Xero set up properly, and numbers you can read.
Most owners end up with Xero installed but not working for them: feeds half-connected, a chart of accounts that means nothing, reports they never open. Annabel sets it up the way a Finance Director would and then shows you how to use it. Sixteen years of in-business experience, AAT Licensed, and a reply within one working day.
- A chart of accounts built around the decisions you actually make
- Bank feeds, invoicing and your app stack connected and working
- A training session so you can read your own numbers
- A clean migration from spreadsheets, QuickBooks, Sage or FreeAgent
No long-term contract. There is a three-month settling-in period, and if it is not working after that, you leave with Xero set up and clean books, nothing owed.
Get a free quote
Fees scoped to your situation. Reply within one working day, from Annabel.
What our clients say
★★★★★
Understand Your Business Finances
“Her energy, passion, and genuine desire to help people understand their business finances really shine through in everything she does.”
★★★★★
Easy Even If You Don’t Speak Accounts
“Her step-by-step guidance and clear communication made everything easy to follow, even for someone who does not naturally “speak accounts.””
★★★★★
Set My Mind at Ease
“The support and advice I have had has been extremely helpful and has set my mind at ease knowing that any problems or queries I have will be handled.”
★★★★★
Meticulously Thorough, Saved Me Thousands
“She has fixed so many lazy, unprofessional mistakes by my old accountant by being so meticulously thorough, offering amazing business advice & has saved me thousands!”
Xero installed, but not actually working for you?
You bought Xero because everyone said to, but it has never really earned its place. The feeds keep breaking, the categories were set up by someone who did not know your business, and the reports do not tell you anything you can act on. So you still check the bank balance and hope for the best.
- Bank feeds dropping out and transactions sitting uncategorised for weeks
- A chart of accounts that lumps everything together and tells you nothing
- Reports you never open because they do not answer your questions
What Xero looks like when it is set up right
Set up the way a Finance Director would set it up: structured so the numbers answer the questions you actually ask. Then a training session so you can find those answers yourself, without ringing anyone.
- Bank feeds connected and reconciling, so your books stay current
- A chart of accounts built around how your business actually earns and spends
- Reports that show margin, cash and where the money goes
- Fees scoped to your situation and fixed up front, no surprises
What owners say once they can read the numbers
A properly set up system only matters if you can use it. These two started out unsure of the numbers and ended up in control of them.
Working with Annabel has been fantastic. She has made the whole process of changing accountants so smooth and stress-free. Her step-by-step guidance and clear communication made everything easy to follow, even for someone who does not naturally “speak accounts.” Annabel’s energy, passion, and genuine desire to help people understand their business finances really shine through in everything she does. Her support and knowledge have been superb, and I now see her as a vital part of my business and its continued growth. Thank you, Annabel, for all your help; you truly live up to your company name!
I have recently had the pleasure of the wonderful service of Annabel, appointed as my bookkeeper and accountant. Having never been self employed or a limited company before, the support and advice I have had has been extremely helpful and has set my mind at ease knowing that any problems or queries I have will be handled or answered. Friendly, supportive and very quick to respond to any queries or sort advice. I would 100% recommend.
What the Xero setup covers
Everything needed to go from a blank or broken Xero file to a system you can actually run your business on, and then a session to show you how.
A Chart of Accounts That Means Something
Your accounts structured around the decisions you make, not a generic default. Drawn from Annabel’s time as a Finance Director, so the categories line up with how your business earns, spends and reports. The result is numbers you can read at a glance.
Core setupFeeds, Invoicing and Your App Stack
Bank feeds connected and reconciling, invoicing set up so it looks right and chases itself, and the right apps linked in. Whether that is a payment processor, a stock tool or a payroll feed, it is joined up and talking to Xero.
Connected and workingA Training Session for You
A walkthrough built around your file, not a generic Xero tutorial. You learn where to find the figures that matter, how to raise an invoice and how to read your own reports. You leave able to answer your own questions.
