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September 20, 2012 Leave a Comment

Instructional Guide “9 Essential Excel 2010 Skills” – Download for Free

Instructional Guide "9 Essential Excel 2010 Skills"

Instructional Guide “9 Essential Excel 2010 Skills”

I want you to discover the scope of the Excel Training that I offer on my new video tutorial, “9 Essential Excel 2010 Skills.” So, I am offering the PDF of the Step-by-Step Instructional Guide that accompanies the video tutorial.

Link to The Company Rocks Free Resources Page

Click on this link to begin the download process for the Instructional Guide.

Instructions for Downloading the Free Instructional Guide

  1. Add this product to your secure shopping cart at my website.
  2. During Checkout, you can choose to either Register or Shop as a Guest
  3. You will need to provide a valid email address in order to receive the actual link to download my Instructional Guide.
  4. Even though you will be downloading this product, I had to set it up as a physical product with “Free Shipping.”
  5. Shortly after you complete the checkout process you will receive an email that contains a hyperlink to the file that you will download.
  6. You will be downloading a “zipped” file. So, once the download is completed, be sure to “unzip” this file!
  7. I created my Instructional Guide using the free Adobe Acrobat Reader.

Read the Instructional Guide and then Purchase my Video!

I am convinced that once you see the scope of the training in Excel 2010 that I offer, you will want to purchase the video tutorial. I offer my video in tow versions:

List of the “9 Essential Excel 2010 Skills”

9 Essential Skills for Excel 2010

9 Essential Skills for Excel 2010 Video Tutorial

These are the 9 Essential Skills that I have identified for my video tutorial:

  1. Entering Data Efficiently in Excel 2010
  2. Selecting Cell Ranges Efficiently in Excel 2010
  3. Creating and Using Named Cell Ranges in Excel 2010
  4. Applying Styles and Formatting to Excel 2010 Worksheets
  5. Working with Structured Data Sets in Excel 2010
  6. Working with Excel 2010 Formulas and Functions
  7. Using Paste Special Options in Excel 2010
  8. Using Data Validation in Excel 2010
  9. Using Excel 2010 “What-if” Analysis Tools

Excel 2010 Practice Files Included

When you purchase my video tutorial, you receive the same Excel 2010 Worksheets that I used while filming each of the 25 video tutorials. Using the same files as you view my videos, you will be able to practice your new skills. And, of course, you also receive the same Instructional Guide that I am offering for free!

I welcome your feedback! Please send me your comments via email – danny@thecompanyrocks.com – or by adding a comment below.

Thank you!

 

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Filed Under: COUNTIF and SUMIF Functions, Data Validation, Everyday Calculations in Excel, Excel Basics, Excel Data Tables and Lists, Excel Formulas, Excel Functions, Excel Training, Format Cells in Excel, Goal Seek in Excel, MS Excel Tips, MS Excel Training, Names for Cells and Ranges, New in Excel 2010, Online Store for The Company Rocks, Subtotals and Outlines in Excel, SUMIF and SUMIFS Functions, Video Training Courses, What-if Analysis Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
September 8, 2012 Leave a Comment

Review for my Latest Publication – “9 Essential Skills for Excel 2010”

Main Menu Essential Skills for Excel

Main Menu for “9 Essential Excel Skills”

I just received a fabulous review, from one of my viewers, for my video tutorial, “9 Essential Skills for Excel 2010.”

Read this Review

Product Reviews

It’s really a master piece!!

Posted by Tamoghna on 8th Sep 2012

“I was a beta tester of “9 Essential Excel Skills- Excel 2010” by Danny Rocks. In one word this is an excellent resource for anyone who wants to master those essential skills which are required to use excel professionally. There are total 9 chapters which consist of a series of dense but brief video lessons.

The lessons have been planned in a careful way so that the viewers are introduced from simple to more complex topics.

Surely you are going to be amazed by the incredible picture and sound quality of the videos. I had a feeling as if I was watching an excel movie while putting my head phone. Danny has several qualities as an instructor. His pace of delivery and voice modulation is just fantastic and if you are not an absolute excel-newbie watching a video just one time is enough. Before starting each lesson he gives a brief introduction so that you can connect what you learned in the previous lesson. He also repeats and stresses some part which you will find really helpful.

