Xero Partner Spotlight: Michelle Reed (4 min read)

Meet Michelle Reed of The Reed Group, a Xero Silver Partner

The Reed Group has met a variety of accounting and technology-based needs across Construction & Trades, Retail & Non-Profits, primarily on Orcas Island.

About the Practice

• Year Established: 2014
• Industry Focus: Construction & Trades, Retail
• Year you started Cloud Accounting: 2013
• First Cloud Accounting Client: Nest, a boutique and florist on Orcas Island
• Client Software Used: Xero - 100% 

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Andre: Why do you enjoy what you do?

Michelle: Thinking back to Xerocon last year and when I was there, I was really impacted by Steve Vamos’ keynote about communities. I really loved the idea about how small businesses help make our communities stronger and how that definitely has a ripple effect on the community.

Since then, I have been reflecting on what it is that I love about what I do, and part of it is each situation with the clients themselves. There is that level between myself and them where they know they need help and they've been putting off asking for help so now they're in a situation where they let their guard down in order to get past the pain point. And it becomes something that's not just about numbers but it's about forming relationships.

Andre: Yes definitely! Especially now with where accounting is going, it makes it easier for those businesses to be like “Hey I need help”. It is becoming more common for businesses to reach out to their advisors to get help and guide them in the direction that they need to go.

Michelle: Right! And I like walking in being open to the situation and not having a bunch of big ideas. We're going to start at one place and then we'll see what the other needs are as they come along. 

Andre: I want to take this conversation back to the beginning now and ask you what your experience was like before cloud accounting.

Michelle: Well, I mentioned that my husband and I had a restaurant and prior to that we had a construction company in California, so I was doing the books in quickbooks and even more so when we had the restaurant. It was so frustrating and so time consuming that I was actually constantly looking for some other solution over quickbooks. When I saw Xero for the first time in 2013, I was like, “Yes, finally!!” I was so excited. 

Andre: Adding to that moment of discovering Xero, what stood out to you?

Michelle: What stood out and what I've also come to see is that Xero’s use of A.I. and machine learning has become a partner to me in itself. An example of that is when I had a client who had a lot of transactions across 4 credit cards with different bank accounts. I was the consultant for that client and not the bookkeeper, but he locked out the bookkeeper and was in a panic. We had to solve the problem quickly! But working in Xero I realized that this is actually pretty easy, especially to get somebody up to speed because the software had already been running for five or so years, so it felt like Xero already knew what to do. 

Andre: It sounds like you were pretty happy that they were on Xero then? 

Michelle: Yeah! You know the best thing about Xero is that the platform seems to support the needs of both the accountant and the business owner.

Andre: Tell us about your initial experience using Xero and what would you say are Xero’s best features?

Michelle: Well for me, I was so hungry to find a new system that when I came across a software I really liked, I tried to get everybody in it. A feature that is super important to someone looking at Xero and one that they will likely get excited about is find and recode. Also a feature I talk to clients and my staff about is how great automated quotes are. However, you still need human eyes on it so you know what the checks and balances are to make sure it's accurate.

Andre: That’s great to hear! What what would you say is the biggest misconception about cloud accounting?

Michelle: Well I think that sometimes people are afraid that their data is exposed. But what they don't understand is that it's always there and that when you can use a log in to get that information from anywhere, it's like turning the water of a faucet on. I think to avoid cloud technologies and cloud accounting because they think that somehow they have extra exposure, they're not understanding that the data is already always there - even if its on desktop.

Andre: What made you decide to continue using Xero?

Michelle: I think the biggest thing about Xero is the sense of community. I really appreciate the partner program and the support that I've gotten from my account manager over time. I'm about five hours away from Seattle so I have to take a ferry and then drive to physically go to something like a Xero Hour. It is a lot of effort but I do it because I think it's meaningful for me and my staff to see and speak with other advisors in the community. Many of us are so like minded and we support each other so the partner community is something I really enjoy.

Andre: Yeah definitely! Ever since I joined Xero I’ve been pleasantly surprised by how close all the Xero partners are and I have really enjoyed watching how each of you support one another. On the topic of Xero blue and the software itself, how has Xero helped your practice?

Michelle: I would say the efficiencies and the amount of work we can get done. I also think having live data where clients aren’t waiting until the end of the month or more for reconciliation and having your books in order on a consistent basis is one of the things that have been really great for us and our clients. We usually have to get one set of financials to the CPA in mid February and then another at the end of March. We're almost always done with our tax work before then because we have all the information on the client and everything by the end of January. And that’s because we're able to keep things tight all the way through the year.

Andre: I have one more question for you. If cloud accounting never existed and your practice was still using desktop accounting, do you think your firm would be where it's at today?

Michelle: No and I'm not sure I would even have a firm honestly. I think the efficiency allows us to stay enthusiastic. The way that things are evolving, with the forecasting and analysis of the data through other apps, is very exciting.I think it will be way more common than any of the accounting by hand, which is where I see the industry moving. 

To wrap up tell us a little bit about yourself

Area you live: North of Seattle, on Orcas Island.

Power you’d most like to have? Teleportation

Greatest achievement? Traveling up the Inside Passage from Orcas Island to Sitka twice on our own boat with my husband, and son, who was 10 years old at the time.

What is your strongest personal quality? Equanimity and kindness.

What inspires you? When I am not working on accounting, I love to create abstract acrylic paintings.

Last gift you gave? Glassy Baby Votives. I like to give them in lieu of flowers for celebrations or bereavements.

Company that didn’t exist 5 years ago that has become essential to your life? Shogo.io for POS integrations.

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Become a Xero partner today or schedule time with me (Andre Hale) to learn more about how Xero can help your practice!