Automating Financial Reporting for a Small Business Using n8n, Xero, and Google Sheets
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.