Hugh Bowman coach

Today I want to talk about something I see way too often in tradie businesses what I call The Great Xero Addiction. 

Here’s the pattern: A small trade business grows to the point where they put on an admin person. The biggest pain point for the business owner at that stage is often the accounting system (usually Xero or QuickBooks) so that becomes the admin’s primary focus. Makes sense, right? 

But as the business grows, the admin role grows too. They start picking up the phone, managing a job management system like ServiceM8 or Simpro, scheduling the team, and handling materials. Yet despite all that, many admins stay heavily focused on Xero. It becomes their comfort zone and the thing they default to even if it’s not the most valuable use of their time. 

That’s where the problem lies. 

In a growing business, answering the phone can be the difference between winning and losing a job. Managing scheduling and ensuring jobs are run profitably is crucial. Staying on top of materials and adding variations matters too. But Xero? That’s mostly about managing expenses and while it’s important, it’s something you can outsource to a great bookkeeper (I know of a great one if you need a recommendation!).  

So if you’ve got an admin person who’s glued to Xero while other key areas are slipping, it might be time to rethink the structure of the role. Either pull Xero off their plate or train them to prioritise tasks that actually move the needle in your business. 

Need help figuring out how to make that work in your business? Contact me, I’d be happy to chat through it with you. 0409 402 474