Using A Spreadsheet In Your Store

A spreadsheet is one of the best business tools you have.

There is a good chance you already own a spreadsheet program. Microsoft Excel is an excellent program. If you have Microsoft Word; look and see if you have Excel, since they are sometimes sold together in Microsoft Office.

If you don't have Excel, you might have Microsoft Works. Works is an inexpensive program suite that includes a spreadsheet. Works does not have all the whistles and bells that Excel has, but it will do more than enough.

If you do not have a spread sheet on your computer, Google has a free online spreadsheet that is very good.

First, I will be honest. Spread sheets can be a little intimidating the first time you see one.

Here is probably the simplest spreadsheet you will find on the web. (You may need to click with your right mouse button and save the file to your computer before you can make changes. This was created in Excel, but most spreadsheet programs will be able to open it.)

The magic of a spreadsheet is the ability to play 'what if'.

Here is the start of a simple spreadsheet that estimates a store's monthly profit. It lets you estimate how different business decisions will effect your profits. What happens if I increase advertising, change my pricing, and so on. (You may need to click with your right mouse button and save the file to your computer before you can make changes. This was created in Excel, but most spreadsheet programs will be able to open it.)

This spreadsheet is deliberately simple just to show you what is possible. You will need to add more detail to make it practical to use.

This page was not intended to teach you all the details of using a spreadsheet. You can find a wealth of information plus free spreadsheets on the internet. This is just to show you how simple a spreadsheet can be.