Author Archives: Mark Neustedt

Spreadsheet Formulas for Advanced Users: High-Impact Techniques to Make Excel Work Like a Lightweight Database

Posted on July 18, 2026 by Mark Neustedt

Last updated: July 18, 2026 Quick Answer: Excel can function as a lightweight database when you combine its built-in database functions (DSUM, DGET, DAVERAGE), modern lookup formulas (INDEX/MATCH, XLOOKUP), and dynamic array tools (FILTER, UNIQUE, SORT). These spreadsheet formulas for … Continue reading →

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Google Sheets vs Excel in 2026: Complete Feature-by-Feature Comparison for Serious Spreadsheet Work

Posted on July 17, 2026 by Mark Neustedt

Last updated: July 17, 2026 Quick Answer: Google Sheets is the better choice for real-time collaboration, AI-assisted analysis with Gemini, and zero-cost access. Microsoft Excel wins for large datasets, advanced financial modeling, Power Query, VBA automation, and offline-first workflows. The … Continue reading →

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SUMIF, COUNTIF, and Beyond: Master Conditional Aggregation in Excel for Everyday Tasks

Posted on July 16, 2026 by Mark Neustedt

Last updated: July 16, 2026 Quick Answer: SUMIF and COUNTIF are Excel functions that add up or count cells only when a condition is met, for example, totaling sales from one region or counting how many tasks are marked “Done.” … Continue reading →

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Custom Cursors and Keyboard Automation for Faster Spreadsheet Work: How Power Users Speed Up Excel and Google Sheets

Posted on July 15, 2026 by Mark Neustedt

Last updated: July 15, 2026 Quick Answer: Custom cursors and keyboard automation for faster spreadsheet work let power users navigate, select, and enter data in Excel and Google Sheets with far fewer mouse clicks. By combining built-in keyboard shortcuts with … Continue reading →

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Excel Text Functions: How to Extract, Combine, and Clean Text

Posted on July 14, 2026 by Mark Neustedt

Last updated: July 14, 2026 Quick Answer: Excel text functions let you pull out parts of a string, join values from multiple cells, and scrub messy data, all without touching each cell by hand. Functions like LEFT, RIGHT, MID, TRIM, … Continue reading →

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Google Apps Script vs Excel Macros: No‑Code and Low‑Code Automation Options Compared

Posted on July 13, 2026 by Mark Neustedt

Last updated: July 13, 2026 Quick Answer: Google Apps Script and Excel Macros are both powerful automation tools, but they serve different ecosystems. Google Apps Script runs in the cloud and connects natively with Gmail, Drive, and Google Sheets, while … Continue reading →

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Spreadsheet Equations for Real Analytics: How to Build Reusable Calculation Blocks in Excel and Google Sheets

Posted on July 12, 2026 by Mark Neustedt

Last updated: July 12, 2026 Quick Answer: Reusable calculation blocks are self-contained formula modules, named ranges, LAMBDA functions, or structured table references, that you build once and apply across multiple sheets, reports, or projects without rewriting logic. In both Excel … Continue reading →

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Spreadsheet Formulas in Google Sheets vs Excel: Key Syntax Differences, Missing Functions, and How to Translate Your Skills

Posted on July 11, 2026 by Mark Neustedt

Last updated: July 11, 2026 Quick Answer: Google Sheets and Excel share the same core formula language, functions like SUM, IF, and VLOOKUP work identically in both. But about 20-30% of formulas have subtle syntax differences, missing equivalents, or behavioral … Continue reading →

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Excel Keyboard Shortcuts for Busy Professionals: The 80/20 List That Makes You Faster

Posted on July 10, 2026 by Mark Neustedt

Last updated: July 10, 2026 Quick Answer: The vast majority of time saved in Excel comes from a small set of keyboard shortcuts covering navigation, selection, data entry, and formatting. Mastering roughly 20 core shortcuts handles about 80% of daily … Continue reading →

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Excel for Data Analysis: From Raw Spreadsheet to Insightful Dashboard

Posted on July 9, 2026 by Mark Neustedt

Last updated: July 9, 2026 Quick Answer: Excel for data analysis covers the full journey from raw spreadsheet to insightful dashboard using built-in tools like Tables, PivotTables, PivotCharts, and formulas. You clean your data first, structure it as an Excel … Continue reading →

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