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VBA for Macs: A Comprehensive Guide to Unleashing the Power of Excel

Posted on February 15, 2023 by - VBA

excel-vba-for-mac

If you work in an office or if you run your own business, then you will know how to put together a spreadsheet and you may even be able to organise it.

However, when you start dealing with a large amount of data, things can start to get a little muddled fairly quickly. 

If you are using a Mac, you may have wondered if you can unleash the power of Excel if you are not sure what is compatible with your machine.

The good news is that VBAs for Macs can help you to turn large swathes of data into something more manageable. Let’s get started.

What is Excel VBA?

Excel VBA is short for Visual Basic for Applications. The easiest way to explain VBA is that it is the language that Microsoft that allows you to tell the programme what to do.

You do this by creating macros (or macroinstructions) which are essentially instructions for Excel. These formulas are characters that fulfil a function when you input them into your sheet. 

VBA can be used across the full range of Microsoft Office programmes, but it can be particularly useful in Excel. In short, VBA gives you the power to make your own solutions and alter your sheets as you want.

excel vba for MAC

VBA Editor or VB Editor?

VBA editor (or VB editor) is a separate programme from Excel, although it is part of it. You will need to download VB Editor if you want to use VBA.

Every time you create and save a macro, it will be stored in VB Editor, or you can create one directly in there if you want. You can edit it any time you want, and it is kept separate from your worksheet so only you have access to it. 

Create your own Excel Macros in Visual Basic for Applications.

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Does VBA Work on Macs?

The short answer to this question is “yes, depending on what you’re using.” Macs come with their own version of Excel, which is called Numbers.

In many ways, Numbers is similar to Excel, but macros don’t work on it. Therefore, if you don’t have Excel, you can’t use Macros.

This is because VBA works on Microsoft office suite products. However, if you have Microsoft Excel on your Mac, then VBA should work perfectly fine. 

how to get excel vba on a MAC

How to Get VBA on Your Mac

If your Mac has Excel, then you will be able to get VBA and start creating Macros to handle your tasks, automate functions and start handling large quantities of data.

Here are the steps that you will need to take. 

  1. Download Microsoft Excel onto your Mac.
  2. Find the Developer tab by clicking Preferences on the Excel menu.
  3. Click the Ribbon in Sharing and Privacy and find Developer in the Customize section.
  4. Check that you have the Developer tab on your toolbar and click on it.
  5. Find the Visual Basic group on the Developer tab and click Editor.

Clicking on the Editor section will open up the Microsoft Visual Basic editor, and this is where you can get started entering and editing code. It will be blank at first, so don’t worry!

How to Use VBA on Macs

Macros are at the core of VBA regardless of whether you are using a Mac, a Microsoft machine, or any other computer.

The good news is that it is working on a Mac and does not make any difference when it comes to creating, enabling, or using macros.

The first thing to do once you have found the Developer tab and have followed the step above is to ensure that you have enabled macros to allow them to run in Excel. Find the Security and Privacy section in Excel by heading to Preferences.

Here, you can choose to allow specific macros or all of the ones that Excel suggests. However, remember that if you allow all, then there may be some that you do not want. Doing this will also allow you to start creating your own macros.

You can find the Record Macro button on the Developer tab, where you will find instructions on how to make one.

using excel vba on a MAC

Why Should You Use VBA?

Using VBA is a great way to take your workbooks from something that is purely functional to something that works for you. There are many specific reasons why it could be great for your business. Here are three that are true for everyone.

  1. It is easier than you might realise, especially once you get the hang of it.
  2. It will save you time by automating time-consuming tasks that can be a massive drain.
  3. You can personalise your Excel and Office experience by creating the macros you need.

It is also important to remember that using and creating macros is free, so if you find that one is not working for you, you can simply toss it out and try to create your own that does. 

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How The Excel Experts Can Support You to Enable and Use VBA for Macs

At The Excel Experts, we understand that time is of the essence for you and your business, and you may not have time to spend going through long and complicated tutorials.

We also understand that not every business owner has a great deal of experience with Excel.

That is why we have made it our mission to make Excel comprehensible and easy to use for everyone. We have a wide range of resources to help you learn more about the ins and outs of VBA for Macs and start using it.

VBA is there to save you time and make Excel and other Office products work for you. We can help you make the most of this game-changing tool to give your business the support it needs.

open excel vba mac

If you want to learn more about Excel and to unlock its potential, get in touch with our team. The Excel Experts offer by the hour work to help complete and start new projects and train your team, and we offer a 100% money-back guarantee.

