Make a Spreadsheet

Spreadsheets are an essential tool for business because they create well-organized charts. Most spreadsheet programs can also use mathematical formulas to create accurate views of financial information. Follow these steps to make a spreadsheet that is easy to use and read.

Steps

Spreadsheet Programs

1. There are several popular options for spreadsheet programs. Choose from 1 of the following based on your computer and Internet access.
   • Use Microsoft Office's Excel program. This is most commonly used by businesses who buy a license for all of the computers in their office. It is user friendly and there is a large amount of helpful advice for its use available on the Internet.
   • Download Apache Open Office. This is the open source spreadsheet program based in many ways on Microsoft Excel. Many of the Excel tutorials can help you use Open Office Calc. The program is free for personal use.
   • Use Google Docs/Drive spreadsheet program. If you want cloud access to your spreadsheet or multiple users who can edit, then this is the best choice. This is a free service associated with your Google account. Go to Google.com/Drive
   • Use Apple's iWork program. The spreadsheet program is called "Numbers." It may not be as powerful of a program as other spreadsheets, but it will work for most people who are using them for personal use.

Spreadsheet Data

1. Identify a reason for a spreadsheet. This can be anything from finances, like a budget, to inventory to tracking completed work. The success of your spreadsheet will depend upon how clear and useful it is.
   • If you need to make a spreadsheet about something that is new to you, you can also search online for an Excel template for your subject. You can also look under the "File" heading and see if there is a "Template" option.
2. Get the data ready for input. You may need to gather receipts, log books and other information at your desk, in order to complete your spreadsheet.

Spreadsheet Set Up

1. Open a new spreadsheet. Click "New" or "Create" in most programs.
   • If you see the need to have a description section, you can leave several rows of space below the title for other descriptive areas.
2. Place a title for the spreadsheet on the first row of the spreadsheet, starting on line A1. You can return later to format this and merge cells.
3. Choose your headers on the top of each column. Make sure to be accurate and use common sense, so that you do not confuse the reader.
   • Try listing your metrics that you would like to track after you have gathered data and before you start inputting it into the spreadsheet. You may choose headers like date, product, expense, cost, budgeted cost, savings, discount or vendor.
   • Make sure that the left most column identifies the line item that you will use to separate and fill in the spreadsheet. It is how you will break down the spreadsheet into meaningful rows.
   • For example, if you are doing a budget, you might include the category of expense in the left column. Then, you can input cost information in the other columns or month information. If you are tracking sales from sales reps, then the left column may be "Sales Rep Name."
4. Add a "Total" column at the end of the rows and/or end of the columns.
   • If you are totaling your expenses for a month, you would want a row labeled "Total" below the spreadsheet, where you can add up items in the columns. If you are totaling the sales reps contributions, you may place a column at the end of the other columns that will total up sales.
5. Enter your data line by line into your spreadsheet. Leave the Total columns blank for the time being.

Spreadsheet Formatting

1. Format your headers so that they are easier to read. Highlight all of the first row. Choose "Font" or "Formatting" and click "Bold," to make the headers bigger.
   • Highlight your title. Choose a font size and formatting, such as bold or italic, to make it stand out.
2. Align your data. Select all of the cells in your worksheet. Click the right align button to place your data at the right most part of your cell.
   • You can also choose to align it to the center or to the left. Right align is most commonly used with spreadsheets.
3. Go to the File menu and choose "Page Setup." Click on "Landscape" if your spreadsheet is wide and keep it on "Profile" if your spreadsheet is tall. This will allow your reader to see more on 1 page.
4. Select all of the data in your spreadsheet. Click on "Format" and choose "Cells."
   • Choose the "Number" tab to identify certain cells as those containing dates, numbers or currency. Format the cells to "number" if you want to include math formulas in your spreadsheet.
   • Scroll through each of the tabs to change the border lines, fill, shading, font and more. Experiment with the different options to learn how to improve the look of the spreadsheet.

Basic Spreadsheet Formulas

1. Return to the "Totals" column, once you are finished formatting the cells as "numbers."
2. Click on the cell where you want to place a total gathered from the data you have already entered.
3. Enter an equals sign to indicate you want to start a function.
4. Choose from the list of equations you would like to perform, such as sum (for addition or subtraction) or multiplication.
5. Choose your data range that you want to add together, if you are using the "Sum" function.
   • This will be the cell, such as C4, where the data starts and continue to the end of the data. It will appear like this "(C4:C12)" to express the addition of a large range of cells. Subtraction is written as the addition of a negative number.
6. Choose different cells that you want to multiply or divide together, if you want to do this type of equation.
   • To multiply, enter the first cell, then an asterisk, then the second cell. If you want to divide, enter the first cell, then a backslash, then the second cell.
7. Press "Enter" to finish your equation. The spreadsheet should automatically do the math.
8. Enter other equations in other total columns. You can also create a sum of totals at the end of the column.

Sample Spreadsheets

Doc:Budget Proposal Spreadsheet,Shopping List Spreadsheet,Profit and Loss Spreadsheet

Tips

• Spreadsheets are powerful programs where you can input graphs, tables and complicated mathematical equations. Consider taking an intermediate spreadsheet class after you have mastered these basics, so that you can improve your spreadsheets.

Things You'll Need

• Data
• Spreadsheet title
• Spreadsheet headers
• Spreadsheet program (Excel, Open Office Calc, iWork Numbers or Google Docs)

Sources and Citations

• http://chandoo.org/wp/2010/08/05/better-spreadsheets-12-rules/
• http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/excel-help/get-to-know-excel-2010-create-your-first-spreadsheet-RZ101773335.aspx
• http://designshack.net/articles/graphics/how-to-make-your-spreadsheets-less-lame/

See also

• Use Google Spreadsheets
• Read and Interpret a Spread Sheet
• Edit the Contents of a Spreadsheet Cell
• Create an XL Worksheet for Continued Fractions
• Create a Graph Using a Spreadsheet
• Add a Column in a Pivot Table
• Create a Spirallic Numbers Dataset
• Do Cost Volume Profit Analysis
• Bulldog Through an Intellectually Simple Problem
• Use the Newton Raphson Method of Quickly Finding Roots

Read more ...

What links here

• Open a Checking Account
• Sell Your House Using a Lease Option
• Follow Up After a Career Fair