Another great take away from this video tutorial is a bunch of great keyboard shortcuts and best excel practices which you can expect only from an excel veteran. Among so many other things I was left with surprise why I didn’t use “page layout view” and “vertical alignment formatting” before! Even if you are an advanced excel user surely you are going to learn a lot of useful tricks including some commonly encountered gotchas and how to avoid them.

I won’t be taken aback If this product goes every corner of the excel user community and becomes best seller in this field.”

Learn More About My Video Tutorial

I have produced the “9 Essential Skills for Excel 2010” in two formats:

Both versions include 4 hours of video instruction. 25 individual video tutorials. The Excel Practice files that I used while filming the video tutorials. A PDF of the Step-by-step Instructional Guide that I created for these video lessons.

Version for Excel 2007 Now Available!

DVD-ROM, "9 Essential Excel 2007 Skills"

DVD-ROM, “9 Essential Excel 2007 Skills”

I have just published “9 Essential Excel 2007 Skills” for DVD-ROM. Click to to get more information about my latest publication.

Secure Shopping at The Company Rocks

You can use a secure shopping cart to purchase my products at my online shopping website – http://shop.thecompanyrocks.com

 

 

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Filed Under: Excel Training, Online Store for The Company Rocks, Reviews, Video Training Courses Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
December 2, 2011 Leave a Comment

How to Return Either an Approximate or Exact Match for VLOOKUP Function

Matches with VLOOKUP

Matches with VLOOKUP

One of my viewers asked me to explain – with examples – how and when to choose either an Approximate or an Exact Match using the VLOOKUP Function in Excel. .

Approximate Match for VLOOKUP

The Approximate Match is the Default setting for Vlookup. This means that you can either omit the 4th, optional, argument or use the word TRUE. However, as you will see in this video tutorial, there are other considerations to consider in order to get the correct result that you are looking for.

Exact Match for VLOOKUP

In the example that I use on the Video Tutorial, I am setting up an Employee Payroll worksheet. I definitely want to have an Exact Match for each employee to ensure that they are getting the correct amount of compensation for the hours that they worked during this period. Watch the tutorial to see how I set this up.

Watch Tutorial in High Definition

Follow this link to watch this Excel Tutorial in High Definition on my YouTube Channel – DannyRocksExcels

Get More Excel Tips

I invite you to visit my online shopping website – http://shop.thecompanyrocks.com – to preview the many resources that I offer. Here is the link to go directly to the information page for my DVD-ROM, “The 50 Best TIps for Excel 2007.”

 

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Filed Under: Excel Training, Lookup Functions in Excel, YouTube Videos by Danny Rocks Tagged: , , , , , , ,
September 5, 2011 Leave a Comment

How to Use Criteria in Excel Functions and Filters

Criteria for Advanced Filter

Criteria for Advanced Filter

When you apply a Filter to an Excel data set, you use Criteria. In a filter, only the records that can answer “TRUE” to the criteria that you set will appear. The records that answer “FALSE” are hidden while the filter remains in place.

Logical Functions

The IF(), AND() and OR() Functions belong to a group of Logical Functions. In their function arguments, they evaluate a “Logical Test” and can perform one action is the answer is “TRUE” and a different action if “FALSE.” 

  • The AND() Function – each of the Logical Tests must be met in order to return the answer “TRUE.”
  • The OR() Function – if any condition is met, the answer that is returned is “TRUE.”
  • I frequently “Nest” an AND() Function or an OR() Function inside an IF() Function to test multiple criteria.

Advanced Filters in Excel

While many Excel users are familiar with Filtering, in my experience, I find that many people get confused when it comes to using Advanced Filters. In this video tutorial, I try to eliminate this confusion. Watch and you will learn how to:

  • Write Criteria for Advanced Filters using “AND” criteria and “OR” Criteria.
  • Copy the “Filtered Records” to another location
  • Use the Keyboard Shortcut Ctrl + Shift + L to quickly “toggle” normal filter drop-down menus on or off.