FAQs

What is a VBA used for?

VBA is used to create macros in Excel or other Microsoft Office programmes. These macros are commands that help you to save time by automating tasks, such as exporting and creating mailing lists or making huge amounts of data comprehensible. With VBA, you can either use existing macros or make your own. 

Is VBA available on Mac?

VBA is available on Mac, but not on Mac’s Excel equivalent Numbers. If you want to use VBA and use and create macros on your Mac, then you need to make sure that you have Microsoft Excel downloaded onto your machine. Once it is, there will be no problems and you can start making your own macros.

How do I enable VBA on my Mac?

If you want to enable VBA on your Mac, you need to head to the Developer tab in Excel and click Visual Basic. You may need to enable the Developer tab by going to Preferences and clicking Ribbon in Sharing and Privacy. You can enable macros by going to Security and Privacy, where you can select the macros that you want to run. 

Is VBA coding or programming?

VBA is considered a programming language, rather than coding. The reason for this is that you are essentially programming a line of code to perform a certain function every time you input it. The macros that you create, and use can be simple, and they can be complex, but the point is that they will get the job done that you need. 

Excel Spreadsheet Help: A Beginner’s Guide to Data Organisation

Posted on February 8, 2023 by - Excel

excel in business

If you have never used Microsoft Excel before, it can all seem a little overwhelming. There are so many different tools and functions at your fingertips.

But with a little research and practice, you will be amazed by what you can accomplish with an Excel spreadsheet. You can turn a mountain of data into something comprehensible, you can create charts and graphs, and you can use formulas to forecast projections. In this article, we are going to break down everything that you need to know to start your first Excel spreadsheet and get organising that data. Let’s get started!

Getting Started With Your Excel Spreadsheet: Microsoft Excel Basics

The best place to start with Excel spreadsheet help is at the beginning. Don’t worry, you will get your bearings in no time. When you first open the programme, you will see a new blank worksheet.

Your worksheet is made up of a grid of cells. These cells are where you will input data, and they are aligned by vertical columns (labelled by letter) and horizontal rows (labelled by number). 

  1. Each cell is referred to by its column and row number, so the third cell along the top row will be cell C1.
  2. You can type your data directly into the cell, or into the taskbar that appears when you click on the cell.
  3. You can divide your workbook into different worksheets, and their tabs are at the bottom of the screen.
  4. When you have finished entering data into a cell, press ENTER or TAB to move to the next one.
  5. You can save your workbook by clicking Save, or Save As.

Once you have inputted the data that you want, you can start organising it. 

excel spreadsheet help

How to Organise Your Data using an Excel Spreadsheet

One of the simplest and most effective tools that Excel offers is organising data to make it more comprehensible, solving sums, and more.

There are a lot of different options for organising your data, so choose the one that works best for you. Here are the key steps to help you get started with your first workbook.

  1. Check if there’s a helpful ready-made template by clicking File then New.
  2. You can highlight key data by filling the cells with colour.
  3. Sort and filter data by alphabetical order or size by selecting the cells that you want to sort.
  4. Filter out cells that you don’t want to include by clicking the Sort and Filter button. 
  5. Tidy it up by using Wrap Text to ensure that all text is visible.

Once you are more confident, you can start using formulas to add up the totals of the cells in your sheet, add a number format, or create a graph or chart to represent your data.

excel spreadsheet highlighting cells

Benefits of Using an Excel Spreadsheet to Organise Your Data

Excel allows people to get to grips with all kinds of data, whether you are looking to store addresses for a mailing list or figure out where your money is going from your budget. 

Time-Saving Automation

If you start to work on lists Excel will start to predict cell values to save you time. Excel can sort and filter your data by the rules that you set.

You can also use macros, which are commands that are entered into cells to perform tasks, to save even more time.

Easy Accessibility

Create workbooks that you can share with your colleagues or clients to either show them what you are working on or invite them to work on or edit themselves.

Excel also allows its users to lock cells or spreadsheets if they do not want anything to be changed.

excel spreadsheet lock cells

Easy to Use

You can get to grips with Excel quickly. You don’t need to be an accountant to create a detailed budget, and you don’t need to be a programmer to use formulas. 

Your confidence will grow by trying out the wide range of tools that you can quickly learn how to use.

