How to use Xero for Small Business in 2026?

Doing your own bookkeeping feels scary.

No one likes staring at messy spreadsheets or confusing numbers.

It wastes hours of your week. You worry about making math mistakes or missing a tax deadline.

You didn’t start a business to stress over accounting, but the work just keeps piling up.

You need a simple tool to fix this. This guide shows you exactly how to use Xero.

We break it down into easy steps.

You will be sending invoices and tracking cash in no time.

Let’s make your life easier.

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Xero Tutorial

This quick guide shows you the ropes.

You can see exactly how the software works step-by-step.

Follow the actions on your own screen easily. Just pause if you need more time.

It is the best way to master the basics fast.

How to use Advanced Accounting

You might think accounting software is hard.

It isn’t. Small business owners need a clear picture of their money to grow.

Xero accounting software helps you plan better.

It handles bills, payroll, and tricky numbers.

You do not need to be an accountant to understand how Xero works.

The “Advanced” tab gives you deeper access to your finances.

Step 1: Find the Advanced Menu

Everything starts at your Xero dashboard.

• Look at the top blue menu bar.
• Click on Accounting.
• Choose Advanced from the dropdown list.
• You will see a list of special tools.

Step 2: Use Manual Journals

Sometimes you need to move numbers around to fix your reports.

• Click Manual Journals inside the Advanced menu.
• Hit the New Journal button.
• Type a note about why you are moving money.
• Pick the correct date.
• This keeps your balance sheet accurate.

Step 3: Manage Fixed Assets

Did you pay for a big computer or machine using your bank account? You need to track it.

• Go to the Advanced menu again.
• Click Fixed Assets.
• Select New Asset.
• Enter what you bought and the cost.
• Xero tracks the value over time.

This helps your cash flow look right without calling the bank.

How to use Multi-currency accounting

Do you sell services or products to customers in other countries?

Running a global business is hard.

You need to understand your profit and loss clearly.

It helps you grow and cover all your financial bases.

You can discover new markets when the data is clear.

Follow these steps to use these features.

Step 1: Add a Foreign Currency

First, you must set up the money types.

• Find the options menu in Settings.
• Select “Currencies” to add new information.
• Check the list and pick the currency you need.
• This creates a link to live exchange rates.

Step 2: Assign Currency to a Contact

Now, update the details for your people.

• Go to Contacts to find the right person.
• Edit their profile date and billing info.
• Select the foreign currency for them.
• This ensures that all future items, like invoices, are correct.

Step 3: View Reports in different currencies

You need to watch your money every day.

• Go to Reports to see your transactions.
• You can reconcile foreign receipts easily.
• Switch the view to see the real value.
• This helps you avoid bad surprises.

Join other users who enjoy easy math.

Share this knowledge with your team. As you practice, your skills will improve.

You can even connect apps to explore more ways to track cash.

You will get a better experience the more you use it.

How to use Automatic invoicing

Chasing payments is the worst part of business.

You should not have to type the same invoice every single month.

It wastes your time. You can set up a system to do the work for you.

It acts like a robot assistant.

Even your bookkeeper will love how much time this saves.

Step 1: Create a Repeating Invoice

Start by finding the right menu.

• Click on Business in the top menu bar.
• Select Invoices from the list.
• Click the arrow next to “New Invoice.”
• Select New Repeating Invoice to start.

Step 2: Set the Schedule

Now you tell Xero when to send the bill.

• Choose how often the invoice is sent (like Weekly or Monthly).
• Select the Start Date for the first bill.
• Choose Approve for Sending.
• This option emails the customer automatically.

Step 3: Enter Invoice Details

Finally, fill in what you are selling.

• Type in the customer name.
• Add the item details and price.
• Click Save.
• Xero will now send this bill on the dates you picked.