 

Watch Tutorial in High Definition

Follow this link to watch this Excel Tutorial in High Defintion on my YouTube Channel – DannyRocksExcels

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Filed Under: Data Filters and Queries, Excel Functions, Excel Training, YouTube Videos by Danny Rocks Tagged: , , , , , , , , , ,
June 25, 2011 Leave a Comment

Create a Custom Excel Function to Replace Formulas with Multiple IF Functions

Multiple Nested IF Functions

Multiple Nested IF Functions

Do you get tied up in a knot trying to write – let alone explain – a formula that has one IF Function nested inside another, and another…? I know that I do! And, what happens when your sales manager wants to revise the tiers for the quantity discounts? How many hours will this take you to review your logic and to make all of those multiple changes?

Usually, this will mean a lot of time, a lot of frustration and possibly some resentment thrown in as well!

Well, relax. I am going to demonstrate how easy it is to write a custom function in Excel using the “Select Case” Construct to replace the “rat’s nest” of multiple IF Functions in your formulas!

Scenario for this Function

You have been asked by your Sales Manager to write a formula to grant a discount, based upon the quantity of units ordered. There are 5 Tiers: Below 5 units ordered, no discount. From 6 to 24 units, a 10% discount, etc. Rather than spending a half hour nesting IF() functions and using AND() functions to create this formula, spend less than 10 minutes creating a Custom Excel Function instead.

Create the Custom Excel Function

  • Begin by opening the Visual Basic Editor. One way to do this is right-click any worksheet tab and select “View Code.”
  • Ensure that you have inserted a Module in the Project Explorer and that you have selected the module.
  • In the example that I use on this video tutorial, my first line of code is: “Function DiscQty(quantity)” and this is matched to an “End Function” statement
  • For this Custom Function, I am using the “Select Case” Construct in Visual Basic (VBA). Think of the keyword “Case” as a substitute for the =IF() Function.
  •  Rather than nesting the Excel =AND() Function inside the IF() Function, you will substitute – e.g. “Case 6 To 24” and then “DiscQty = 0.1” to indicate a 10% discount for quantities between 6 AND 24.

Watch the video to see how easy is is to create – and use – this custom Excel function. Invest the 7 minutes and 47 seconds to watch it – I guarantee that this investment of time will pay you many dividends for years and years to come!

View This Video Tutorial in High Definition

Follow this link to watch this Excel Video Tutorial in High Definition on my YouTube Channel – DannyRocksExcels.

Create Custom Excel Function to Replace Formulas with Multiple IF Functions [ 7:47 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (1742)
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Filed Under: Excel Functions, Excel Macros, Excel Training, Excel VBA Macros, Podcast Tips & Timesavers Tagged: , , , , , , , ,
April 3, 2011 Leave a Comment

How to Search For and Use Text Strings in Excel

A viewer asked for my help in creating a report that will group his customers’ email addresses by their “domain name.” For example, he wants to be group all customers with gmail addresses . Likewise, his  customers’ yahoo mail, aol.com accounts, etc.

Pivot Table for Email Domains

Pivot Table Email Domains

I immediately decided to use two powerful Excel tools to produce this report:

  1. Text-to-Columns to create two columns (name and domain) from one text value (the email address).
  2. Pivot Table Report to group and present customer emails by domain name.

Both tools work great and I produced the report with only a few mouse clicks!

The response that I got from my viewer was, “That’s great Danny. But …”

It turns out that the viewer wanted to have the Domain Names as the Field Headers and to show each customer’s email address as a row going down vertically in the corresponding field. To give my viewer the report that he wanted, I used these tools and techniques:

  • I returned to the Pivot Table to copy the unique list of domain names.
  • I used Paste Special – Transpose to convert the vertical list of domain names into a horizontal row of Field Headers.
  • I began to build my “Mega-formula” by taking “baby steps” – i.e. I created one formula and then “nested” it inside additional formulas and functions.
  • For the first “baby step” formula I used the SEARCH() Function.
  • Next, I “nested” this formula as the “logical test” inside an IF() Function.
  • In order to “hide” all of the formula error signs, I nested both of these functions inside the NEW IFERROR() Function.
  • IFERROR() was introduced in Excel 2007 and I now consider it to be “indispensable!” This function, alone, makes upgrading to either Excel 2007 or Excel 2010 a “nobrainer” decision!