Common Excel Errors and How to Avoid Them

Excel will alert you to errors. There are several reasons why Excel may display an error message, but the specific cause will generally be pointed out by the message itself. 

Here are some of the most common Excel errors and how to avoid them.

#VALUE!

This will appear because one or more of the cells will contain a value that does not match the formula, like a rogue cell containing letters instead of numbers.

You can avoid this by double-checking the cells that you have included.

#DIV/0!

This error occurs when you are asking Excel to divide the value of two cells, but one of them is either blank or has a value of zero. You may have included the wrong cell or not added the data yet.

To avoid this, make sure you have added or checked the number value into the second cell.

excel spreadsheet DIV0

######

This means that you have entered a number into a cell that is too big to display. That number hasn’t gone anywhere, and you can see it by widening the width of the column that the cell is in.

To avoid this error, give yourself enough room in the cells to work in.

#NAME?

Do not be too alarmed if the #NAME? error appears when entering an equation. Excel does not understand the formula’s text, and it may be due to a typo.

To avoid this error, double-check that you have written the command correctly.

The Excel Experts Can Help with Your Spreadsheet Problems

You may be surprised by how quickly you start to pick up new skills, but you may need a little help getting to that point. 

Excel can make your life easier and help your business to save time and run more smoothly. At The Excel Experts, we are here to help you get to grips with these essential business tools.

We understand that you don’t have time to waste, which is why we offer tutorials and a range of services. Whether it’s helping you to complete a tough Excel project or giving on-site training, we can get you to where you need to be.

Contact our team to learn more about how we can help you with projects and training for you and your staff.

FAQs

What are the 5 basic functions of Excel?

The five basic functions of Excel come down to organising data and completing simple equations. Autosum, the IF function, the FIND function, the LOOKUPs (VLOOKUP (Vertical Lookup) and HLOOKUP (Horizontal Lookup)) and MATCH functions are the most commonly used with beginners. These can help you to find and organise your data.

What is the easiest way to learn Excel spreadsheet?

The easiest way to learn Excel spreadsheets is by following a tutorial for the specific task you want to use it for. Remember that there are so many different tasks that you can use Excel for, and at The Excel Experts we can help you get started with your needs.

How do I use Excel spreadsheets?

Excel spreadsheets are there to help you to organise data, to perform equations, and to display data visually through graphs and charts. To get started using a spreadsheet, simply open a new workbook and decide how you want to display your data in the cells that are arranged horizontally and vertically.

How can I practice Excel at home?

You can practice Excel at home by downloading the software onto your computer and seeing how you can arrange data yourself. Try some of the basic functions to learn how they work and check our resources if you get stuck. The Excel Experts have lots of different blog posts and articles to help with specific issues.

Unlocking the Potential of Excel Models for Business Analysis

Posted on January 31, 2023 by - Excel For Business

excel-dashboards-and-charts

Excel is a powerful tool for creating and manipulating data, and it can also be used to create models.

Excel modelling is one of the essential skills any business analyst should have as it gives them the ability to make predictions and forecasts after analysing data and then make informed decisions based on those predictions. 

These models can also be shared with colleagues for collaboration purposes, making it another tool that enhances the overall communication of your workforce. 

This article aims to show the benefits and the potential of Excel models for business analysis and how you can implement it into your business structure.

What are the Benefits of Excel Models for Business Analysis?

Business analysis is critical to establishing accurate predictions and estimates for a company’s future work. Alongside this, Excel modelling is a great tool for those analysts to use as it helps them to organise and manipulate a lot of data into a more digestible format. 

Once this data has been processed, it can be analysed to spot certain patterns and processed even further with the help of certain formulas to create Excel models. 

These models can help analysts predict things like the overall performance of the business in the future and offer advice on the company’s direction. 

Creating Excel Models

Make Informed Decisions Quickly and Easily 

When working with Excel models during business analysis, inputting data can be relatively time-consuming. 

However, once those models have been completed, they can provide you with a clear vision of what choices may be best for the business. 

Companies can then make these decisions with ease and clarity as well as in a timely manner.

Forecast Future Trends Based on Past Performance

There are many data points to analyse in your business that can be beneficial. Casting a critical eye on things like your company’s past performance can help you make better choices in the future. 

While it can be painful to analyse a poor previous performance, it’s worth remembering that this analysis and data forecasting can help you avoid those same mistakes and strive for a better outcome next time.

