Client Background

A small business approached me with a problem: they were spending hours every week manually exporting financial data from Xero to build Power BI reports. It was a repetitive task, prone to mistakes, and took up time they could spend on running their business.

They didn’t want to pay for expensive third-party tools, so I suggested a solution that was low-cost, flexible, and fully automated: n8n + Google Sheets + Python.

The Problem

Before automation, the client was:

• Manually exporting reports from Xero every week

• Copying data into Google Sheets

• Refreshing Power BI dashboards manually

This process took 2–3 hours each time, and mistakes could easily slip in due to copy-paste errors or missed steps.

My Approach

Here’s how I automated everything with n8n/Google Sheets/Power BI

Connected to Xero using n8n

I used OAuth2 in n8n to securely connect to Xero’s API. I pulled data from:

• Invoices

• Bank Summary

• Profit & Loss reports

Processed data with Python

Within n8n, I added a custom Python function to clean and reformat the data (for example: flattening JSON, fixing numbers, standardizing dates).

Sent data to Google Sheets

Once processed, the data was pushed directly into Google Sheets, which served as a data source for Power BI.

The flow runs everyday

The Result

• No more manual exports — the workflow runs automatically

• Instant updates — Google Sheets always has the latest data

• Cost savings — no need for premium tools

• Power BI dashboard stays up-to-date with no human involvement

Tools Used

• n8n – Automation tool

• Xero API – to access financial data

• Python – for custom data processing inside n8n

• Google Sheets – lightweight and flexible storage

• Power BI – to create and share financial dashboards

If you’re a small business using Xero and Power BI, this setup is a great way to automate financial reporting without paying for costly connectors. With just a bit of setup, your reports can update themselves every day — no manual work needed.