Ready to learn about the latest business innovations and hear from other Trailblazers? We thought so, and the timing is perfect, with Salesforce World Tour Sydney 2022 only a few days away. Get ready to celebrate success face-to-face at the ICC, Sydney.
During the event, you’ll hear from a range of exciting Trailblazers on topics like sustainability, customer engagement and the future of work.
And behind every Trailblazer is a strong set of values that drives their actions. One example is global small business platform Xero – a company whose very success is predicated on helping small businesses succeed. Their software empowers small businesses to quickly and easily digitise their accounting and financial processes.
Xero is driven by the idea that we can make the world better while making business better at the same time, often by combining innovative thinking, a strong purpose, and digital solutions.
Let’s take a look at what this means in practice.
Supporting Others’ Success — Especially During a Crisis
When the pandemic hit in 2020, Xero noted that 75% of its customers were affected by the COVID-19 crisis and 20% were in decline. Some had paused operations indefinitely, while others had pivoted their offerings. With data in hand, the team at Xero focused on creating tangible resources to help their customers navigate the pandemic.
Some of the tactics they took to help their customers stay afloat included:
- Established a business continuity hub, a repository of resources to help their customers sort through the requirements for government assistance programs.
- Built virtual communities where accountants and bookkeepers could learn from each other.
- Innovated their products and offerings to meet new and changing needs, including refined solutions for cash forecasting, tracking and monitoring.
Helped inform government decision makers on the state of small business using Xero’s Small Business Insights to generate specialised metrics from their subscriber base using aggregated and anonymised data.
Keeping Sustainability at the Heart of Everything They Do
When your organisation’s core purpose is built around the idea of empowering other individuals and businesses, it’s not surprising that sustainability would play a sizable role. After all, goals like growth and innovation are impossible without healthy communities and healthy environments.
The team is committed to making a positive impact for people and the planet. In 2019, Xero announced its environmental sustainability program called Net Zero @ Xero and commitment to offset 100% of its carbon emissions each year. Xero has been carbon neutral ever since and in FY20 and FY21, received carbon neutral certification from Climate Active, the Australian Government’s certification body.
Xero also shares these resources with the small businesses they partner with. Recently Xero launched a small business sustainability hub to help educate small businesses on how they can operate in socially and environmentally responsible ways. Since then, Xero has continued to find new and innovative ways to operate more sustainably – to find out more about Xero’s approach, or to hear how other Trailblazers are implementing more efficient and sustainable practices, make sure to join us in-person at Salesforce World Tour Sydney, hosted at the ICC, Sydney.
Connecting Employees and Fostering Innovation
With many of the global team working remotely at any given time, Xero relies on Slack to connect teams and projects. It’s a space to discuss work projects and company initiatives, but also one where colleagues can come together and discuss common interests, like sports results or pets.
But Slack isn’t just their virtual watercooler. It’s a space for innovation, where Xero’s team can rely on automation and open communication to support their customers. For example, Xero’s CX team has a range of channels for specialist groups where they’ve been able to streamline and improve the customer support flow.
Put simply, there’s an understanding that helping customers and industry partners succeed, begins with helping their own employees succeed. Whether it’s fostering connection and care within teams, or simply equipping employees with more efficient solutions and tools for success, Xero’s philosophy of empowering others starts with its people and customers.
Watch the Best of World Tour Sydney on Salesforce+
Xero is one of the many Trailblazers who have shared inspiring lessons during Salesforce World Tour Sydney. Learn more about sustainability, innovation and customer support on Salesforce+.
