Spreadsheets for Business – Using Excel to Help with your Small Business Questions

If you’re just starting with Microsoft Excel, you may feel overwhelmed by the sheer number of options available at first glance. The good news is that these programs and their functions will start to make sense after using them for just a few minutes. Once you get your footing, you’ll be able to take advantage of all of the great features that Microsoft Excel offers and become an Excel pro in no time! Here are some tips and tricks to help you become an Excel master.

1. Master the Shortcuts

2. Import Data from a Website

You’ll also need to know how to import data from a website. If you’re not sure how here’s how! Open your spreadsheet, go to File -> Import, and select From Web. Paste in the URL of the webpage with your data, select what columns you want to import, enter any filters that you might want (optional), then click on Import.

3. Filter Your Results

1) Select any cell within the column or row you want to filter by.

2) Click on Data > Filter > Create New Filter

3) Type in the condition (e.g., is greater than) and set your parameters (e.g., 10).

4) Click OK when you’ve finished creating your new filter to apply it.

When working with large data sets in Excel, finding the information you’re looking for can be challenging. That’s where the filter function comes in handy. By using filters, you can quickly and easily narrow down your results to only show the data that meets your criteria. Here’s how to use filters in Excel:

4. Calculate the Sum

The SUM function in Excel is one of the most commonly used functions. It allows you to quickly add up a range of cells. To use the SUM function, select the cell you want the sum to appear in and then type =SUM( followed by the range of cells you want to add up. If you want to calculate the sum of a row or column, select that row or column before using the SUM function.

5. AutoCorrect and AutoFill

AutoCorrect is a great way to ensure your data is entered correctly and consistently. Simply type in the first few letters of what you want AutoCorrect to change, hit Enter, and then choose the option you want from the drop-down menu. AutoFill is another tremendous time-saving tool that can populate cells with data based on patterns you enter. For example, say you have an address list that’s easy to create if you know the first letter of each person’s last name. With AutoFill, all you need to do is start typing A, and Excel will automatically fill in all the A’s for each row—no need to manually enter them one by one!

In a nutshell, becoming a spreadsheet master is all about breaking down your work into easy-to-follow steps. You don’t need to be an expert to become proficient in using Excel. Just keep practicing! The more you do it, the better you’ll get. It may take some time before you are confident enough to automate your spreadsheets, but if you keep learning and trying new things – then soon enough, those times will come when you can automate them like a pro!