There’s a reason Excel is so ubiquitous in the workplace. Its versatility allows you to do a plethora of different things like track KPIs, create sales receipts, and record time cards.
To make your life a little easier, we compiled some of our favorite Excel templates for business.
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These handy Excel templates will save you precious time when creating business documents.
1. Timeline template
Time is a resource that can’t be gained back, which is why it’s essential to track it. Thistimeline templateby Vertex42 gives you an overview of the milestones and events that team members should be aware of.
2. Gantt chart template
Need something more sophisticated than a project timeline? Look no further than this Gantt chart templateby Vertex42. You can organize tasks, change dates and track the status of tasks using easy-to-master excel functions and formulas.
3. To-do list template
A big part of the solution creating process is simply knowing what needs to get done. This to-do list template by Vertex42 is perfect for keeping you and your team in the loop.
With this template, you can add project tasks, the priority level, a due date, who’s in charge, and status updates.
4. Issue-tracking template
Learning from mistakes is key for growth, both professionally and personally. Enter, the issue-tracking template.
This template allows you to keep a log of what went wrong, the priority of the issue, the team assigned to tackle it, as well as a comment section to note any findings. Having a birdseye view of what went wrong will help you track recurring issues, and nip them in the bud before they affect the rest of the current project.
5. Weekly time-card template
An economical alternative to time-card software is this free template. The weekly time-cardby Vertex42 calculates hours per week per project, which is particularly handy for smaller businesses that need to track budgets.
6. KPI tracker template
This handy KPI tracker will help you measure the things that matter for business success. The template allows you to consolidate metrics between teams and switch between a table and graphical layout.
7. Party planning template
In charge of planning a work event? Excel can help you out. Use this party planning template to ensure the expenses stay firmly nestled within the budget.
8. Payment invoice template
Save time by using this free invoice template when receiving payments from customers.
9. Portfolio management template
Use this portfolio management template to track how much you earn from your investments. Created by a Singaporean investor and adapted to fit the US stock market, this template also has a summary section for a broad view of yourportfolio.
10. Service invoice template
This invoice template is ideal service-based businesses. It has empty fields to populate with information pertaining to the services you provide.
11. Shipping invoice template
Save money on invoicing software with this template. With this Excel sheet, you can include shipping information, alternate addresses, product codes, and notes.
12. Account statement template
For businesses that bill customers recurringly, this account statement template is super handy for creating a summary of sales made. This is particularly useful for smaller businesses as bookkeeping software can be expensive.
13. Packing slip template
If you’re shipping goods to customers, use this packing slip template to show your customers a breakdown of their order.
14. Price quote template
Simplify your quoting process with this price quote template. The template has sections for the quote description, special notes, customer information, and more!
15. Purchase order template
Once your customer decides to accept your price quote, you can then create a purchase order thanks to this template.
16. Sales receipt template
Use this template to send your customer a sales receipt.
17. Rent receipt template
This rent receipt template is handy If you rent out your office space or home. The simple template allows you to keep a record of payments made on your property.
18. Home office expense tracker template
Solopreneurs working from home will want to use this home office expense tracker to check that they’re making the most out of their eligible tax deductions.
19. Time card template
This time card template is useful for businesses that hire contractors. The sheet allows team members to note the amount of time spent on a project. It also automatically calculates the regular hours and overtime hours along with total hours spent each week.
20. Weekly time card template
Once you have your employees’ daily log all set, you can then transfer that information to this weekly time card template to get a better view of their hours for the month.
21. Weekly timesheet
This weekly timesheet includes breaks in it so you can get a more accurate picture of how many hours your employees are working each week.
If you're looking for a daily schedule template, check out this resource.
22. Payroll calculator template
This payroll calculator template helps you account for deductions when determining gross pay.
23. Startup business plan template
Ever heard the phrase “if you fail to plan, you are planning to fail”? This startup business plan template helps you get one step closer to success. The sheet includes instructional sections for an executive summary, marketing plan, startup expenses and more!
24. Existing business plan template
Are you an established business without a formalized financial plan? This template might be the one for you.