I enjoy answering questions from my viewers. Many of these questions can be answered from one of the lessons on my DVD-ROM, “The 50 Best Tips for Excel 2007.” For the rest, I try to create a video lesson that demonstrates how to get the answers that you – my viewers and customers – are looking for.

Keep your questions and suggestions coming! I enjoy receiving feedback from you!

I invite you to subscribe to my RSS Feed on Feedburner to be automatically notified whenever I publish a new Excel Video Tutorial.

Watch this Excel Video in High Definition on YouTube

Here is the link to watch this video on my YouTube Channel – DannyRocksExcels

Searching for Text Strings in Excel [ 9:36 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (1139)
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Filed Under: Excel Training, New in Excel 2007, Pivot Tables, Podcast Tips & Timesavers, Text Functions Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , ,
March 4, 2011 1 Comment

Create a Pivot Table for a Water or Hydrological Year

A viewer asked for my help in creating a Pivot Table Report that is based on a Water Year – also known as a Hydrological Year. In North America, a Water Year begins on October 1 and ends on September 30. If you use a Fiscal Year in your reporting, you will want to watch this Excel Training Video Lesson.

Pivot Table for Water Year

Pivot Table for Water Year

Add Two Fields to Source Data

In order for a Pivot Table to summarize non-calendar years and quarters you will need to have two additional fields in your source data:

  1. A Fiscal Year (Water Year) Field – Use the IF(), MONTH() and YEAR() Functions to produce this.
  2. A Fiscal Quarter (Hydrological) Quarter Field – Use the CHOOSE() Function to produce this.

Now you are ready to create your Pivot Table Report.

Group Dates by Month and Year

Begin by grouping the Date Field by Month and Year – not, in this case, by Quarter. Now, remove the new Year field that you just created and add in the Water Year Field and the Hydrological Quarter to the Pivot Table. Continue to arrange the Pivot Table to suit your needs.

Since there is no direct way to change a Calender Year into a Fiscal Year or Water Year, you must prepare your data prior to beginning to create your Pivot Table. Now that you have watched this video lesson, you know how to do this!

Learn how to “Quickly Create Excel Pivot Tables and Charts”

Related Excel Video Lessons

Follow this link to watch this video in High Definition mode on my YouTube Channel – DannyRocksExcels

Create a Pivot Table for a Water or Hydrologic Year [ 9:37 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (1249)
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Filed Under: Excel Functions, Excel Training, Pivot Tables, Podcast Tips & Timesavers Tagged: , , , , , , , , , ,
February 2, 2011 Leave a Comment

How to Use Date Functions and Date Formatting in Excel

In this lesson, I respond to two recent requests from viewers for help in Using DATE Functions in Excel and also, how to apply Custom Date Formatting. I get similar requests on a frequent basis from both viewers and clients.

Solve Problem #1 

My first viewer wants help in using the DATE() Function in Excel. She wants to calculate a date that is 90 days after the starting date for a project. She encountered two problems

  1. Initially, the DATE() Function produced and error – because she forgot to ‘nest” the YEAR(), MONTH()+9, DAY() Functions inside the DATE() Function.
  2. She was not expecting a date to be filled in the formulas column when there was no starting date for the project – She needed to include an IF() function to perform a LOGICAL TEST – Does  the Starting Date = 0, Value if TURE, ” ” (to display nothing), Value if FALSE – to perform the calculation.
Excel Custom Date Formats

Excel Custom Date Formats

Solve Problem #2

My second viewer wanted my help to ensure that the date values that he “pasted” into a range of cells were in the (Custom) format of “yyyy-mm-dd” (Year, Month, Date).

In this case, we need to take two steps:

  1. Format the destination cells using the CUSTOM FORMAT of yyyy-mm-dd that we create.
  2. After “Pasting” the Copied Cells, use the “Paste Options” dialog box to select – “Match Destination Formatting.”

I also demonstrate how to use the NETWORKDAYS() Function and the WORKDAY() Function – with an optional list of “Holidays” to exclude. And, finally, I show you the “pitfalls” that occur when you import a “text” file of dates that use a variety of formats. In order to perform DATE calculations, a date must be stored as a NUMBER in Excel. It must be right-aligned in the cell.