Easier for Businesses to Identify Areas of Improvement

An Excel model can provide you and your analysts with a clear picture of how you and your team can improve going forward. 

Making data-driven choices like this is essential when it comes to finding definitive reasons for poor results in the past. 

Once you’ve identified these reasons for the company’s underperforming, you can work hard to improve your team and avoid those issues next time.

Creating Excel Business Models

Understanding the Power of Data Visualization with Excel Models 

Data visualisation is a powerful way to see and interpret data; Excel models can make this even easier. These visualisations can come from charts and graphs, whether bar charts, line graphs or density maps. 

One of the more useful features of Excel is that it has data visualisation tools built-in, allowing you to quickly and easily generate these things using data you’ve already input into your spreadsheet. 

You can also use Excel to create an interactive dashboard for these data visualisations, letting you better track KPIs. This adds another layer of accessibility to your data and can make it much easier to turn that data into a format that can be actioned much faster and easier.

Excel Data Visualisations

Five Strategies for Unlocking the Potential of Excel Models

For companies who want to use the powerful features Excel models offer, there are several strategies you can employ. 

It’s important to remember how useful Excel models can be to the success of your business, so considering the following can be extremely beneficial to you.

Utilise the Power of Spreadsheets

Spreadsheets, without the addition of data visualisation or other advanced tools, can be extremely useful to any business. 

These can be a place to store valuable data for use at a future point in time. 

That data could then be used later as justification for certain decisions relating to your business in the future.

Be Aware of Model Limitations

While Excel models are extremely useful, there are certain limitations regarding particular data sets. For a start, Excel is best used for smaller amounts of data instead of huge data sets. 

This is because one of the major limitations of Excel is the huge amount of processing power it uses. You’ll understand this if you’ve ever had to work with a massive spreadsheet that has been maintained for years. 

Lag and crashes can lead to errors and even data losses, so try to keep things on a smaller scale where possible.

Automate Data Collection and Analysis (50 words)

The data collection process can be time-consuming, and with all tasks that take a lot of time to complete, it’s always worth considering Excel automation methods where possible. 

You can consider using a few different things for this automation, including simple macros, add-ins, and integrating Excel with other software like Python. 

You could also create custom functions and macros in Visual Basic for Applications, or VBA, but this will require training or hiring someone with that specific expertise to create them.

Excel Data Automations

Take Advantage of Advanced Modeling Capabilities 

You can take advantage of advanced modelling capabilities in many ways, including the methods we’ve detailed above. 

Making use of macros, advanced functions and formulas, and certain programming languages can help you create some very useful Excel models that can be used to analyse data patterns for you to use.

Incorporate Visuals to Enhance Understandability 

The chances are that, after inputting data and identifying certain patterns, you’ll be presenting that data to people like shareholders to justify your ideas for the future. 

At times like this, it’s important to put yourself in the shoes of the people you’re presenting this data to. If they haven’t been exposed to this data before or simply aren’t used to the world of data analysis in general, it could be very confusing. 

This is where visuals can come into play, as they can be much easier to digest for those unfamiliar with that particular data.

Common Mistakes to Avoid When Working with Excel Models

Excel modelling can provide invaluable insights for businesses, but you should avoid some common mistakes if you want to produce quality and usable data sets.

  1. Failing to format correctly: It’s important to enter your data consistently and properly organised manner. Failing to do so can result in errors being generated and inaccuracies appearing throughout your data set. This will essentially render all that data useless, as you can’t be confident that any of it is correct.
  1. Not using the right formulas: There are so many different formulas and functions you can use in Excel to get different desired outcomes from your data. They can perform simple calculations and help you analyse whole data sets. But using them incorrectly can lead to you receiving incorrect results or simply getting data that isn’t useful to you.
  1. Failing to test your model thoroughly: As with most things of this nature, if you don’t run proper tests to ensure your model is working as intended, you might increase the risk of you receiving useless or incorrect data, which you might initially assume to be correct. If you then use this data to make business decisions, you could be in for a catastrophic time once you realise you’ve made those decisions based on false data.
Excel Business Analysis

How to Get Started With Excel Models for Business Analysis

Now that you know more about the benefits and strategies of using Excel models for business analysis, you’re probably eager to get started! 

First, you should gain a clear understanding of the problem you are trying to solve and the data you have available. 

