How Xero’s mission inspires beautiful work

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Running a small business is hard work. It takes passion, courage, tenacity, and – to the dismay of some – an understanding of financials. Before joining Xero, I worked at a nonprofit microlender. So I witnessed how a small amount of capital can change lives.

But capital isn’t enough. I quickly realized that business owners who work with an accountant or bookkeeper are more confident in their numbers. They have the freedom to focus on their passions. That’s why at Xero we believe in the power of connecting small business owners to financial advisors. Our mission to positively impact the world by helping small businesses thrive, motivates me to do the best work of my life. Our company’s purpose, my team’s mission, and my role as Partner Program Manager all align to my personal values and give meaning to everything I do.

Partner relations (and much more)

I am a member of Xero’s Partner Relations team. We are dedicated to building a community with our accounting and bookkeeping partners. By providing world class education, thought leadership, and business resources, we aim to deepen the relationships our partners have with their clients. Connecting partners to small businesses, each other, and the wider community is fun work.

Our team is on the road at industry conferences across the country meeting, greeting, and teaching. We work with our accounting and bookkeeping partners to host Xero Hours. This sparks dialogue about how to grow and operate a practice. We’ve developed business-building resources such as the Marketing Consultant Directory and an upcoming marketing webinar series. We do this because helping our partners position themselves as unique providers of cloud accounting services is important to us. Understanding that Xero partners serve small businesses – and many times are small business owners themselves – is a guiding light for our team.

Why am I passionate about my job?

As the Partner Program Manager for the Americas, I build business resources, tools, and programs that help our partners achieve success – whatever that means to them. The Partner Program benefits include a dedicated account manager, a listing on our Advisor Directory, and access to practice management software – just to name a few.

One of my favorite resources is the Partner Marketing Fund. We believe so strongly in our partners that we co-invest in certain marketing activities to help amplify their reach and our own. Marketing can be a daunting task. So we provide a wealth of tools through the Partner Toolkit to help get the ball rolling. Partners can access event planning guides, presentations, digital resources, and playbooks with the click of a button.

Aha moment(s)

The Xero’s Partner Program’s power to accelerate a firm’s growth came to life for me when I met Stephanie Holt. After years at a traditional accounting firm, Stephanie founded Cloud Accounting & Consulting to achieve the work-life integration she had dreamed of. Stephanie chose Xero because it gives her the freedom to work from anywhere. This means that she can grow a thriving practice and spend quality time with her three beautiful kids.

Through the Partner Program, she’s received one-on-one support from her account manager and accessed marketing resources to build her brand. She has also developed a supportive network of fellow Xero advisors. In her first year of business, Stephanie more than quadrupled Cloud Accounting & Consulting and won Xero’s Rewiring the Economy Through Service Award. Despite her busy schedule, Stephanie makes time to give back to her community by mentoring women entrepreneurs in the start-up phase of their businesses.

Why I love working at Xero

My Partner Relations teammates are a unique blend of educators, event enthusiasts, brand evangelists, and thought leaders. I am humbled by their intelligence and energized by our comradery. As the Partner Program Manager, I live my passion by building business tools and resources that empower our partners to achieve their goals.

Ultimately, the mission to help small business owners thrive is what truly makes Xero a special place to work. When a small business owner uses Xero, they have an 85% chance of surviving past year five. And if connected to one of our partners, they grow net profit 23% faster. Knowing that what I do makes a positive difference to our accounting and bookkeeping partners, and their small business clients, motivates me to do the best work of my life.

Want to join us on our mission to rewire the global small business economy? Head over to our careers page, we’re hiring!

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