What Xerocon means to me | Beyond Balanced Books

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As Xerocon Atlanta inches closer we got in touch with some of our accounting and bookkeeping partners who will be joining us in the peach state’s capital. We talked everything Xerocon and what they’re looking forward to at this year’s event.

Cindy Hovig is the founder of Beyond Balanced Books. She is a Xero silver partner in Morgan Hill, California and winner of the Partnership Impact award at the 2017 Xero Awards.

Let’s start with a little bit of background on your firm.

I started my firm a long time ago when I had two small children at home and wanted part-time work. I built it over the years and by the time my youngest was in fourth or fifth grade I was full-time. Five or six years ago I started using Xero and hired my first employee. Both things really enabled me to transform what I was doing previously. Today, I have four employees – everyone works virtually. By building the team over the last couple of years, I’ve been able to get more time to myself. We just got out of busy season. In previous years, throughout January and February, I would work seven days a week. This year’s busy season, I didn’t work a single weekend. The way I have built the business means I can have a life – even during busy season.

What made you switch to Xero?

I was introduced to Xero before it was launched in the US. At a conference I met a few folks from Xero and thought it was something I should investigate. I had been looking for an online accounting solution for about 10 years but I never found one I felt I could really embrace. I looked at several solutions before using Xero. One day, I went to an ‘introduction to Xero’ session and by lunchtime I knew that Xero was the one I was looking for. The next day I moved my firm’s books onto Xero; next month I did Xero partner training; next month I was a Xero bronze partner.

Looking back at my journey, the first year was all about transforming how I did everything – I needed to look at every single thing that was involved in working with clients and delivering to them. I really made changes that have helped me now. I’m still constantly looking and changing today.

How many Xerocons have you been to and what is your favorite thing about it?

I have been to all of the Xerocons in the US. It can be a little isolating as the only owner of a firm. So finding other people you can connect with and form relationships with is really powerful. I have forged relationships at conferences that have lasted years – the people is a really big piece. When I look back at major changes I have made in my practice, all of them stem from something I have been exposed to at a conference. Sometimes it’s the things you hear on the big stage, other times it’s the casual conversations that you have with other attendees that make you think about things differently or maybe explore a new add-on product. I like keeping up with what’s new – both in Xero and ecosystem partners.

What are you looking forward to most at this year’s Xerocon?

At Xerocon Austin, I sent one of my team members to a Pre-con session. She was so excited about it and is still raving about it. In Atlanta, I’m bringing a different team member and she’s so excited about it. This year, it’s more about the tech piece and how the role of bookkeeping is really changing. I’m looking forward to hearing about the product updates – it’s a nice way to know what’s going on in the product even though we’re using it every day. I might not necessarily be aware everytime something new is released on the platform. It could be something that seems so small when it’s announced, but it could make a huge difference to your everyday. I wasn’t sure if I was going to go to Xerocon Atlanta originally, but I didn’t want to miss out on what might be there.

Product news, in-real-life connections and more – there is a whole world of value to discover at Xerocon. Get your tickets to Xerocon Atlanta today.

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