Next, organise and format your data consistently. 

Then, choose appropriate formulas and functions to perform calculations and analysis. 

Finally, test your model thoroughly to ensure accuracy and reliability before using it to make important business decisions. 

Additionally, it’s important to keep in mind best practices like using meaningful variable names, using data validation and keeping the model as simple as possible.

Final Thoughts: Why Excel Models Can Transform Your Data Analysis

Analysing data and making informed decisions is critical for businesses, and Excel models provide an easy way to do this – transforming the way you work with data and allowing you to feel more confident in the decisions you make for your business. 

If you are doing data analysis but choose not to use Excel models or other similar tools, you might find that this will be much more difficult to do. 

These tools are essential when it comes to organising and manipulating your data. It’ll be almost impossible to sort through these large data sets without the assistance of the tools Excel Models provide.

FAQs

What makes a good Excel model?

It must be organised, easy to understand and must accurately reflect the data. Labels should be clear and have real meaning, formatting should be consistent, and the use of visual elements such as graphs and charts can help understand the information. 

The model should also be able to adapt and handle any updates or changes in scenarios. In short, a well-constructed excel model should be user-friendly, easy to comprehend and provide precise results.

How do you make a model in Excel?

Start with getting your data in order and making it presentable. Then use Excel’s built-in tools, such as formulas, functions, pivot tables, and charts, to make sense of the data and present it in an easy-to-read way. 

Formatting options can also be used to spruce up the model and make it easier to navigate. Establishing validation rules is also key to making sure your model is accurate. 

Professional training on how to properly use Excel, including how to do the formatting, how to use the different formulas and functions, and how to use some handy tricks, is a great idea.

What are the different types of spreadsheet modelling?

Several spreadsheet modelling types include statistical, quantitative, econometrical, and probabilistic models. 

These can all be used for different purposes, and all can be used to improve the quality of your business practices in some way.

What is an Excel model?

Excel models are a way of organising and making sense of your data. They use many techniques, as detailed in this article, to help you understand the data you’ve collected and input. 

These models are valuable tools in helping you make future business decisions.

The Ultimate Guide to Using a Cash Flow Statement Template

Posted on January 20, 2023 by - Excel Tips

excel-download

Cash flow is an important part of any business, and managing it properly is essential for a company’s success. One way you can manage your company’s cash flow is by creating a cash flow statement that will help you track your cash inflows and business expenses. 

You can then study this statement to identify any potential issues with your cash flow and also measure the company’s overall liquidity. 

This guide aims to provide tips on managing your cash flow and walk you through the steps of filling in a statement template.

Why is it Important for Businesses to Monitor Cash Flow? 

Cash flow is an important aspect of business because it is the movement of money in and out of the company. It directly impacts the company’s ability to meet its financial obligations and continue operations. 

Without positive cash flow, a company may struggle to pay bills, make payroll, or invest in growth opportunities. Therefore, keeping an eye on cash flow, and understanding how to manage it, as well as using tools to identify the cost of delays and other unexpected events, is crucial for the long-term success and sustainability of any business.

This is why monitoring your cash flow is key to the survival of your company, and you should get started on using a cash flow template as soon as possible.

Essential to Meet Financial Obligations

Each business will have some form of financial obligation. These are expenses that you have a responsibility to pay, such as rent for office spaces, debt repayments, or taxes. 

If you haven’t spent time monitoring your cash flow, you could end up in a position where you don’t have enough funds to cover these obligations, which could land you in trouble.

excel cash flow template

Help Business Owners Identify Potential Cash Shortages

Monitoring your cash flow can help you, as a business owner, identify and preempt cash shortages by tracking the inflow and outflow of funds, allowing for early identification of potential financial issues such as unexpected expenses or delays in receiving payments. 

This can help you make informed decisions about investments, expenses, and budgeting to ensure the stability and growth of your business.

Assess The Overall Financial Health of the Business

Spending time monitoring your cash flow can give you a better understanding of the overall health of your business because it allows you to spot patterns in financial performance and adjust your company’s spending accordingly. 

Can Help Identify Areas of Improvement 

Not only can monitoring your cash flow help with the things mentioned above, but it can also help you to spot potential areas of improvement. 

It can help you, as a business owner, make better-informed decisions about the future of your business and ensure that your finances remain stable.

excel business budget template

Where Can You Find a Cash Flow Template?

