With over 20 years of experience in the painting and decorating industry, there was one part of his job that Paul Walden always dreaded: the routine admin that kept him stuck at a desk in the evening, after a busy day at work. He previously used desktop accounting software – which was clunky and time-consuming. “As soon as I opened it up it was a case of, ‘yeah I'm not going there!’ I would procrastinate with paperwork, receipts and things like that,” he says.

In 2019 Paul — whose business offers premium decorating services, specialising in high-end luxury wallpapers — got a new accountant. She suggested he use Xero cloud accounting software to manage his business. ”Now we've got Xero, it's just fabulous. It's just really simple to use and just so user-friendly.”

He especially likes having all his information in one place, with easy-to-view real-time data on his finances. Another huge benefit is the ability to do routine admin tasks on the go. Mobile invoicing has cut down on paperwork and means Paul gets paid faster, too. “With Xero, I can invoice customers there and then, on the job.” Hours can be erratic in Paul’s job and the last thing he wants is to be doing extra work when he gets home. “Having Xero on board is great because we haven't got to worry about all that paperwork in the evening. We’re saving hours. It's given us back our quality of life, rather than sitting at a desk and constantly working through figures.”

More free time means more time for Paul and his partner Simone — who is Head of Marketing and Communication for the business — to do the things they love, like exploring the local coastline near their home on the Isle of Wight. Or upcycling furniture — a hobby they hope to one day turn into a revenue stream. Paul’s confident that as the business grows, Xero will be there to support it. “It's just a fantastic package and we’re very happy to have Xero on board to help us to do what we do best.”