25. 12-month marketing plan template
Plan for the year ahead with this 12-month marketing plan template. The highly detailed template helps you identify: your market, your target customer, your business goals, strategies and tactics, and budget.
26. Editorial content calendar template
Content and social media have only grown in importance over the past few years. This editorial content calendar template is a handy way to track when and where you post over a few months.
27. On-page SEO template
This on-page SEO template is great for organizing on-page SEO strategy, documenting any changes, and more.
28. SWOT analysis template
Use this SWOT analysis to ensure you and your team are systematically identifying and adapting to opportunities and potential threats
29. Event planning template
In the event planning business or simply want to celebrate a milestone with your team? Check out this event planning template so yours runs without a hiccup.
30. Job application template
Looking to expand your team in a smart, efficient way? This job application template might be the tool you need. You can use it as is, or edit the entry fields so you can screen for the skills and qualities necessary for the role.
31. World meeting planner
If you work as part of a global remote team, you are probably aware of the inconvenience that comes with coordinating a mutually optimal time for meetings. This world meeting planner and time zone converter will save you multiple e-visits to timeanddate.com when coordinating with your coworkers.
32. Business financial plan template
Download this business financial plan template to track and forecast your spending and income for the future.
33. Business budget expense template
Want a more comprehensive financial tracker? Look no further than this business budget expense template. You can evaluate your actual expenses against your actual budget both numerically and graphically.
34. To do list template
This to do list Excel template visually displays your tasks on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis.
Become an Excel pro
Want to learn how to use Excel like a pro (and maybe create a couple templates of your own)? Check out our range of Excel courses, complete with video lessons with accompanying cheat sheets, exercises, and quizzes to bolster your learning.
For more Excel templates, check out this handy article.
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How do you improve efficiency in Excel? ›
- Optimize references and links.
- Minimize the used range.
- Allow for extra data.
- Improve lookup calculation time.
- Optimize array formulas and SUMPRODUCT.
- Use functions efficiently.
- Create faster VBA macros.
- Consider performance and size of Excel file formats.
Microsoft Excel enables users to identify trends and organize and sort data into meaningful categories. Excel also performs Human Resources functions, such as sorting worked hours and organizing employee profiles and expenses, which help businesses better understand the structure and activities of their workforce.
Where can I find free Excel templates? ›Go to Office.com. Click Templates at the top of the page. On the Templates page, click Excel. Tip: To see more templates, under BROWSE BY CATEGORY, click the category (like Calendars) that you want to see.
Does Excel have a business plan template? ›The Business Plan Template spreadsheet model is available in Microsoft Excel and Google Sheets.
What are Advanced Excel skills? ›Advanced Excel skills include the ability to produce graphs and tables, use spreadsheets efficiently, and perform calculations and automation to process large volumes of data. With the rise of big data and data analytics, advanced Excel skills are a real asset both during the job hunt and everyday work tasks.
What are basic Excel skills? ›- Saving and Opening a Workbook. Saving and opening an Excel workbook is just like as you do in any other application. ...
- Managing Worksheets. ...
- Formatting Cells. ...
- Printing. ...
- Excel Functions (Basic) ...
- Charts. ...
- Sorting Data. ...
- Find and Replace Option.
The main uses of Excel include: Data entry. Data management. Accounting.
What spreadsheets do I need for a small business? ›- Microsoft Excel.
- Google Workspace.
- Apple Numbers.
- Quip.
- Zoho Sheet.
- LibreOffice.
- WPS Spreadsheets.
- Rows.
Excel has several helpful features and functions that can help you create a small business bookkeeping system that works. You can enter and categorize transactions through Excel, create various bookkeeping templates, track invoices, and much more.
How do I find Excel templates? ›Open Microsoft Excel. On the right side of the Home tab, click More templates. Scroll through the displayed list of templates to find the one that suits your needs. If you don't find one you like, you can use the Search for online templates text field to see if there is a template online for what you need.
How many templates does Excel have? ›
Microsoft Excel allows creating two special templates - Book. xltx and Sheet. xltx - that are the basis for all new workbooks and all new worksheets, respectively.
