Xero Blog

Three ways to optimise your invoices and get paid faster with Xero and Stripe

This guest blog post is written by Satya Tammareddy. Satya currently leads the APAC SaaS Platforms team at Stripe, working closely with SaaS businesses that provide payments and other financial infrastructure to their customers. Prior to Stripe, Satya worked at Dropbox, where she was the company’s first hire in APAC. She previously co-founded an online travel company and worked in investment banking earlier in her career. read more

Worldwide holidays: Guardian writers share their tips – and you can too

While road-tripping around California, my boyfriend and I treated ourselves to a night at an architectural gem on the northern coastline of Mendocino. A couple of hours’ drive up stunning Highway 1 from San Francisco, it is the perfect escape from the city.

In 1963, architect Al Boeke set out his vision for this area of exceptional natural beauty: living in harmony with the land and zoning out from the stresses everyday life. The result is a minimalist village perched above the sea, with each building adhering to a wood-and-shingle design, in keeping with the rugged surroundings. The design of Sea Ranch Lodge, a hotel that was included in the original development, is part Scandinavian eco-home, part James Bond pad. Its acclaimed restaurant serves locally sourced produce, including wine from nearby Sonoma vineyards. There is a magic about the isolation of Sea Ranch. Maybe it is the dramatic Pacific coast fog, all-encompassing on an early morning walk along the 7½ mile cliff-top trail. Bleak has never been so beautiful.
• +1 707 785 2371, searanchlodge.com. Rooms from around £150 in summer, including breakfast at the restaurant
Sarah Phillips read more

Winter Vacation Pack List @ Hokkaido, Japan

When I went to Hokkaido in January, where it snows almost everyday in winter (average temperature in January is -12 to -4 degree Celsius), I decided to write a blog on how to pack for this crazy cold weather. For those you who don’t know, Hokkaido is Japan’s second largest island and is at the northernmost of Japan. Anywhere close to the North Pole is pretty cold in winter, and still people take advantage of this, since winter is a great season for many people that like to walk around in the snow with their coats, or practice sports like snowboarding or skiing with equipment from sites as myproscooter.com and do many other winter activities. read more

Wineries of Colchagua Valley [Chile]

One of Chile’s most iconic wine valleys is Colchagua Valley. The wineries of Colchagua Valley are numerous, and, I must admit, Chilean wines are some of the best we’ve tasted in our travels.

Michael and I were staying in Santiago for a few days before embarking on a cruise through Chile, Argentina, the Falkland Islands, and Antarctica. Since I love my wine, I just had to take advantage of the wine tours offered. We booked a tour to Colchagua Valley with Uncorked Tours. The drive through Colchagua Valley reminded me of being back in Tuscany. The scenery was stunning and the grape vines endless! read more

Winter Driving Safety Tips for New Jersey Drivers

If you live in Teaneck or elsewhere in New Jersey, then you are no stranger to snow. In fact, according to records maintained by the Office of the New Jersey Climatologist at Rutgers University, a March snowstorm last year dumped between five and nine inches on the Garden State in just a single day. read more

Winter Sports Ski Insurance

Winter sports ski insurance – Don’t hit the slopes without it!

Winter sports travel insurance is not usually at the front of your mind when arranging your ski trip.

We’ve all done it, there’s always something that travellers manage to forget when going for their holidays overseas. Whether it’s those pesky travel adapters or more important things like passports. We’ve all been in that mad panic at the airport or after having arrived at our holiday destination. Whatever you forget on or before your travels this winter, do not let it be winter sports travel insurance. read more