Struggling with Excel? 3 tips and tutorials to help you out

Ah, Excel. It’s been around since the ’80s, yet it can still stump many of us. There’s a lot to learn, from creating complex formulas to navigating pivot tables.

So, where do you turn? You can buy a paid course, which will give you a lot of bang for your buck, but you can also start smaller — and free.

Here are a few resources to get you started. This tip is sponsored by Oracle NetSuite, the world’s No. 1 cloud business system.

1. Clean up your data

The first rule of Excel: The cleaner your data, the better. There are countless ways typos, spaces and odd characters can gum up the works. Tap or click here for a great resource from Microsoft: The top ways to clean up your data. You’ll find a list of the most common mistakes and steps for cleaning them up.

2. Watch some high-quality tutorials

Seeing a program in use is much easier than reading about it. YouTube is great for this, and many high-quality channels are out there. MotionTraining has a great beginner’s series and videos that cover all the basics. TeachExcel is a popular channel with 169,000 subscribers and quick videos on just about anything you want to be done in Excel.

3. Find templates to do the work for you

There are lots of pre-made templates you can download right from Microsoft. Downloading from the source is nice because you know they are safe to use and will get the job done. Tap or click to see Microsoft’s offerings, from nutritional recipe calculators to finance balance sheets.

Bonus: For your financials, move to software that makes the job easy.

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5 free alternatives to Microsoft Excel

When Excel first hit the market, businesses flocked to use it for their management needs. But it’s far from the only option. There are many free alternatives to Microsoft Excel you should know about.

Many people are so married to Excel they won’t consider other spreadsheets. At first glance, it seems like the perfect one-stop-shop for scheduling, accounting, compiling data, tracking sales and more. Tap or click here for three tips and tutorials that help you make the most out of Excel.

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Don't make this big mistake e-commerce companies often make

It’s a great time to sell online. Last year, many people didn’t want to venture out of their homes to shop at physical stores. That’s why they used online stores to get their essentials.

Statista studies found over 2 billion people bought goods or services online in 2020. Not only that, but sellers made 4.2 trillion U.S. dollars in e-retail sales worldwide. Good news: The online shopping gold rush is nowhere near stopping.

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