How do I install a template in Excel? ›To base the workbook on an installed template, click Installed Templates, and then under Installed Templates, double-click the template that you want to use. To base the workbook on a template that you created, click My templates, and then on the My Templates tab, double-click the template that you want to use.
Is there a free business plan template? ›HubSpot's Free Business Plan Templates are the best way to create a professional, thorough business plan. The templates include instructions and everything you need to know about starting your company.
How do I create a Excel business plan? ›How to Create a Business Plan using Excel - Part 1 - Introduction - YouTube
How do you create a business sheet in Excel? ›- Step 1: Start with a bookkeeping Excel sheet template. ...
- 3 Necessary Parts of an Excel Bookkeeping System. ...
- Step 2: Customize the chart of accounts within your template. ...
- Step 3: Customize the income statement sheet. ...
- Add a sheet for tracking invoices.
- Organise and Clean your Data in Excel.
- Present your Excel Data with Interactive Graphs and Charts.
- Look Up Values using VLOOKUP, HLOOKUP, and XLOOKUP.
- Protect Your Cells and Worksheets.
- Save Time with Basic Excel Macros.
- Frequently Asked Questions.
- Final Thoughts.
- VLOOKUP. VLOOKUP (vertical lookup) is a function to look up a value in a table and retrieve data from a specific column. ...
- INDEX MATCH. ...
- Advanced conditional formatting. ...
- Pivot tables and reporting. ...
- Macros and VBA. ...
- Data simulations.
- Master the Shortcuts. You can save precious time by learning some keyboard shortcuts. ...
- Import Data from a Website. Learning how to import data is an essential function that can greatly speed up your workflow. ...
- Filter Your Results. ...
- Calculate the Sum. ...
- AutoCorrect and AutoFill. ...
- Display Formulas. ...
- Manage Page Layout.
- VLOOKUP. The function is used to look up for a piece of information in a large segment of data and pull that data to your newly formed table. ...
- Sum Function. ...
- MAX MIN function. ...
- IF Function. ...
- SUMIF Function. ...
- COUNTIF Function. ...
- AND Function. ...
- OR function.
- AutoSum;
- IF function;
- LOOKUP function;
- VLOOKUP function;
- HLOOKUP function;
- MATCH function;
- CHOOSE function;
- DATE function;
What are the 7 common uses for Excel? ›
- Data Entry and Storage. At its most basic level, Excel is an excellent tool for both data entry and storage. ...
- Collection and Verification of Business Data. ...
- Administrative and Managerial Duties. ...
- Accounting and Budgeting. ...
- Data Analysis. ...
- Reporting + Visualizations. ...
- Forecasting.
- BUSINESS ANALYSIS. The #1 use for Microsoft Excel in the workplace is to do business analysis. ...
- PEOPLE MANAGEMENT. ...
- MANAGING OPERATIONS. ...
- PERFORMANCE REPORTING. ...
- OFFICE ADMINISTRATION. ...
- STRATEGIC ANALYSIS. ...
- PROJECT MANAGEMENT. ...
- MANAGING PROGRAMMES.
Excel is a Microsoft Office program that's designed to help calculate, tabulate, store, chart, and compare data for current and future reference. Its features are robust. Using Excel for accounting can provide an excellent tool for performing these tasks for small businesses.
Can I use Excel instead of QuickBooks? ›Business Size: Both are suitable for small businesses, but there are a couple caveats here. QuickBooks is also appropriate for medium-sized businesses, so it can grow as your business does. Excel is suitable for very small start-up businesses.
What do Accountant use Excel for? ›Microsoft Excel is an invaluable tool for accountants to make numerous schedules and calculations that traditional bookkeeping software doesn't provide. It comes with functions for performing complex mathematical calculations and also supports many add-ons for activities like financial forecasting and modeling.
What spreadsheets do businesses use? ›MS Excel is used for a range of purposes in a business including accounting, stock management, sales reporting, product information management and automation. So, if you're wondering why Excel is so important, it can power a whole business!
