How familiar are you with Excel? While most professional people have a basic idea of what it is, and may even have dabbled inside the spreadsheet software when pushed, many are happy to leave it to the accountants. Independent entrepreneurs, in particular, may shy away from Excel because it seems like a steep learning curve – and certainly not the most fun part of setting up your dream business.
This is a shame, because Excel was built to be usable, and anybody with experience in Microsoft’s other office software already has a head-start in the Excel interface. And it is particularly a shame for small business owners, since this “Swiss Army knife” program can do a lot more than keep accounts.
Need a time-card system? Try Excel. Looking for a straightforward way to create editable vacation schedules? Excel. How about an assets inventory that tracks the depreciation of your equipment? Excel can help you keep track of and predict the fluctuating value of your fleet. Making simple, accurate, professional invoices? Well, you’ve got the idea by now.
Oh yeah, and about those accounts. With just a bit of human input at the start, Excel auto-magics the whole thing for you. To get started, take a look at this new visual guide to the hidden uses of Excel for star-up owners.
