In November we’ll be closing the office for 3 days and travelling down to the London ExCeL for Xerocon 2019.
Why spend a fortune on tickets, travel and a hotel for two nights, plus our precious time, when we have a never-ending to-do list?
It’s more than just a jolly. Big events like this run for most industries. If you get the chance to attend one, even if it’s just once a year, we’d highly recommend it.
Here’s why…
Investing in your skills and knowledge is important
One of our most important values is keeping up with innovation in the accounting world. This means we’re committed to improving the technology we use, our processes, knowledge and skills.
But it’s not just about making our firm as efficient as possible, it’s about helping us to help our clients improve their businesses.
We don’t see the 3 days out of the office as a cost, it’s an investment. In a constantly changing world, you have to find time to keep investing in your business and yourself. Otherwise, you’re in danger of being left behind.
In fact, you could argue that investing in your education, knowledge and development could be the most important contributor to your professional and business success.
And ok, we’ll whisper this part… it’s a great excuse to go and party mid-week!
Hannah Adams, founder of Freedom in Numbers, at Xerocon 2018
You never know what you’ll learn
We attended our first Xerocon in November 2018 and had no idea what to expect.
It truly was an eye-opener to hear stories from other accountants, key figures from both the accountancy world and outside it.
It’s exciting to learn about developments in our own industry, but also see what inspiration we can take from other people’s experiences.
For example, the lineup included a keynote speech from Sir Chris Hoy MBE, a multiple Olympic and World cycling champion.
It was great to see Xero’s investment in innovation too. We were able to see how this could improve our processes for the coming year, including Making Tax Digital integration, CIS reporting from within the software.
We were also able to see a roadmap for the innovation Xero had planned in 2019.
Our Xerocon 2018 highlight – Human at Heart
When we talk about innovation, it’s easy to get wrapped up in focussing on the technology. At Xerocon 2018, the phrase “human at heart” was used to remind us that it’s all about the people.
Technology plays its part, of course. But we went away thinking that despite all these new tools, apps and automation, it’s about us being better business owners, and providing a better service for our clients.
For innovation to bring about positive change in our businesses, people must be at the centre.
This video sums it up nicely!
What are we hoping to learn at Xerocon 2019?
We’ll be keeping a close eye on developments in the Xero ecosystem over the last year, with extra emphasis on specialised industry apps coming into the market.
As well as hearing about the latest innovations from Xero themselves, we’ll also be thinking about apps that can help us as we grow our business. We want to maintain and improve the services we offer to our clients, so this will be at the centre of what we’re looking for.
Not only that, but we’ll get to see some famous faces talk on stage. This year, we’ll be hearing from Major Tim Peake CMG, the first British ESA astronaut to visit the International Space Station.
We’ll probably meet some familiar faces and have the chance to network with some new ones too. We might even have time for a dance and a drink or two…
It’s good to get out of the office to do something different – it can help you stay fresh and up to date, and keep ahead of the competition!