How do I track my small business expenses in Excel? ›If you want to track business expenses in Excel, you'll need to create a spreadsheet and fill in the appropriate information. The most important columns are likely to be “date,” “description,” “category,” and “amount.” You can also add additional columns if needed, like “vehicle number” for tracking car expenses.
How do you keep sales records in Excel? ›...
To do so:
- Highlight the forecasted revenue line and click on the box icon with a plus sign inside called CHART ELEMENTS.
- Select DATA LABELS.
- Click on the black directional arrow and select ABOVE.
- Close unused workbooks. ...
- Disable hardware graphics acceleration. ...
- Pimp up Windows. ...
- Don't use the 64-bit version of Excel 2016. ...
- Turn off auto-syncing of Office files.
How Do You Calculate Efficiency? Efficiency can be expressed as a ratio by using the following formula: Output ÷ Input. Output, or work output, is the total amount of useful work completed without accounting for any waste and spoilage. You can also express efficiency as a percentage by multiplying the ratio by 100.
How do you calculate data efficiency? ›
- Efficiency = 100% * (transferred - retransmitted) / transferred.
- Network Loss = 100 - Efficiency.
The work efficiency formula is efficiency = output / input, and you can multiply the result by 100 to get work efficiency as a percentage. This is used across different methods of measuring energy and work, whether it's energy production or machine efficiency.
How do you create Excel skills? ›- Master the shortcuts. Using the mouse and keyboard to explore all the menus and different options seems convenient, but it's often time-consuming. ...
- Import data from a website. ...
- Filter your results. ...
- Autocorrect and Autofill. ...
- Intermediate Excel training.
If your excel file is large (2 mb or larger) you will notice longer loading time, reduced performance, unresponsiveness, etc. All this can be avoided if you keep your file size reasonable.
What is a macro in Excel and how does it work? ›If you have tasks in Microsoft Excel that you do repeatedly, you can record a macro to automate those tasks. A macro is an action or a set of actions that you can run as many times as you want. When you create a macro, you are recording your mouse clicks and keystrokes.
What are some examples of efficiency? ›Examples of efficiency in a Sentence
Because of her efficiency, we got all the work done in a few hours. The factory was operating at peak efficiency. A furnace with 80 percent fuel efficiency wastes 20 percent of its fuel. The company is trying to lower costs and improve efficiencies.
Efficiency is about getting the most out of your resources. It means your business is able to produce more with less money and less waste. It also means you can operate day-to-day without making costly errors.
How do you calculate employee efficiency in Excel? ›You can measure employee productivity with the labor productivity equation: total output / total input. Let's say your company generated $80,000 worth of goods or services (output) utilizing 1,500 labor hours (input). To calculate your company's labor productivity, you would divide 80,000 by 1,500, which equals 53.
How do you measure efficiency in a business? ›It can be measured by dividing total net sales by accounts receivable, which is the number of receivables paid during a fixed period. An efficient business has a high turnover, meaning sales are quickly converted to cash that can be used to pay bills and grow the business.
How do you calculate productivity and efficiency? ›First, divide your actual output rate by your standard output rate. Then, multiply the resulting amount by 100%. The resulting amount represents production efficiency.
What is line efficiency? ›
The line efficiency formula is the number of hours when a high-volume pick-and-place machine is putting parts on the printed circuit board, divided by the number of hours where you are staffing the SMT assembly line. Put more simply, it is the placement time hours divided by the staffed time hours times 100.
What is a good efficiency ratio? ›An efficiency ratio of 50% or under is considered optimal. If the efficiency ratio increases, it means a bank's expenses are increasing or its revenues are decreasing.
What's the difference between efficiency and productivity? ›So, productivity means doing more work during the same time frame, while efficiency means doing the same amount of work in less time. Even though productivity and efficiency are two separate things, we must know that they are interdependent.
What are examples of operational efficiency? ›Measuring operational efficiency involves keeping track of a company's inputs and outputs as performance indicators. Typically, these performance indicators relate to efficiency, quality or value. Examples of this include automation accuracy, quality indexes and customer satisfaction.