Online Certificate · Business Setup with Xero

How to Get Started Running Your Own Business

Thinking about trading under your own name? The course walks through structures, a plan, the books and Xero. Marketing comes after the core work.

From $29a week on a payment plan
6 Monthsof course access
~80 Hoursof self paced study
XeroAdvisor Certification access
At a Glance

Course Snapshot

Duration6 months access, around 80 hours
CostFrom $29 a week on a payment plan
DeliveryOnline, beginner friendly, self paced
StructureSetup, plan, books, then Xero
AssessmentNo exams, ever
OutcomeCertificate of Achievement
Comes with
  • Sole trader and company structures explained
  • Xero set up from the chart of accounts
  • Optional AI marketing module
  • Ten day money back guarantee
Who It’s For

Why Do This Course

Sort the Boring Bits First

Structure, GST and a plan are what trip people up in year one. Get them right before you trade.

Books You Can Run Yourself

Xero from the chart of accounts to reconciliation, so the books are not a job you dread.

Short Enough to Finish

Around eighty hours. Most people get through it while the idea is still fresh.

Where The Skills Fit

Where These Skills Could Take You

Most of this points at your own ABN rather than someone else's payroll. The skills also travel into setup and systems work for other small businesses.

Startup Founder

Your own small business, set up the right way.

Xero Implementation Specialist

Setting other businesses up on the software.

Business Plan Developer

Writing the plan behind someone else's idea.

Marketing Startup Coordinator

Getting a new business seen in its first year.

Roles where these skills are useful, not promised outcomes. Every role is different, and some need more study or experience. The training here is not nationally recognised. Starting a business carries its own cost and risk, and tax advice belongs with a registered agent.

The Course

What You Cover

Set it up, plan it, then run the numbers.

01
Setting Up and Planning
What kind of business you are, and what you intend to do with it.
Starting Up
Business Types and Structures
Preparing your Business Plan
02
Introduction to Accounting and Bookkeeping
The language of the books, enough to read your own numbers.
Business Types and Structures
What is Accounting?
Transactions and Definitions
Accounts and Definitions
Accounting for Transactions
Accounts and Financial Statements
Introduction to GST
03
Certificate in Xero
The software itself, from setup through to reports.
Introduction to Xero Online
Xero Chart of Accounts
Managing Contacts with Xero
Xero Sales, Invoices, Quotes & Inventory
Xero Purchases and Bills
Reconciliation and Managing Accounts with Xero
Introduction to Xero Reporting
Introduction to Xero Add-ons
04
Certificate in Digital Marketing with AI (optional)
Unlocks after the core work, for getting the first customers in.
Digital Marketing Fundamentals
Content Creation with AI
Google Advertising
Meta (Facebook & Instagram) Advertising
Conversion Rate Optimisation (CRO)
Included

What You’ll Get

Learning

  • 6 months access, around 80 hours of work
  • Xero hands on, setup through to reporting
  • AI marketing, optional, after the core modules
  • No exams, practical tasks instead

Support

  • Tutor support, unlimited in business hours
  • Career Centre, opens the day you enrol
  • Cooling off, ten day period from the start
  • Money back, ten day guarantee from the college
Why This One

What Makes It Different

This is the paperwork half of starting up, done once and done right. Structures, a plan, the ledger and Xero, with an AI marketing module waiting behind the core.

01
Xero Advisor Certification

Access to Xero's own certification comes alongside the course, through the college's Xero partnership.

02
Marketing With AI Included

Google and Meta ads, content with AI, and conversion work, once the core modules are done.

03
No Business Background Needed

It assumes no degree, no prior ownership, and no knowledge of GST or bookkeeping.

The Credentials

What You Walk Away With

Industry Recognised

Certificate of Achievement

Awarded by the college on completion

A Certificate of Achievement

From the college, on completion. It is not nationally recognised, and the college is not a registered training organisation.

Xero Advisor Certification

Xero's own certification, run through Xero rather than the college.

A SEEK Pass Credential

Shared through a link in the learning platform rather than through SEEK.

Getting Started

How It Works

Step one

Ask for the Guide

One form, and nothing to pay to send it.

Step two

Talk About the Idea

An advisor checks the course suits what you are building.

Step three

Enrol

Upfront or weekly, then access opens.

Step four

Pick a Structure

Sole trader or company, decided on module one.

The Investment

How to Get Started

$29 / week
Pay weekly, fortnightly or monthly, or clear it upfront.
No deposit and no credit check
Pay upfront if you prefer
Ten day cooling off period
Ten day money back guarantee
Enquire Now
Good to Know

Common Questions

Do I need a business idea first?

You do not. Working out the shape of it is what the first modules are for.

Do I need to know Xero or GST?

Neither. Both are taught from the beginning, with no bookkeeping assumed.

How long does it take?

Six months of access, and around eighty hours of work.

What does it cost?

From $29 a week on a payment plan. Weekly, fortnightly or monthly, or pay upfront. No deposit and no credit check.

Is the marketing module included?

Yes, and it unlocks once the core modules are finished. Google ads, Meta ads and content with AI.

Can it give me tax advice?

It teaches you to read your own numbers and set up GST correctly. Advice on your own tax position belongs with a registered tax agent.

What recognition does it carry?

You finish with a Certificate of Achievement, and the college is accredited by ICOES and the CPD Standards Office. It is not a registered training organisation, so the training is not nationally recognised. For your own business, what matters is the setup being right.

What if I change my mind?

There is a ten day cooling off period with a money back guarantee. Ask an advisor how it works first.

Delivered By

About the College

The Career Academy is an online college with over fifteen years behind it. It works with more than twenty five thousand students a year. It is a Xero Partner and an MYOB Approved Education Partner.

Online collegeXero PartnerCareer coaching includedUnlimited tutor support
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Picture the first invoice you send under your own business name.

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