Increase Business Efficiency With Microsoft Excel

Running an office requires a basic knowledge of several software packages and spreadsheets are one of the most useful software products you can learn. Even if you don't get to the expert level, just the simple basics will make a dramatic difference in your ability to manage and control your business. There are other spreadsheet programs on the market, but Microsoft Excel or the Open Office equivalent is far and away the proverbial 800 lb. gorilla. Kind of like Google is when you talk about search engines.

What's In a Spreadsheet?

A spreadsheet is comprised of cells in rows and columns that make an electronic grid where you can add numerical data of any kind - dates, currency, percentages, or just plain ol' numbers. If you want to stay in business, you must find a way to manage the varying types of numbers and figures of every aspect of your business. Unless you have a huge client base, most of your basic tracking and accounting could be done in a spreadsheet if you have some basic skills to set it up. As your business grows and you see an increase in the number of customers and perhaps inventory, it's time to consider migrating your figures to a true accounting software.

Here are some common uses of a spreadsheet for your business:

Tracking expenses
Recording new sales
A record of prices
Cash flow projections
Keeping track of job times
Tracking commissions due and paid

The Uses Are Limited Only By Your Imagination

As you read this list, I'm sure your wheels are turning, and you're already thinking of many other ways you could use a spreadsheet. I own a voice messaging company and my "inventory" is phone numbers. My accounting software had no good way for me to tie a list of phone numbers to a particular client, especially when they added numbers, deleted numbers, etc., as the employees changed.

One of the first spreadsheets I ever learned to make was to keep track of what numbers were assigned to which customer. That was 17 years ago, and I still use that same spreadsheet. Running my business without it is unimaginable. I have another useful spreadsheet that tracks my recurring revenue. There is a certain element involved in this rather complex business that just isn't handled the way I prefer in my accounting software, so a spreadsheet does the trick for me.

Text can be added to a spreadsheet as well as charts, graphs and even pictures. Next to Word, Microsoft Excel is, no doubt, one of the programs I use the very most!

Formulas such as the basics of math, i.e., addition, substraction, multiplication and division can be set in motion once you've entered your data. To see what would happen if...just change the number in one cell and watch the magic take place. It's a great way to dream of "what if..." and actually see the numbers come to life.


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If you click on http://MakeExcelWork.com you'll find that you can download a free 10-page report on Microsoft Office Tips. I think you'll really like what you see.