Google Sheets is a free document collaboration app from Google that you can download to your computer or mobile device and begin collaborating with colleagues or friends in seconds. Knowledge is power, especially when it comes to managing budgets, tracking finances and monitoring expenses as a business grows. That’s where Google Sheets comes in - it’s a powerful tool that businesses of any size can use to manage spreadsheets with ease. However, like anything else, there is a learning curve involved with using Google Sheets effectively. The following guide will introduce you to the basics of this program and provide plenty of useful tips and tricks that will help streamline your processes. Let’s get started!
What is Google Sheets?
Google Sheets is a free document collaboration app from Google that you can download to your computer or mobile device. It’s less feature-rich than other apps like Microsoft Excel, but it’s completely free and has just about everything you need if you’re looking for a way to track data or collaborate with colleagues or friends. At its core, Google Sheets is a spreadsheet app that allows you to create and manage multiple spreadsheets — and the best part is, these spreadsheets can be shared with other people.
Create a New Google Sheet
To create a new Google Sheet, you can either click the “New” button on your browser or select the “New” option from the menu bar. Many people will choose to name their spreadsheet with a name that will summarize the contents. Doing so will make it easier to understand what each spreadsheet contains at a glance. You can also use a visual theme to make your spreadsheet stand out from the rest. Click “File” and then “Create” to select a visual theme for your spreadsheets.
Import Data to Google Sheets
Google Sheets allows you to import data from a variety of sources, including Google Forms and other spreadsheets. To do so, simply click the “New” button on the browser, and then select the “Import” option. You can then select the data source you want to import and choose the type of data you want to import. Google Sheets supports 16 data types, including links, numbers, text, dates and times, email addresses, latitude and longitude, currency, etc.
Track Current Events with Timers
If you’re managing a team or are tracking your time for billing purposes, you can use a timer to keep track of events as they occur. To do this, create a new spreadsheet and input the information for the event at the top of the spreadsheet, followed by the time it occurred. Once done, you can add a visual indicator that the event occurred. This will make it easy to quickly see what events occurred, along with their duration.
Summarize Data With Functions
This is where Google Sheets really shines, and where most businesses will find it most useful. To summarize data, you can use a formula to add together numbers, average numbers, count numbers, determine percentages or display text. To create a formula, click on the cell where you want the formula to be applied and then select “Formulas” > “Edit” > “Enter” > “=”.
Organize Data with Formulas
Once you’ve created a formula, you can organize the data by pressing “Enter” or “Return”. This will apply the formula to the cell and display the data in the next cell.
Bottom Line
Google Sheets is a powerful tool that businesses of any size can use to manage spreadsheets with ease. It’s also completely free to use and can be accessed from any computer or mobile device. Although it may feel a bit overwhelming at first, taking the time to learn the basics of Google Sheets will help you streamline your processes, keep your team on track and make better business decisions.