Xero Accounting Software
What you'll learn
- Recall the basic functionalities of Xero accounting software and demonstrate proficiency in navigating its user interface.
- Apply the steps involved in the purchasing, downloading, and installation process of Xero software.
- Analyze the major components of Xero software, including customer, vendor, and employee sections, and understand their role in the accounting cycles.
- Evaluate the impact of various forms and transactions within each accounting section on the financial statements.
- Demonstrate the ability to enter and process standard types of transactions, such as invoices, bills, pay bills, purchase orders, and deposits.
- Synthesize the learned concepts and techniques by working through a comprehensive problem that covers two months of data input.
- Interpret the financial statements generated in Xero software and verify the accuracy of the data input by checking the impact of each transaction on them
- Modify system settings in Xero to streamline data entry and enhance the efficiency of the accounting process.
- Communicate effectively about the functionality and capabilities of Xero accounting software, demonstrating proficiency in explaining its benefits.
Requirements
- No prior knowledge of accounting or Xero software is required. This course starts from the basics and assumes no prior experience.
- Basic computer literacy, including familiarity with operating systems, file management, and navigating software applications.
- Access to a computer or laptop with internet connectivity to download and install Xero software and access the course materials.
- An eagerness to learn and apply accounting principles using Xero software.
- Openness to hands-on practice and willingness to explore the functionalities of Xero software through guided exercises and activities.
- A desire to develop proficiency in accounting tasks and data analysis using Xero software.
Description
Whether you are a beginner in accounting or new to the Xero software, this course provides a comprehensive foundation to navigate Xero and perform essential accounting tasks.
We start by assuming no prior knowledge of the software or accounting principles. We guide you through the purchasing, downloading, and installation process, utilizing Xero's free 30-day trial to facilitate hands-on practice.
The first half of the course focuses on navigating the software, acquainting you with its major components and the primary accounting cycles, including the customer section (revenue cycle), the vendor section (payments cycle), and the employee section (payroll cycle). By understanding these sections, you will grasp the fundamental elements that impact financial statements.
Within each accounting cycle, we delve into analyzing the various forms and transactions, such as invoices, bills, pay bills, purchase orders, and deposits. You will gain insights into how each transaction affects the financial statements and develop proficiency in recording them accurately.
The second half of the course takes the form of a comprehensive problem, immersing you in a two-month data input exercise. This practical approach enables you to enter diverse transactions and experience the accounting workflow firsthand. As we progress through the comprehensive problem, you will witness the direct impact of each transaction on the financial statements, allowing for immediate verification of your work.
Beyond simple data entry, the comprehensive problem format provides contextual understanding and empowers you to optimize the Xero system for efficient data input. By exploring the entire accounting process within a real-world scenario, you will enhance your problem-solving skills and gain a holistic view of the accounting workflow.
Join us on this exciting journey to master Xero accounting software. Enroll today and acquire the skills to navigate Xero with confidence, analyze financial transactions effectively, and ensure accurate financial reporting.
Who this course is for:
- Beginners with no prior knowledge of accounting or experience with Xero software, who are interested in learning accounting principles and how to use Xero for their financial tasks.
- Small business owners and entrepreneurs who want to manage their accounting processes efficiently using the Xero software platform.
- Accounting and finance students who want to gain practical skills in using accounting software and understand how it applies to real-world scenarios.
- Bookkeepers and accounting professionals who want to expand their knowledge and proficiency in using Xero software for client work and financial analysis.
- Anyone interested in learning about Xero software and its capabilities for managing financial transactions, generating reports, and analyzing financial data.
Instructor
Through working with students from many different schools, Mr. Steele has learned best practices for helping people understand accounting fast. Learning new skills and finding the best way to share knowledge with people who can benefit from it is a passion of his.
Mr. Steele has experience working as a practicing Certified Public Accountant (CPA), an accounting and business instructor, and curriculum developer. He has enjoyed putting together quality tools to improve learning and has been teaching, making instructional resources, and building curriculum since 2009. He has been a practicing CPA since 2005. Mr. Steele is a practicing CPA, has a Certified Post-Secondary Instructor (CPI) credential, a Master of Science in taxation from Golden Gate University, a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Economics with an emphasis in accounting from The University of California Santa Barbara, and a Global Management Accounting Designation (CGMA) from The American Institute of CPA (AICPA).
Mr. Steele has also authored five books that can be found on Amazon or in audiobook format on Audible. He has developed bestselling courses in accounting topics including financial accounting and QuickBooks accounting software.
In addition to working as an accountant, teaching, and developing courses Mr. Steele has helped create an accounting website at accountinginstruction, a YouTube channel called Accounting Instruction, Help, and How Too, and has developed supplemental resources including a Facebook Page, Twitter Page, and Podcasts that can be found on I-tunes, Stitcher, or Soundcloud. Mr. Steele's teaching philosophy is to make content applicable, understandable, and accessible.
Adult learners are looking for application when they learn new skills. In other words, learners want to be able to apply skills in the real world to help their lives. Mr. Steele’s formal accounting education, practical work experience, and substantial teaching experience allow him to create a curriculum that combines traditional accounting education with practical knowledge and application. He accomplishes the goals of making accounting useful and applicable by combining theory with real-world software like Excel and QuickBooks.
Many courses teach QuickBooks data entry or Excel functions but are not providing the real value learners want. Real value is a result of learning technical skills like applications, in conjunction with specific goals, like accounting goals, including being able to interpret the performance of a business.
Mr. Steele makes knowledge understandable by breaking down complex concepts into smaller units with specific objectives and using step by step learning processes to understand each unit. Many accounting textbooks cram way too much information into a course, making it impossible to understand any unit fully. By breaking the content down into digestible chunks, we can move forward much faster.
Mr. Steele also makes use of color association in both presentations and Excel worksheets, a learning tool often overlooked in the accounting field, but one that can vastly improve the speed and comprehension of learning accounting concepts.
The material is also made understandable through the application of concepts learned. Courses will typically demonstrate the accounting concepts and then provide an Excel worksheet or practice problems to work through the concepts covered. The practice problems will be accompanied by an instructional video to work through the problem in step by step format. Excel worksheets will be preformatted, usually including an answer tab that shows the completed problem, and a practice tab where learners can complete the problem along with a step by step presentation video.
Mr. Steele makes learning accounting accessible by making use of technology and partnering with teaching platforms that have a vision of spreading knowledge like Udemy.