One of the many benefits of Excel is that it allows business owners to quickly and easily create or use a cash flow statement template to help them to visualise the financial performance of the company. 

You can create custom Excel spreadsheets online as well as find templates that you can use to input your data. Filling in a cash flow template will involve the following steps.

Begin with the Balance Sheet

In Excel, the first step in creating a cash flow statement template is to enter the balance sheet information. This will include many different types of information relating to your accounts. 

The sort of data you may want to input here includes current accounts, accounts payable, accounts receivable, and other important financial data. 

This will serve as a foundation for your cash flow statement, and you will then input the rest of the data around this.

create an excel balance sheet

Identify Cash Inflows

Next, you will need to identify and enter the various sources of cash inflows. This can include any type of income, but most importantly, it should include continuous income streams that you know are always going to be coming into your business. 

This could be income from clients, projected sales, and anything else that will boost your overall funds. 

The data should all be as accurate as possible. Otherwise, this data is useless to you, so don’t edit the numbers to make things seem better than they are, as this doesn’t help you improve things.

Identify Cash Outflows

Next, you will need to identify and enter the various sources of cash outflows. This can be one of the more revealing steps when creating your cash flow statement. 

You should spend a lot of time going over every single expense that your business faces, from the major ones like office space rent and payroll to software subscriptions and equipment hire. 

The data here will give you a good idea of the expenses you can cut from your business to better balance your cash flow.

Calculate Net Cash Flow

Now, with all the information entered into your template, you can calculate the net cash flow for your business. 

Using Excel sums and subtracts functions, which are simple functions you can learn via an Excel training course, you can figure out exactly what your net cash flow is. 

This will involve subtracting your expenses from your income, which will be displayed in a net cash flow cell. You’re left with this income after paying all the financial obligations mentioned above.

Excel reporting

Create Reports

With the help of your cash flow statement template, you can easily create Excel reports that will provide a snapshot of your business’s financial health at any given time. These reports can be invaluable to you as a business owner. They will allow you to easily spot any issues with spending, such as unexpected expenses or delays in receiving payments. 

By identifying these issues early on, you can take proactive measures to bring your cash flow back into a state you’re comfortable with and ensure the stability and growth of your business.

How The Excel Experts Can Help With Creating a Custom Cash Flow Statement Template 

Our team of Excel experts can help you create a custom cash flow statement template that meets the specific needs of your business. 

This custom template could include everything from formulas and calculations that can automatically track and report on your overall cash flow to the design of charts and graphs for easy analysis later on. 

Our team can also provide you with training for your team so that everyone is much better prepared to handle this sort of task in the future. 

We can help teach your employees to create and manage these templates, reports, graphs and charts, too, which will add significant value to your team. 

Improve cash flow tith Microsoft Excel

Summary: Utilising Excel’s Cash Flow Statement Templates 

A comprehensive and accurate cash flow statement template is essential for businesses of all sizes. 

For a small business, income will likely be much lower, and budgeting will be far more important to ensure the business can make ends meet. And for larger, sprawling corporations, while income might be much higher, overheads will also be higher. 

As well as this, there is a much higher chance that a bigger company will have far more risk and volume of unnecessary expenses and will waste far more money than it needs to. 

A cash flow statement can help with both examples, allowing for easier budgeting and also the identification and elimination of these pointless expenses.

FAQs

Does Excel have a cash flow statement?

Excel does have some tools to help you create a cash flow statement. However, for those unfamiliar with using Excel and those unfamiliar with cash flow statements generally, they can be somewhat complicated to create.

How do I create a cash flow statement in Excel?

First, you should start by inputting all of your cash inflows, like your revenue, into one column on the spreadsheet and then all of your outflows in an opposite column. The outflows are your expenses. 

You then subtract the outflows from the inflows, and the resulting value will be your net cash flow for that time. You can then use formulas to generate an overall balance for your account.

How do you prepare a cash flow statement?

When preparing your cash flow statement, you must gather your company’s financial information, including cash inflows and outflows. 

You can then organise all of this information into a format, as demonstrated by a cash flow statement template which can then calculate and display useful data like cash flow.

What three things go on a statement of cash flows?

Usually, the three main things you’d put on a cash flow statement are general operation costs, investing costs, and financing activities. 

Operating costs involve sale income and payments to suppliers. Investing activities will involve the money you spend on investing in stocks, real estate, or other things in trading markets. 

