A few weeks ago, I had the honor of being interviewed by Elaine Pofeldt with Forbes Magazine, an opportunity that came through the wonderful team at Xero. Sitting down to talk about what it's really like to run a small purpose driven family business in today's economy got me reflecting on why I continue to use Xero Accounting software. Through all the changes over the years, in our lives and in our business, from Covid to the economy to the rising cost of goods, we've kept going. And one of the things that's made that possible is having tools I can truly count on.
If you've met me, you know my days are full. I've raised three active boys while building a growing salsa business with a drive to give back to animal conservation. Some days I'm a mom, a CEO, a shipping clerk, and a salsa maker all before lunch. In a life like that, I don't have time to wrestle with complicated software. I need uncomplicated tools I can count on.
When the boys and I started 3SonsFoods, we didn’t have a plan. People would ask me what our business plan was and I would reply with “MAKE SALSA, SELL SALSA, SAVE RHINOS” The fact that our salsa is sold in over 1500 stores through the US is a miracle, because I really was just running on gut instinct and prayer in the beginning. But we kept taking steps forward, and sometimes those steps lead me into failing face-first into a pile of……well you get it. I have learned many lessons through mistakes.
Xero has been a part of our path and I am grateful I was lucky to find this accounting software when I did. I have learned while building our business, how important it is to evaluate data to go along with my gut instincts. In the middle of an ordinary business day, or on my phone while I'm waiting in line at UPS or on my laptop on my lap while eating a quick dinner I can dump everything into Xero: receipts, signed BOLs, supporting paperwork, our bank feeds are automated, I can create invoices, and link bills to our purchase orders in real time. Then I can pull reports from a dozen different angles and actually see where we stand. It takes my gut instinct and gives it real information to stand on. Instead of guessing, I can make a confident, educated decision; and for a small business owner, that is everything.
This past year is the perfect example. Our costs were climbing, and I needed to know exactly where to cut business expenses and where to lean in. Xero showed me and as a result we trimmed our overall operating costs by about 16%, shifted our marketing plan and our online sales more than tripled this spring. I could never have made those calls with confidence if I couldn't see our numbers clearly.
But maybe the biggest thing Xero gives me isn't a number at all. It's peace of mind.
Running a small business comes with tremendous pressure, and as a mom, my plate is already full. Xero brings my stress level down. It's reliable, it's easy, and it's uncomplicated, the bank feeds reliably pull everything in, reconciliation that used to eat an entire afternoon now takes minutes, and my bookkeeper and I are always looking at the same live numbers. That means my energy can go where it belongs: into the salsa, our customers, and our mission.
Because at the end of the day, we're not just making salsa. Every jar of Diablo gives back to animal conservation Knowing our numbers cold is what makes that giving possible. You can't do good in the world if you're not running a healthy business.
So thank you, Xero, for making that part of my life simpler, and thank you to Elaine Pofeldt and Forbes for letting us share our family's story! We're proud to be a small business that runs lean, gives back, and gets to spend more time on what matters most..... family.
Eat Diablo, Save the Wild.
