What a hectic few years we’ve all gone through, and the accounting and bookkeeping community has undoubtedly faced some of its toughest challenges yet. What’s more, they’ve done it largely in physical isolation, working behind a screen and over the phone to keep small businesses – and sometimes, each other – afloat. So if there’s one thing we can all agree on, it’s that nothing beats #human connection. And what better way to celebrate the return of face-to-face interactions than with, what I like to call, a great big industry hug! That’s right – I’m talking about the incomparable Xero Roadshow 2022.

Throughout April and May, the Xero crew toured 17 locations, rallying partners from major cities to regional centres across the country. It was a real thrill to meet so many new faces and reconnect with familiar ones – all 5,000 of you. For those who couldn’t be there in person, we also hosted an online session to make sure no one missed a minute of the action.

Given everything that’s going on in the world, Roadshow 2022 was all about optimism, opportunity and the power of connection. As well as wrapping our arms around one another figuratively and literally, our aim was to equip you – our industry partners – with insights and tools to navigate the road ahead. Read on to learn about the top takeaways from this year’s event…

Here’s just some of what we covered

It was exciting to announce new plans, products and offers at this year’s Roadshow. But what was even better? Hearing our partner community’s response – from almighty cheers to rounds of applause, and a few chuckles too – in real life.

We set the scene with an inspiring session about unlocking growth in a post-COVID era. Based on the findings from Xero’s latest report, Where opportunity lies: Australia’s new small business boom, created in partnership with Accenture, we dug deep into what’s next for small businesses and advisors, from growth industries to how more and more firms are embracing digitalisation.

Speaking of technology, we were thrilled to share that it’s now easier than ever to move your practice to Xero with Jet Convert. Why? Because we’ve extended free conversions to include cloud to cloud! This means you can now take QBO Online and MYOB Essentials data (both current and two years’ worth of transactional history) and seamlessly move it to Xero. That got some cheers on the road!

And once you’re there, you’ll want to check out our brand new Ultimate Plan. This is the whole shebang when it comes to Xero packages, offering the full suite of tools to manage your practice’s processes and people in one neat bundle.

Does the Ultimate Plan include Payroll, I hear you ask? Oh yes. What’s more, it’ll soon come with one of the most requested payroll features to date – Payroll Audit History. BOOM! From August, you’ll be able to capture and clearly view employee records and changes, including updates made via connected ecosystem apps like Deputy and Tanda. Keep an eye out for this release in just a few short months.

As always, your account managers are ready, willing and able to chat anytime, so be sure to reach out if you’d like to learn more about any of these red-hot announcements and features.

Embracing change in 2022 and beyond

In the spirit of connection, we welcomed partners to the stage this year in a dedicated Roadshow session called Partner Stages. A resounding theme from these panel discussions was, of course, unpacking the future of advisory.

Despite the turbulence of the past few years, panellists (from all over) could agree that the industry is changing – likely for the better. According to our State of the industry research – a report that explores how COVID-19 impacted the accounting and bookkeeping world – over 90 percent of accountants and bookkeepers surveyed reported at least one positive impact from the pandemic. Things like embracing new ways of working, offering expanded services, or changing client attitudes towards technology adoption all ranked highly. So what does this mean for you and your practice?

Over the next decade, Xero’s Where opportunity lies report predicts that over 3.5 million new small businesses will be registered here in Australia. These emerging entrepreneurs will look to you as their trusted advisors (and not just for financial support), creating countless opportunities for your practice to grow and innovate. Now is the time to embrace change, tailoring your services to guide both new and existing clients through a digital-led recovery. All with the confidence that Xero – and our ecosystem of more than 1,000 connected apps – is with you every step of the way.

Before signing off, I want to say a massive thanks to our partner community for making Roadshow 2022 one for the ages. We couldn’t do it without your endless enthusiasm, curiosity and support.

We can’t wait to see you at our next big industry event, Xerocon Sydney. That’s right – the Coachella for accountants, the Burning Man for BAS agents, is back (and better than ever) this September. Click here for all the details.