FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

We understand that you may have some questions about our products or services, so we have listed some frequently asked questions below. If you do not find the answer to your question below, please contact us and ask us, we would be happy to answer it.

Do you mainly make spreadsheets for bookkeeping?

No. This is one of the most common misconceptions of what we do, I am constantly hearing the comment ‘oh, for bookkeepers and accountants’ when I explain what I do. Most of the spreadsheets we do are project management, process mapping CRM or data analysis spreadsheets. In fact, in the first 5 years of business, we only made 1 bookkeeping spreadsheet. The one we use. Since making tax digital (MTD) was announced, we have started making more of them. This is only because they now have to be compatible up with 3rd party software solutions. If it weren’t for MTD, we wouldn’t have even made bookkeeping spreadsheets. Having said that if you need a spreadsheet for your finances, or anything else, please get in touch. Here are some types of bespoke spreadsheets which we have done, and a list of 40 problems we have solved using spreadsheets.

How much will a bespoke spreadsheet cost?

This is a very difficult question to answer as they are all different. We will look at what you need and then supply you with a quote for a fixed full fee. If you give us the go-ahead, only then will you begin to be charged. We will not charge you more than the quoted price unless you make considerable changes. We do not charge an hourly rate, but a price per project (for bespoke spreadsheets). As an idea of price, the smallest project we have undertaken was around £150, and the largest around £2500. The price of your spreadsheet will be determined by how complicated it is, and how long it will take us. As I said, you will not be charged anything until you accept our quote. If you’d like to know more about our process, you can find out more here. At the moment we are NOT VAT registered, so we will not charge VAT.

When will I need to pay for my spreadsheet?
The required payments will be laid out on your quote, but we usually have up to 3 payments as follows. For large jobs we could ask for 3 payments, a deposit, an interim payment during the project, and the final payment when the project is complete. For smaller jobs we may only ask for the deposit invoice and the final invoice. Sometimes, for existing clients or really small jobs, we may only ask for the final invoice. When we hand over the final version of the spreadsheet (before the final invoice is paid), the spreadsheet will have an expiry date when it will stop working properly. Once the final invoice has been paid, we will issue you with the final version of the spreadsheet, which will not expire.
How long will it take to make a bespoke spreadsheet?

Much like the price, this is very difficult to answer. Based on experience, we can have a simple spreadsheet done in a day or two, and some of the larger spreadsheets can take around a month. We have very seldom had projects which have taken over a month due to time restraints on our side. When you accept a quote for a project, we will be able to advise how long the project will take.

Can you adapt a standard product spreadsheet to my requirements?
This is the beauty of Excel, yes we can. We make standard products not only to sell, but also to show you what is possible. The last thing we want is for you to have to squash your business into a standard template, we want you to have what you need. If the standard templates work for you, then that is great. If they don’t, then let us know. We can either adapt the standard version to have your suggestions (if we think that everyone will like the changes), or we can adapt your version to suit you. Depending on the changes we may need to charge you for upgrades, but as usual, we will quote you before we do anything.
Can I buy a spreadsheet and sell it to others?

No. The intellectual property of all created spreadsheets remains ours. If you feel that there is a product which you could sell to your clients, please get in touch and chat with us about it. We are happy to discuss mutually beneficial collaborations with regards to this, as long as we are made aware of your intentions before hand.

What version of Excel do I need to use these spreadsheets?

We use Office 365, so that our spreadsheets are always using the most up to date version of Excel. If you are doing the same, you should have no issues. If you use older versions of Excel, you may well have issues. There have been some fairly big changes to the functions on offer recently, so if you’re using a version other than Office 365, you may experience some issues. Whatever version of Excel you’re using, please try some of the spreadsheets before you buy them (standard products) to see if they work properly. If you’re looking for a bespoke option, then let us know what version of Excel you’re using, so we can advise. Often we can create a spreadsheet to work in an older version, if we know that’s what you’ll be using.

