pro · Lesson 3 · 10 min
Onboarding a client file
Conversion balances, opening invoices, bank starting position, users, and a lock. A pretty COA on a rotten open is still rotten.
Dotted words have a reminder. Hover on a computer, tap on a phone.
From earlier
- COA
- TB
- AR
- AP
- lock date
Pick a go-live date
First day of a month, after a bank rec, with a trial balance from the old system. Bring across: COA, contacts, open invoices, open bills, bank/card/loan balances, and (if you must) prior-year comparatives. Historical transaction-by-transaction conversion is expensive and lossy; most small files don’t need it.
The opening rec
Xero conversion balances plus outstanding AR/AP must still satisfy Assets = Liabilities + Equity. Then the first bank rec: statement opening balance in Xero must equal the bank, and unreconciled checks/deposits from the old system need to exist as spend/receive money dated pre-go-live so they can match when they clear.
Users, roles, bank feeds
Invite the owner as a user who cannot unlock periods if you can help it. Connect bank feeds with the owner present (2FA). Set tax rates, invoice branding, repeating items, document-capture publishing, and the first lock date (the day before go-live). Document the capitalization threshold and the sales-tax position in a one-page engagement note.
Check
Choices shuffle each visit. Misses send you back to the section. Look back clears the quiz so you can try again. Practice drills deal a new problem on try-again.
Choose an answer, then check.
This try
After conversion, AR on the balance sheet should equal:
Practice this
Stay in the flow — open a drill without backing out to the list.