Xero is connecting more than 100,000 business advisors with its new partner program and advisory directory.

Doug LaBahn the global VP of Partner Marketing at Xero, says the Xero Partner Program reflects their deep commitment to helping small businesses grow and be more productive by connecting every small business to an advisor.

“It's designed entirely around giving our partners the right tools to help them be successful, by providing tools and services which will differentiate their practices and offer more value and excellent service to their new and existing clients,” he explains.

The new Advisor Directory will help connect Xero-certified partners with small businesses searching for an advisor.

“Xero Signals research tells us that small businesses who use an accountant grow their net profit 23% faster than those who do not,” adds LaBahn.

“Today, Xero is connecting over 89% of small businesses to advisors, and 29% to apps in our App Marketplace ecosystem. We know that every connection on our platform increases the success of small businesses and helps our Xero partners grow their practice.

Revamped to take advantage of the AWS platform and AI, the new chatbot feature will have the potential to connect millions of small businesses to advisors using social media.

“Connecting the millions of small businesses on Facebook Messenger with advisors, Xero's Chatbot, will open up a huge opportunity for the industry from within Advisor Directory,” explains LaBahn.

“With our chatbot, we can connect these businesses with the right advisor using Facebook messenger. For our partners, it's a seamless way to be found and will help millions of small businesses be more productive, get the advice they need to grow and create jobs.

According to Xero, its new Advisor Directory is also designed with new geo-sensing features to showcase partners that operate within the area the small business is situated.

With Xero's new Partner Program, Xero advisors can earn a higher status to unlock new benefits.

Partners receive points for growing with Xero by adding new clients, being invited in to collaborate with clients as a financial advisor, and expanding into the Xero product suite so partners can grow at a faster pace, and unlock more benefits.

There will also be new ways for partners to earn points through Xero Cashbook, Xero Payroll, Xero Premium edition and Xero Ledger.