Alternatives to Xero

• Sage: A well-known provider of business management software, Sage offers a range of accounting and financial solutions that can serve as an alternative to Atera’s financial management module.
• Dext: This software focuses on automating data extraction from receipts and invoices. It saves time on manual data entry by digitizing your paperwork.
• Zoho Books: Part of the Zoho suite, this is a strong accounting tool for small to medium businesses. It helps with invoicing, expense tracking, and inventory management, and is a good alternative for those who need comprehensive financial tools.
• Synder: This software focuses on syncing your e-commerce and payment platforms with your accounting software. It’s a useful alternative for businesses that need to automate data flow from sales channels into their books.
• Easy Month End: This tool is designed specifically to streamline the month-end closing process. It’s a specialized alternative for businesses that want to improve and automate their financial reporting and reconciliation tasks.
• Docyt: An AI-powered bookkeeping platform, Docyt automates financial workflows. It is a direct competitor for Atera’s AI-driven bookkeeping features, offering real-time data and automated document management.
• Puzzle IO: This is a modern accounting software built for startups. It uses AI to automate bookkeeping and provide real-time financial insights. It’s a good alternative for fast-growing companies that want a simple, tech-driven solution.
• RefreshMe: This is a personal financial management platform. While not a direct business alternative, it offers similar features like expense and invoice tracking.
• Wave: This is a popular free financial software. It’s a good choice for freelancers and small businesses for invoicing, accounting, and receipt scanning.
• Quicken: A well-known tool for personal and small business finance. It helps with budgeting, spending tracking, and financial planning.
• Hubdoc: This software is a document management tool. It automatically fetches your financial documents and syncs them to your accounting software.
• Expensify: This platform focuses on expense management. It is great for receipt scanning, business travel, and creating expense reports.
• QuickBooks: One of the most widely used accounting software programs. QuickBooks is a strong alternative that offers a full set of tools for financial management.
• AutoEntry: This tool automates data entry. It is a good alternative for the receipt and invoice capture features within Atera.
• FreshBooks: This program is great for invoicing and accounting. It is popular with freelancers and small businesses that need a simple way to track time and expenses.
• NetSuite: A powerful and complete cloud-based business management suite. NetSuite is an alternative for larger businesses that need more than just financial management.

Xero Compared

Conclusion

You have learned exactly how to use Xero to better manage your business.

We covered advanced accounting, multi-currency options, and automatic invoicing.

These tools might seem complex at first, but they are built to save you time.

You do not need to be a math expert to succeed here.

The software does the heavy lifting for you.

Don’t be afraid to log in and explore the dashboard today.

Try setting up just one repeating invoice to start.

Once you get the hang of it, you will wonder how you managed without it.

Take control of your finances right now.

Frequently Asked Questions

More Facts about Xero

Invoicing and Payments

• Invoices: You can create clear, professional invoices. If a customer is late with payment, Xero can automatically send them an email reminder.
• Getting Paid: You can connect to PayPal or Stripe. This lets your customers pay you easily using different methods.
• Branding: You can add up your company logo and style to your invoices by going to Settings> Invoice Settings.
• Recurring Bills: If you have customers who frequently buy the same item, you can set up invoices that send automatically.

Bank Accounts and Money

• Bank Feeds: You can connect with your bank account to the software. This automatically pulls your spending and income data into Xero.
• Reconciliation: Xero helps you match your bank records with your business records. It finds matches for you so you can approve them quickly.
• Daily Check-ins: It is best to reconcile your bank transactions daily or weekly. This keeps your records correct.
• Dashboard: When you log in, you see a main screen (Dashboard) that shows exactly how much money you have right now.
• Find & Match: There is a specific tool called “Find & Match” that helps you sort out duplicate bank charges without doing it manually.

Managing Your Business

• Setup: When you sign up, you need to enter your business name, address, and tax information in the Organization Settings.
• Payroll: You can manage your employees’ pay in one place. This makes it easy to see how much your staff costs.
• Contacts: You can save a list of your customers and suppliers. This lets you see their history of bills and payments.
• Purchases: You can record and track all the bills and things your business buys.
• Reports: You can run reports, such as a “Profit and Loss” statement, to see whether your business is making money.
• Chart of Accounts: You can also change the default list of categories to match exactly how your business spends and makes money.
• Tax Settings: Set your tax rules and choose the date your business year ends.

Users and Learning

• Inviting a Team: You can add other people to your account, like your accountant or bookkeeper, so that they can help you.
• Permissions: When you invite people, you can choose exactly what they can see or do.
• Certification: Xero offers a program that lets you take a test to become a certified advisor.
• Classes: There are many courses and videos available to help you learn how to use the software.
• Mobile App: You can download the Xero app on your phone to handle your money while you are away from your computer.