And finally, financing activities involve any funds you receive from stocks, bonds, dividends, or money you pay to settle debts.

How Excel Simulation & Modelling Speeds Up Data Analysis

Posted on April 29, 2021 by - Blog, Excel, Excel Consultancy, Excel Tips

Modelling-and-simulating-in-Excel

There is no better way of ‘getting under the skin’ on a problem than to simulate and model it! 

Excel is an excellent platform for both, and we at  The Excel Experts recommend Excel for your next modelling or simulation project.  Especially when paired with a Monte Carlo simulation, an Excel spreadsheet can be a simple, and powerful tool for creating just such a  model.

As humans, we are not always very good at assessing risks, or the odds of certain events occurring. 

A model will calculate the impact of the decisions we make (and the uncertainties in the inputs), to assess the outcomes that we care about, such as profit and loss, ROI or environmental impact for instance.

As such, simulations are often used to help companies assess the ‘likelihood of outcomes’ from taking a particular course of action or decision. 

By traversing all possible decision paths, a simulation can give valuable insights into which course of action should be taken.

Excel simulation and modelling

Advantages Of Excel Simulation & Modelling

Harness Excels mathematical abilities with minimal effort

Save development time. Use VBA and libraries such as NAG to expand on their abilities when necessary. Excel provides a powerful, feature-rich environment for creating complex mathematical models with very little effort.

Specialist Excel Simulation Knowledge

At The Excel Experts, we have specialised expertise in modelling physical, biological and business systems such as financial planning, stock control and process optimisation. Excel’s flexible structure allows us to rapidly develop Excel simulation models with greater accuracy than generic tools or bespoke programming languages.

Data Visualisation

Excel simulations are able to generate high-quality graphical representations of data for better understanding and analysis. Excel also allows the user to animate and manipulate the data for more detailed visualisation.

Analyse Data Fast!

Use Excel Pivot tables, Data Models, Formulas and Functions. Then use Excel Macros to push your productivity to the next level.

Display your results

Then display and present your new results, in a stunning dashboard report.

Connect to data sources with ease

Excel is almost without parallel when it comes to connecting to data sources. If it can’t connect ‘out of the box’ it is usually an easy matter to write a data loader for your data.

Looking to harness the power of Excel simulations or modelling? Get in touch with The Excel Experts today and let us help you get the most out of Excel.

We provide Excel simulation solutions tailored to your needs.

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    Front End Forms & Questionnaires

    Posted on April 29, 2021 by - Blog, Excel

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    With Front-End Forms & Questionnaires, Excel does not just tick all the right but also provides the boxes to be ticked at the right time, in the right place and under the right conditions. At The Excel Experts we have considerable experience in building Form-based systems.

    Visual Interpretation in Front End Forms

    Front-End Forms & Questionnaires are user-friendly methods for reading and writing data and information. These include forms for ordering, marketing, managing contact lists, creating contracts and numerous other applications including questionnaires.

    This where Excel stops being open to the user. Worksheet and workbook protection restrict what the user can do to what is needed and that alone. This is added to with Data Validation and Conditional Formatting so that there is no accidental input.

    The overview of the system is one that ensures that all the data either entered or provided to be chosen is always consistent and accurate as required by the task in hand. In turn, ensuring the output is exactly as required.

    The current approach is not to use VBA’s antiquated Userform but to design fully customized forms on the Excel worksheet itself. This allows greater flexibility with two types of form controls available to the developer, including ActiveX.

    Basic form controls are text boxes, list boxes, dropdown boxes, radio buttons, checkboxes and the like. However advanced controls can be from the likes of tab strips to another application window e.g. a web browser embedded into the Front-End form & questionnaire.

    Visual Interpretation in Front End Forms

    The excel environment can be controlled to show only that which is need.

    Excel comes with an extensive Shapes Collection in addition to all fonts, font symbols in all sizes. All of which can be custom formatted with a variety of fill and borders. While the use of shapes as symbols can aid in guiding the user, all shapes can be made ‘clickable’ and run their assigned macros.

    Also, shapes can act as layers and containers for text, pictures and other shapes enabling complex form construction. This, in turn, enables the other main benefit of using the worksheet as a form and that is the ability to exactly match the clients branding.

    A good Front-End form & questionnaire should impart confidence to the user. It has become standard for us to work with a visual brief supplied by the client’s designers. Leaving it to us to copy an exact visual image using all that Excel offers and then add the required functionality.