Can I use other spreadsheet platforms if I don't have Excel?
Usually, no. Other spreadsheet platforms are just not as good as Excel, and especially not the latest version. As for Google Sheets and Open Office, we can make simple spreadsheets to be used on either of those platforms, but they are seriously limited with what they can do. If we know you plan to use either of them, we can make a plan as we have both of these platforms too. If you want to use Numbers (on a Mac), we can’t help you. We do not use Macs, but we understand that Numbers is seriously lacking, and we’ll be surprised if our spreadsheets work using Numbers. The best option to use if you don’t have Excel is a product called LibreOffice. We have LibreOffice, so we can make sure your spreadsheet works using this platform if need be. It looks a little ‘1980s’ but it is by far the best platform when it comes to available functions. In our opinion, then best option is to use the latest version of Excel.
Do you fix existing spreadsheets which you did not make?

Sometimes. If you have a spreadsheet which you (or someone else has made) and you need help with it, then get in touch. If you have specific questions, let let us know, as we’re always looking for ideas for our DIY video range. We may use your question to do a video. Otherwise we do offer to take a look at an existing spreadsheet if you need help. If we do this, we may offer one of the following solutions: a) We may just fix it for you, with no charge. b) We may quote you to fix it. c) We may suggest a new spreadsheet, and give you a quote. d) We may tell you how to fix it, or point you to a video which will help you. It is often easier to make a new spreadsheet than it is to try and figure out what someone else has made. If we do suggest a new spreadsheet, it is not because we’re trying to make money, but just because it is the better solution for that spreadsheet.

Do you write macros or use formulas?
We are stronger with using formulas than we are with macros. Macros are becoming less popular as they do not work on Excel Online, or the Excel App. We are making more and more macro-free spreadsheets as a result of this. If your project specifically needs macros, we have people that we can outsource to (if we can’t do them ourselves). We do not do macro-only work. If you think that your projects needs macros, please don’t let that turn you away. Rather get in touch and let us know what you need, as there is often a way to get things done without macros.
Can I buy one spreadsheet for many users?

Our spreadsheets are sold either per business or per user, depending on the spreadsheet. If you’re not sure about this, please just get in touch and ask, we’ll be happy to explain. If you do need a spreadsheet which you plan to distribute to many users, please chat to us about it. We do offer substantial discounts if you wish to buy multiple copies of a spreadsheet for various people to use (their own copy). If you want your branding on a specific product, which can be available for your clients/staff/contractors to purchase, let us know too, that is also an option we offer.

Will my spreadsheet be branded for my business?
If you purchase a bespoke solution, then yes, it will be branded for your business. We will ask for your business logo, so that we can use it on the spreadsheet. We will often use your business colour scheme for the spreadsheet headers. We make each spreadsheet specifically for each client, so we like to make it as custom made as possible, and this includes the colour scheme. If you purchase a product from our store (which are already made), then they will be in our colour scheme and will not be branded for your business.
How will I know how to use my spreadsheet?
The store products come with a demo video, to show you how to use each product. As for bespoke options, we will always hand them over to you and explain how to use them correctly. If you plan to have staff using the spreadsheet, then please let us know, as we can then make you a demo video for your product. This is not standard practice, but can be done if requested. We do include important notes on the individual sheets of the spreadsheets where required, but they are not conclusive. If all else fails, and you forget how to use your spreadsheet, just give us a call and we will help you.
What can I do before we meet, to prepare to discuss a new spreadsheet?
When we’re discussing spreadsheet requirements with a new potential client, we usually ask the following questions:

  1. Do you currently use a spreadsheet, software package, or other template?
  2. What data (or information) do you have to put into the spreadsheet, and how do you wish to do that (copy and paste, manually enter)?
  3. What do you wish to get out of the spreadsheet?

We ask these questions because we want to establish what the client wants to achieve, and if they have the right data to do so. We also want to know if the client wants to manually add data or to copy and paste the data. This will determine the layout of their spreadsheet. We also want to know what they are currently using, so that we can see how their process works. If they already have templates, and wish for the new spreadsheets to match their existing templates, then we can do that to.

We may obviously have other questions for you, when we understand what you need, but these questions almost always come up. If you’d like to meet with us, you may want to consider your answers to these questions.

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