Progression Accountancy

28/05/2026

It's coming towards the end of May, and all earlier intentions to get your payroll into Xero before now are starting to feel like a distant dream.

As a business owner, it's not easy when you're looking at doing this project on your own.

Where to begin?
Is this something I can google?
Do I have to wait until next year?
- the answer to this is "no" by the way 🙂

It all sounds straightforward, and in many ways, it is.

But before you dive in, it’s worth asking yourself whether you feel confident setting Xero Payroll up yourself, and what might happen if you get something wrong.

Give a business owner their payslips & we solve the current payrun.
Teach a business owner to run the payroll & we empower them to complete payruns for a lifetime.

Check it out here...

If you’re thinking about setting up Xero Payroll, this blog looks at what’s involved and why getting expert help from the start pays off. Find out here.

26/05/2026

The best thing you can do for your business?
Do as much of the accounting & bookkeeping yourself.
Seriously.

And this is why.

Pretty much all accounting software available these days is easy to use.
(apart from the odd few which will remain anonymous, but you know who you are 👀 🙊)

What if I told you the following could be done with a few clicks:
✅ Creating & sending your invoices.
✅ Dealing with your bills.
✅ Reconciling your bank.
✅ Running reports, profit & loss.
✅ And doing the payroll run.

Would you be willing to take these on yourself?

But let's be very clear here...

You won't be able to do all of the above in a few clicks from day one.
This will only be the case when everything is set up correctly & optimised.
And an expert has shown you the very best way of doing it all for your business.

Getting an expert to handle the heavy lifting of the initial set up & configuration means that you'll have a system which allows you to manage the day-to-day transactions yourself with confidence.

If you'd like to learn about setting up Xero Payroll, what's involved & the common pitfalls of doing it yourself, check out our latest blog...

https://www.progressionaccountancy.co.uk/blog/set-up-xero-payroll-myself

24/05/2026

Just because your new payroll software makes it easy to set up yourself, should you actually do it yourself?

As a business owner, your time is one of the most valuable assets you have.

If you’ve decided to bring your payroll in-house, Xero is probably already on your radar. It’s an affordable way to bring your accounts and your payroll into the same system, so you don’t need to rely on an external payroll provider for every little change you need to make.

It all sounds straightforward, and in many ways, it is.

But before you dive in, it’s worth asking yourself whether you feel confident setting Xero Payroll up yourself, and what might happen if you get something wrong.

In our latest blog, we take a look at what's actually involved in doing it yourself, as well as the most common pitfalls.

So you can make an informed decision on whether to take this task on yourself or whether it's better to get an expert in ... 🪄

https://www.progressionaccountancy.co.uk/blog/set-up-xero-payroll-myself

18/05/2026

𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐛𝐞 𝐚 𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐤 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 & 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐤 𝐛𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐗𝐞𝐫𝐨?

The answer is - it depends!

Let's consider these 2 very different situations..

𝙍𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙤𝙣 1: 𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙙𝙞𝙛𝙛𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚𝙨 - if there are deposits made to you (or even monies spent) that aren’t yet showing on your bank statement, then these are genuine timing differences that will sort themselves out once they do appear. An example of this type of difference would be where a customer has paid you by Stripe, but you haven't yet had the money into your bank.

𝙍𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙤𝙣 2: 𝙙𝙪𝙥𝙡𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣/𝙛𝙚𝙚𝙙 𝙞𝙨𝙨𝙪𝙚𝙨- it could also be that you have either duplicate transactions in Xero, or there’s been an issue with the bank feed. If this is the case, then these need looking into & manually fixing.

So, what if you DO have bank difference issues?

What can you do to check things are as they should be?

1️⃣ Firstly, check out the bank reconciliation report (click into the 3 dots next to your bank account on the dashboard). Here, you'll see the bank balance in Xero, any amounts that are yet to be dealt with, and the bank statement balance from the bank feed.

2️⃣ Timing differences (like the Stripe example) should sort themselves out.

3️⃣ If there are duplications showing on there, or there is a difference when you compare this report to your actual bank statement, then these will need manually fixing. Click into any transaction to see how it may have occurred.

Still have bank related issues & not sure what to do next?

Drop us a message & let's get that resolved for you 🙂

27/04/2026

Seriously, if you're sorting out your payroll processes in time for the April payroll run, STOP SCROLLING NOW!

As a wise man once said - I shall say this only once.

(or maybe once more if you're good).

Better software won't fix a broken payroll process.

I see it often.
Small business owners moving to Xero, hoping it will solve the stress & just "work".

But software is just an amplifier. If your data is messy, moving it will just mean that the mess lives on a different platform.

The secret is about setting it up for success, before you start using it.

✅ Mapping the account codes & chart of accounts
✅ Validating your RTI credentials
✅ Getting the correct data in there
✅ And a few more helpful pointers on the way

Set up the process first.
Then you can let the software handle the rest.
That’s how you get your Fridays back.

https://www.progressionaccountancy.co.uk/blog/set-up-xero-payroll

25/04/2026

Your time is the most valuable thing your business has.

