing business out of their small apartment, confided to me that, prior to investing in their business accounting system, they were close to divorce. Signing up to Xero was such a relief. They now know who owes them money and who they owe money to. They understand how different areas in the business are tracking and are more informed when making decisions. They no longer lie in bed awake at night worrying or having protracted discussions about the business. They are in control. Who knew investing in an accounting system could buy you a peaceful night’s sleep and save your relationships?!
So what are you waiting for? This chapter provides everything you need to know to set yourself up on Xero and start organising your accounts. I cover assessing your system requirements and making sure you have all the necessary information at your fingertips before you start. I help you work through the basic steps required when signing up and take you through the Chart of Accounts dashboard. I provide some help on adding options for that all-important matter — getting paid — and give a quick run-through of your consumer tax options.
Preparing for Set-Up
Before jumping straight in to signing up to Xero, getting yourself organised and checking you have everything you need is worthwhile.
Checking your browser and system requirements
Xero is accessed on the internet, so you don’t need to worry about how working on a Mac, a PC or a mobile device may change performance, or whether you have enough memory or space to install software. You simply need access to the internet! However, to ensure efficient and effective access to Xero online, including viewing graphical charts, you may need to install or update to the latest versions of certain products or tools, or change settings to support requirements.
At a bare minimum, here’s what you need to use or set up (in the order you need to look at them):
Supported internet browser: Options include recent versions of Microsoft Edge, Mozilla Firefox, Safari, Google Chrome and, if accessing via a mobile device, Opera Mini or the device’s default browser. Ensure you are using the latest operating system available.
Javascript: You can activate this in your browser (further help can be found at www.activatejavascript.org).
Cookies: Set your browser to enable cookies from www.xero.com. This allows the website to work properly on your browser and can typically be activated through your internet browser preferences or settings options.
To optimise your Xero work time, I offer here a few tips I’ve gathered along the way with regard to working with monitors and browsers.
Firstly, I recommend working with two desktop monitors side by side. Set up one monitor in landscape and perhaps even consider having the other one in portrait position. (That is, the whole monitor turned on its side, not just the page shown in portrait view.) Some pages in Xero are long, and having the whole screen in portrait position allows an extended view.
Secondly, because you’re accessing Xero via a web browser, you can also make use of the pretty nifty shortcuts your browser offers. Each browser type may use slightly different names, but here are some of the more useful features you’re likely to have available:
Duplicate: Click on the address bar of a web page you already have open, press Alt–Enter, and the same page opens in a different window or tab. This option, available on Firefox and Google Chrome, allows you to open a single Xero file and access different pages within it via many tabs across the browser — useful if you want to work in one area, such as reconciling, and you also want to see how your work affects another area, such as the reports.
Paste and Go: Once you’ve copied a hyperlink, open a new browser window or tab, right-click in the address field, and choose the option Paste and Go. You’re taken to the address without having to paste and then press enter — saving you one key stroke. This option is available on Firefox and Chrome. For embedded links, pressing Ctrl while clicking the link opens a link in a new tab.
Refresh/Reload: To view updated Xero data if you or someone else is working in Xero on another screen, simply click the Refresh/Reload symbol or F5. All browsers should offer the refresh option, usually around the end of the address bar.
Finally, if you want to guide someone to look at a particular area of Xero, you can copy the hyperlink from the address bar in the browser and email the hyperlink to the person. If they click on it while logged into the same Xero file, and as long as they have the appropriate user access, they will go directly to the particular area you referenced.
For optimal performance, consider the following:
On a regular basis, refresh the browser by clearing the cache and cookies. You can do this by deleting your browsing history