You can watch this Excel Video Lesson in High Definition, Full Screen Mode on my YouTube Channel – DannyRocksExcel – by clicking this link.

Learn to “Master Excel in Minutes – Not Months!”

How to Use Date Functions and Apply Date Formatting in Excel [ 12:06 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (1075)
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Filed Under: Date Functions and Formats in Excel, Excel Training, Podcast Tips & Timesavers Tagged: , , , , , , , , ,
December 27, 2010 2 Comments

How to Apply Criteria for Advanced Filters in Excel

You want to use Excel to do more than just store data. You want to use Excel Filters in order to get information from your data set. In order to Filter the data, you need to create and apply criteria.

Options for Filtering Data:

Advanced Filter Dialog Box

Advanced Filtering

  • Use the built-in AutoFilters – And, starting with Excel 2007 these include “Natural Language Filters!”
  • Use the Advanced Filter Dialog Box and your own Criteria Range – that is what I demonstrate in this lesson.

Now – since Excel 2007 – that the built-in filters include Date Filters, Text Filters and Number Filters, I do not use the Advanced Filter as much as in the past. However, there are at least two “must have” reasons to use Advanced Filters:

  1. To use “Calculated Field” criteria for your filters – e.g. to create a filter from a field that is not in your data set.
  2. To extract “Unique Records” that meet your criteria – and to copy them to another location.

I demonstrate both of these “must haves” in this video lesson.

How to Create an Advanced Filter

  1. Begin by inserting several blank rows above your Excel Data Set. These new rows will be used for your Criteria Range.
  2. Copy the Data Labels to the top row of your new Criteria Range. I like to link these with a formula – e.g. =A8 to maintain consistency with the Data Labels.
  3. Type or copy the values, comparison operators or formulas for your criteria in the row(s) below your criteria labels.
  4. Go to the Data Tab on the Ribbon and choose the Advanced Filter Command and use the Dialog Box Options.

Distinguish “OR” criteria from “AND” criteria

  • “OR” criteria use separate rows in your criteria range. You are selecting the records that match one OR more criteria.
  • “AND” criteria are written on the SAME ROW. You are filtering for records that match ALL the criteria on that row of your criteria range.

Computed Criteria in Filters

With Advanced Filters, you can use Computed Criteria for your filters. The formula must return a value that is either TRUE or FALSE. And the Label for your computed criteria CANNOT be the same as the labels in your data set.

In this lesson I show you how to filter for Invoices that have been paid – but paid “late” – after the “due date.”

Extract Unique Records with Advanced Filter

I show you how to copy the unique records – your list of customers – to a new worksheet. This is a great tip that I picked up by reading John Walkenbach’s books! Watch the video to see how this is done.

Watch My Video in High Definition

Click here to watch this video lesson in High Definition, Full Screen Mode on the DannyRocksExcels YouTube Channel.

Master Excel in Minutes Resources

I have created extended length video tutorials for Excel. I invite you to visit my online shopping website to: Learn how to “Master Excel in Minutes – Not Months!”

How to Apply Advanced Filters in Excel [ 10:45 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (1445)
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Filed Under: Data Filters and Queries, Excel Training, Podcast Tips & Timesavers, YouTube Videos by Danny Rocks Tagged: , , , , , , , ,
August 20, 2010 8 Comments

Excel Training Videos by Category

Here is a listing, by category – with hyperlinks – to the free Excel Training Videos that I offer on The Company Rocks website. Simply click on the hyperlink for each Category to go directly to the Archive of Excel videos in that category. 

Note: Some of my Excel Videos are listed in multiple categories.

Excel Tip List

Excel Tips

The companion page to this one is, “Index of Excel Video Training Lessons.” In the Index you will see the title of each Excel Video Tutorial listed beneath the category.

If you like the free videos that I offer, I guarantee that you will enjoy my DVD – “The 50 Best Tips for Excel 2007” – now on sale here on my website.

Learn how you can “Master Excel in Minutes – Not Months!”

Learn how to quickly “Create Pivot Tables and Charts.”

Excel Training Video Lessons – by Category:

“The 50 Best Tips for Excel 2007” DVD is now on sale!

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