If you're only using a fraction of what your accounting platform can do, you're missing the opportunity to gain more insights into your business.
And you're wasting your most valuable asset - your time.

Here's 3 things you can start doing, today, to start getting more out of your Xero & start to reclaim some of your time back:

1️⃣ By setting up payment reminders, you automate chasing your customers for money by setting up payment reminders. And if you set up an online payment system (like Stripe), you make it easier for them to pay you.

2️⃣ By telling Xero how to treat a transaction once within the Bank Rules, it'll reward you with a lifetime of quick bank reconciliation sessions.

3️⃣ By using the Xero mobile app to take photos of receipts, or emailing bills directly into Xero, or hooking up a bills automation tool like Hubdoc, you're automating the process of getting your costs into Xero.

4️⃣ By fully utilising Quotes, you can easily turn them into Invoices, removing the need to duplicate work.

5️⃣ By picking only 2 or 3 apps to hook up with Xero (the ones that make the most time saving impact to YOUR business) you remain in control. Once you've integrated & mastered them, look at the next thing that's taking you too much time, or causing too many duplicated steps - then research a suitable app to solve that.

If you're currently paying your most expensive employee (YOU) to do basic data entry, then you're wasting your most valuable asset.

And if you’re spending too much of it "doing the books" instead of "reviewing the numbers," it's time to get that fixed!

You can find out more here, and if you'd like our help, drop us a message 🙂

https://www.progressionaccountancy.co.uk/blog/make-the-most-of-xeros-features

22/04/2026

Whatever the gurus tell you, there is no perfect time to move your accounting to Xero. But there is a wrong way of doing it.

As a business owner, you’ve likely been waiting for a quiet period or a new financial year to make a big change.

You want a clean break.
And it makes sense 😌

But, as with many things in life, it doesn't always go to plan.

Something crops up.

The start of the new financial year gets busy.

And before you know it, there's a backlog mounting up, so you continue with the current system because trying to set something new up now (and learning it) is just too time consuming.

This is why moving to Xero mid year is actually quite common.

But it's also where the most issues can arise, because there's not only historical info to think about, there's all the stuff from the current financial year to deal with as well.

As well as all of the tech bits (like mapping, cleaning up your data before you migrate, agree on a sensible start date, and making sure your opening balances reconcile before you go live).

It's a whole lot more than pressing the "migrate now" button.

But when done correctly, you can be ready & off & enjoying the benefits of Xero quicker than ordering a sombrero online.

And here's how...✨

https://www.progressionaccountancy.co.uk/blog/how-to-convert-to-xero

21/04/2026

If you're currently reviewing your payroll processes in time for the 2026/27 year, STOP SCROLLING & READ THIS!

Most business owners think automated payroll means effortless payroll.

It doesn’t.

Effortless payroll is when you can run it, generate & send payslips, generate & send all of the HMRC & pension filings in the time it takes for the kettle to boil.

(disclaimer - I've not done the kettle test, and if I had, no kettles were harmed in the process).

And it only works if the foundation is flawless.

✅ Correct account mapping from day 1
✅ Correct information entered from day 1
✅ Any opening balances entered correctly on day 1
✅ RTI credentials active AND validated
✅ Following the screens carefully
✅ And get your employees to have the Xero Me app on their phone (trust me, it makes sense to)

Together, these mean you have a powerful payroll processing machine!

And then you can test it against the "kettle boiling" time..

https://www.progressionaccountancy.co.uk/blog/set-up-xero-payroll

15/04/2026

𝐀𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐥𝐲 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐩𝐚𝐲𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐥 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔/𝟐𝟕 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫? 𝐈𝐟 𝐬𝐨, 𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐏 𝐒𝐂𝐑𝐎𝐋𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐆 & 𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒!

Payroll shouldn't be a compliance chore that eats your Friday afternoon.

It should be a simple process of a few clicks & Bob's your uncle.

If you’re still manually calculating sick pay or emailing out PDFs, you’re working for your software.

And no-one wants that on a Friday afternoon (even uncle Bob).

Your payroll system should be working for you.
It's not just paying people.
It’s the data review.
It’s the automated journals that keep your P&L correct & up-to-date.
It’s filing with HMRC & your pension provider in a couple of clicks.

Make it easy.

As a business owner, your time is the most valuable asset.

If you're spending hours on your payroll, or wasting time going through emails & spreadsheets to find employee hours & requests, here's how to get that all working better ... 🪄

https://www.progressionaccountancy.co.uk/blog/set-up-xero-payroll

26/03/2026

You need to stop confusing "doing the books" with actually managing your business, and you need to do that today.

Just because your bank feed is reconciled doesn't mean your finances are healthy. Most owners use only a fraction of the tools available to them in their accounting software, meaning things aren't always done in the most efficient (or correct) way.

As a business owner, your time is the most valuable asset.

If you're spending hours on the Xero admin, here's how you can make more use of the features readily available to you in your Xero subscription ... 🪄

https://www.progressionaccountancy.co.uk/blog/make-the-most-of-xeros-features