Mastering Excel: a Beginner’s Guide to Spreadsheets

Ever felt overwhelmed by Excel? You’re not alone! This powerful tool can seem intimidating, but once you learn the basics, it becomes an essential skill for organizing data, tracking expenses, and automating tasks. By the end, you'll be confidently navigating spreadsheets, using formulas, and making data work for you. Let’s dive in and unlock the magic of Excel!

NOTE: This instruction set is done on Windows.

We recommend using a laptop for this guideline.

If using Windows:

1. Click the Start button (Windows icon) in the bottom-left corner
2. Type Excel in the search bar and select the Excel app
3. Once Excel opens, click File > Open, then browse for a new spreadsheet

Here are some features that make up the Excel workspace:

1. Ribbon: The toolbar at the top with tabs like Home, Insert, Formulas, and Data.
2. Cells: Individual boxes where you enter data, organized by columns (A, B, C...) and rows (1, 2, 3...).
3. Formula Bar: Located above the spreadsheet, where you can enter or edit formulas.
4. Worksheets: Tabs at the bottom that let you switch between different sheets in a workbook.

1. Click on the cell where you want to enter data (Notice a white plus sign hovering? That will be your cursor. Use that as a way to navigate your excel sheet)
2. Type a text or a number
3. Press Enter or Tab to move to the next cell

To format data:

1. Bold (Ctrl + B / Command + B)
2. Highlight cells (Click ‘Fill Color’ in the toolbar)
3. Adjust column width (Double-click the column divider)

Pro Tip: Use Ctrl + Z (Windows) or Command + Z (Mac) to undo mistakes. (the ctrl/command button is a very helpful tool. The ctrl + letter action You can use it as an shortcut for a lot of the tasks you do on excel. Just remember to hold the ctrl button while clicking the letter.)

When working in Excel, formulas help automate calculations, saving time and reducing errors. Here are a few essential formulas for analyzing sales data, or more:

SUM – Calculate Total Sales

The SUM function adds up all the values in a specified range. For example: "=SUM(B2:B10)"

This formula calculates the total by summing all values in column B from rows 2 to 4.

AVERAGE – Find Average Sales

The AVERAGE function determines the mean value of a range of numbers. For example: "=AVERAGE(B2:B10)"

This calculates the average sales in column B.

The IF function performs a logical test and returns different results based on conditions. For example:

"=IF(B2>500, "Above Target", "Below Target")"

This checks if the value in B2 is greater than 500. If true, it returns "Above Target"; otherwise, it returns "Below Target".

Creating a Table for Sales Data

1. Select data range (e.g., "=A1:C10").
2. Click Insert > Table and click structured table
3. Click "My Table has Headers" (you don't have to, but it is recommended to do so)
4. Click OK to create a structured table.

Sorting – Arrange Sales from Highest to Lowest

1. Click any cell in the column you want to sort.
2. Go to Data > Sort, then choose ascending or descending order.

Filtering – View Specific Products

1. Click any cell in your dataset.
2. Go to Data > Filter, then use drop-down arrows to filter results.

1. Click File > Save As to save the document.
2. Choose a format (Excel Workbook .xlsx is recommended).
3. Store the file in an easily accessible location.

With these steps, you can confidently manage sales data, analyze performance, and make informed decisions. Keep practicing and explore more Excel features!