    The Mechanics behind the Front End Form

    The mechanics behind the form can filter and calculate the data, before displaying only that required by the user at the exact point of application. Adapting both look and functionality to the exact requirements of the task in hand at each stage of the process.

    Excel enables the developer to build in the skills and knowledge required better and quicker than any other platform.

    The arguments applicable to the data is referred to as the ‘Logic Tree’, and this determines the input/output restrictions for each step. At each stage, Excel creates the appropriate form format for the data required for each of the following steps to be entered.

    The whole point of bespoke front-end forms & questionnaires is to delegate the task in hand with minimal user training. Where the whole process is designed to eliminate any possible error by the user and deliver exactly what is required.

    Location

    At one extreme, an Excel form can be designed to work globally across an organization’s physical location including those of its clients where necessary. At the other, an Excel form can be designed to just operate in a single location on a single off-line computer

    With Excel’s ability to act as a ‘universal connecter’, the form can draw its data from, and write its data to, any other data source. See API Connections and SharePoint Services

    Security Implementation In Front End Forms

    Most projects that we have worked on include some form of restricted access and data security requirements. Yet again, Excel is equipped to meet the client’s exact requirements regarding this better and with greater efficiency.

    Recent Application of Front End Excel Form

    We have noticed a recent trend with organisations that operate large databases. That is to use Excel’s connectivity to design bespoke front-end forms to work with their databases. In our opinion, it is the industry finally growing up and recognizing that Excel‘s versatility offers better value.

    For the same reasons, we have been asked to provide Excel-based questionnaires that impart knowledge and understanding. The endpoint is that the user can make the right informed choice without the need to talk with an expert. This obviously produces a saving that can be passed on to the client.

    On a general note, where clients previously looked at Web Portals and Web Browser solutions the industry is beginning to realise that Excel is a web browser for data. The difference is the speed at which applications (all form-based) can be built and delivered to the client.

    Need Help With Excel Forms?


      Excel: Produce customised Word documents at the click of a button

      Posted on January 8, 2021 by - Blog, Uncategorized

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      One of the most frequently requested solutions we come across is the need to manage jobs or orders within a small business. Most people are able to set up a simple spreadsheet to track and record work and this is a great way to avoid paying for costly out-of-the-box software which may not fit your requirements. But what about the next step?

      Excel Job Tracking Workflow

      Using lists, lookups, data validation and conditional formatting you can elevate a simple tracking sheet to become a vital workflow tool, providing the basis for processing the day’s tasks as well as acting as a data hub for reporting and provding valuable MI.

       

      Add in some VBA code and your simple job tracker can start doing things like moving completed tasks to a separate sheet so that your team can focus on the work in progress. Or how about notifying users when a task is assigned to them or their department – use code to link up your drop-down lists to outlook and off you go.

      Create Documents With Excel

      Once you have orders, jobs or tasks input into your tracking sheet, the natural progression is to want to do more with that data that has been recorded. Data input is time-consuming and risky – keying in data more than once risks human error, so if you have already captured the data in the spreadsheet, why key it again into a purchase order, delivery note, job sheet or invoice?

      Repeated processes like producing documents from a data table is what Excel is great at – if you don’t have the expertise to do this there are lots of resources out there that can walk you through it, or if you don’t have the time or inclination just get in touch with one of our friendly team and we will help.

      The concept is essentialy that having recorded the data in your spreadsheet, it simply needs to be mapped into a template document. That template can be created in Microsoft Word or Excel itself, and at the click of a button, all the relevant information from a given job or order can be integrated into the appropriate fields in the template document.

      There are lots of different ways to go about this in Excel – content controls, bookmarks, or good old copy and paste, depending on the level of complexity and the layout of the end document being produced. The document can even be pdf’d and emailed automatically if required.

      Save Time And Money By Automating

      This type of automation is just one of the thousands of successful solutions we have provided to our clients over the years. Any repeated process can be automated, and while every solution is bespoke, every solution we develop draws on the extensive expertise and experience of our team of qualified Excel consultants, so you can be sure we are providing you with a well-thought-out tool for your business.

      If you would like to find out more about how automating processes within your business can benefit you, or would like help creating code to produce documents from a spreadsheet, just drop us a call, email or come and live chat with us and see what we can do for you.

      Want to find out more from the author of this post? Get hold of Kate directly for help and advice.