What Xerocon Austin means to me | Austin Bookkeeping

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As Xerocon Austin inches closer we got in touch with some of our accounting and bookkeeping partners who will be joining us in the Texas capital, and talked everything Xerocon and what they’re looking forward to at this year’s event.

Cheryl Finfrock is owner of Austin Bookkeeping & Consulting.

Let’s start with a little bit of background on your firm.

I’ve worked in this field since 1998 beginning with tax preparation and then bookkeeping. I lived in San Francisco at the time, and my first client was a musician. Later I worked with a stained glass studio and various nonprofits in the arts. Eventually I became the accounting department for Northern California Land Trust in Berkeley (a non-profit providing low to middle income people affordable home ownership with the land trust model). In 2006 I moved back to Austin and later acquired Austin Bookkeeping & Consulting.

When and why did you first start using Xero?

In January 2015. After years of desktop accounting software, I made the move to the cloud which was a big change. I explored FreshBooks, QuickBooks online, Mint, and found Xero. Xero promised beautiful accounting software and that really caught my eye. austin-bookkeeping-xerocon I’m an artist who owns a bookkeeping business, so design counts. Plus many of my clients are designers and can appreciate good looking numbers. Here’s what’s pretty in Xero; report layouts with color choices, a dashboard with moveable parts, a few well-placed graphs, and Xero’s consistent blue branding.

What are some of your most memorable moments from last year’s Xerocon?

Xerocon San Francisco last year was amazing and I’m really looking forward to this year’s in Austin. Meeting Rod Drury and Dandapani in San Francisco was particularly special. I really enjoyed Dandapani’s guided meditation and Greg Kyte’s comedy set. Hearing about Xero’s emphasis on lifestyle and their “work to live not live to work philosophy” really struck a chord with me. I also really enjoyed spending time with the team at Spotlight reporting and building a relationship with them and other Xero partners.

What are you looking forward to most at this year’s Xerocon?

I always love to check out the apps so that will be my first stop. I’m looking forward to talking to Bill.com, Hubdoc, Spotlight Reporting, Amazon and a2x. I can’t wait to hear about new features and more about Xero HQ. I’m also really looking forward to being part of the community vibe of Xerocon and catch up with friends I met last year.

What are your must-dos for other attendees coming in from out of town?

For Mexican food: Torchy’s Tacos, Matt’s El Rancho, and Flores (you can’t go past their La Flor margarita). Food trucks in Austin are also a crowd favorite. For breweries, check out Pint House Pizza, Blue Owl Brewing, and if you have time for a drive go to Jester King in West Austin. If you’re wanting a fancier night Justine’s is delicious. And if you’re keen to check out a great bookstore South Congress Books is the perfect spot, they also happen to be my client.

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