CONVERTING TO XERO - EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW
Expert Support to enable you to seamlessly move your accounts to Xero (from either Sage or QuickBooks).
We are 100% Xero focused accountants & are based in Chesterfield. We cover all of the UK & can easily come to visit you.
MOVING TO XERO (FROM SAGE OR QUICKBOOKS)
Once you've decided to make the move to Xero, the most important thing to consider FIRST is what will happen to all of the historical accounting data that's currently sat in your current system.
Moving historical data is usually preferred, so everything is in one place rather than fragmented over different systems. It's easier to run reports, submit VAT returns, and eventually complete final year end accounts. It's also great for comparative reporting, and you can get full transactional detail on your customer and supplier accounts.
The quickest way of getting historical data moved over to Xero is to use Movemybooks (https://movemybooks.co.uk/move-to-xero/). This is a generally straightforward process that you can set in motion, just follow the on screen steps, and off it goes! Movemybooks will extract your historical Sage or QuickBooks data, and will load it into a brand new Xero account (usually within a day).
In some cases, it may be preferable to start in Xero with no historical data. With this option, you'll need to enter opening balances, outstanding sales, outstanding bills, and (depending on the date when the conversion is taking place) year-to-date balances. You'll also need to obtain a back-up or a copy of all historical data from your current system, as you may lose access to it once that subscription ends.
BEFORE DOING THE CONVERSION WITH MOVEMYBOOKS, DO THIS!
Before you start the conversion process with Movemybooks, our top tip is to make sure your current system is in perfect condition. Check that your outstanding sales & bills are correct, that your bank accounts are all reconciled and correct, and that you don't have incorrect data showing anywhere (like old 1p account balances, or old sales/bills showing as outstanding that shouldn't be).
AFTER CONVERSION, ENSURE YOU DO THIS!
Once the conversion with Movemybooks is completed (usually within a day), this is where further support is needed. There are a number of post-conversion tasks that need completing, to ensure that everything in Xero is mapped correctly. This part is REALLY important, to ensure that the data showing in Xero is where it needs to be, that it all makes sense, and that you can start where you left off without errors occurring.
At this point, it's now also the time to ensure Xero is fully set up properly. And if you're using other apps within your business, ensure that they're hooked up to Xero & working as they should.
WHEN SHOULD I MOVE MY ACCOUNTS TO XERO?
Really, you can move to Xero at any point you like.
But it's usually easier to choose a specific date, such as your accounting financial year end or the end of your VAT quarter. This helps to keep data looking clean, and provides a natural cut off point.
AND WE CAN HELP WITH ALL OF THIS!
Starting the conversion process is one thing, but completing the post-conversion tasks & having a functioning Xero that’s working as you want it to is something else!
Please get in touch here if you need our help:
https://www.progressionaccountancy.co.uk/get-in-touch
Check out our Xero Training Services here: https://www.progressionaccountancy.co.uk/xero-training
If you're using other apps within your business (or you would like to start doing), get to know all the Xero Add Ons available here:
https://apps.xero.com/uk