So you can use itOwners who now understand their own numbers
Across start-ups, switchers and growing businesses, the common thread is the same: clear explanations and advice they can actually act on.
Fixed My Old Accountant’s Mistakes
“She has fixed so many lazy, unprofessional mistakes by my old accountant by being so meticulously thorough, offering amazing business advice & has saved me thousands!”
Made Changing Accountants Smooth and Stress-Free
“She has made the whole process of changing accountants so smooth and stress-free. Her step-by-step guidance and clear communication made everything easy to follow.”
Set My Mind at Ease From Day One
“Having never been self employed or a limited company before, the support and advice I have had has been extremely helpful and has set my mind at ease.”
Set up by someone who has run the numbers, not just filed them
There is a difference between installing Xero and setting it up so a business owner can lead from it. Annabel has done the second, from the inside.
Set Up Like a Finance Director Would
Annabel spent sixteen years inside growing businesses, including as a Finance Director. The chart of accounts and reports are built around the decisions you make, not a template. So the system answers commercial questions, not just compliance ones.
A Clean Move Off Your Old System
Migration from spreadsheets, QuickBooks, Sage or FreeAgent handled properly, with opening balances that reconcile. You do not end up with two sets of half-right figures. The handover is done by us, not left on your plate.
You Leave Able to Use It
The training session is plain English and built around your own file. You learn where the numbers live and how to read them, so you are not dependent on anyone to check your own business. Which is, frankly, the point of cloud accounting.
Up and running in four steps
From a free call to a Xero file you can actually use, with most of the work handled by us.
Free Discovery Call
A free 20 to 30 minute call. Annabel asks how your business works and what you need the numbers to tell you. No scripts, no pitch deck.
A Scoped Proposal
A clear fee for the setup and training, scoped to your situation and agreed up front. No published price list and no surprises, just a fixed figure before any work starts.
We Build and Migrate
We set up the chart of accounts, connect the feeds and apps, and migrate your data from spreadsheets, QuickBooks, Sage or FreeAgent. You hand over access and we do the work.
You Can Read Your Own Numbers
After the training session you can raise invoices, check margin and read your own reports. The guessing stops, and you always know roughly where you stand.
“I 100% trust Annabel & she proves time & time again why it was the best move for my business to switch to her. I highly recommend her to anyone who is looking for someone who genuinely cares, who is meticulously thorough & offers great advice!”
Common questions about Xero setup
Can you migrate my data from QuickBooks, Sage, FreeAgent or spreadsheets?
Yes. Migration from any of those is part of the service, with opening balances that reconcile so you are not left with two sets of figures that half agree. We handle the move rather than leaving it to you. The aim is a clean starting point you can trust.
What does the setup and training cost?
Fees are scoped to your situation and agreed on the free discovery call, then fixed before any work starts. The size of the job depends on how many feeds and apps you need connected and how much data is being migrated. There is no published price list, so you get a figure specific to you, not a tier you have to fit into.
My current bookkeeping is a mess. Can you still set Xero up properly?
Yes, and it is a common starting point. If there is a backlog or errors to clear before Xero can be set up cleanly, that catch-up work is scoped separately so you can see exactly what it involves. You end up with tidy historical figures and a system that stays current.
Am I tied in after the setup?
No. There is no long-term contract. If you take on ongoing work there is a three-month settling-in period, after which either side can walk away with clean books and nothing outstanding. The Xero file is yours either way.
Do I need to be in Dorset to work with you?
No. The whole setup, migration and training is done remotely via Xero, video and phone. Annabel is based in Bournemouth and works with clients across Dorset, Hampshire and the wider UK. Location makes no difference to how it is done.
Will Xero actually show me whether I am making money?
That is the point of setting it up properly. With a chart of accounts built around how your business earns and spends, the reports show margin and where the cash goes, not just a bank balance. If you want that turned into monthly management accounts, Annabel delivers those within five working days of month close.
Stop guessing from the bank balance.
Book a free call and tell Annabel how your business works. You get Xero set up the way a Finance Director would set it up, plus a session so you can read your own numbers.