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Early access expected in early 2021

Excel is one of the most powerful software products ever built, but it can be very intimidating. We'll teach you how to tame the beast and unlock your full productive potential.

Whether you're a total novice or seasoned Excel-pro, we'll walk you through all of the concepts, formulas, tips, and tricks you need to know to make Excel work for you. Designed specifically for local government analysts and managers, you'll work through real-world example projects that are relevant to your day-to-day. Along the way, we cover everything from the basics to advanced Excel-fu.

We've been using Excel for high-powered data analysis and automating routine tasks for nearly 20 years, and teaching what we've learned for more than 10. Taught by the data nerds from ZacTax, we bring industry-specific insights that generic Excel training courses can't offer you.

We've built financial forecasts, developed water rate models, created dynamic dashboards, and cleaned all of the ugly reports you've exported from whatever ERP system you might use. In this course, you'll learn:

How to get around
Where to find things, how to change settings, and helpful resources.
Understanding core concepts
From basic terminology to core Excel architecture concepts.
How Excel manages your data
Learn how Excel keeps track of your data under the hood and how to use that to your advantage.
Data Formatting
Modify how your data is shown on the screen using built-in, custom, and conditional data formatting.
Data Entry Options
From 10-key to CSV and everything in between (plus common gotchas).
Mastering your data with sorts and filters
From quick filters to intricate search predicates.
Working with formulas
An overview of how formulas work in Excel by covering some of the more basic options.
Text and Date formulas
Clean your data and impress your friends with your newfound abilities.
Logical formulas
Learn how to turn a simple true/false into a powerful data analysis tool.
Advanced logical formulas and lookups
From VLOOKUP to INDEX/MATCH, you'll be a master at keeping your data clean and reliable.
Other advanced formulas
We'll also cover some other useful but less common formulas for sampling, summarizing, and exploring your data.
Organizing for data analysis
Tips and tricks for keeping your spreadsheets under control while allowing for multiple types of analysis.
Data cleaning techniques
Lookup tables, validation, and other ways to maintain the integrity of your data.
Exploratory anaysis
Techniques for exploring your data to find interesting insights, trends, and places to dig deeper.
Pivot! Pivot!
Learn how to aggregate and summarize your data with pivot tables and charts.
Financial forecasting
Build an actual five-year financial forecast with dynamic variables.
Water rate model udpates
Use real water usage data to build a simple water rate model.
Permit report analysis
We'll import, clean, and analyze permit data, looking for trends in permit type, size, and location.
Dynamic Financial Dashboards
Finally, we'll build a financial dashboard report similar to what you might provide to your City Council each month.
Bonus: Data Visualization Tips
A bonus module with tips on how to make great data visualizations that clearly present your story.

Frequently asked questions

When will the course be available?

We're shooting for early access availability in Q1 2021.

How much content is included in the course?

The working syllabus includes around 50 lessons, most between 5-7 minutes long (although some of the example projects include slightly longer lessons on occassion). Some of the lessons include downloadable support materials when appropriate.

How much does it cost?

During the early access period, an individual license will be $200 ($250 once the early access period ends). That gets you forever access to the course and materials, plus any updates or errata that gets published in the future.

Can I get a student discount?

Yes! We can provide you with a discount code at checkout to take advantage of student pricing. We'll figure out how to handle that process when we get closer to launching.

Can I buy multiple licenses for my team at a discount?

Absolutely! During early access, you can get 3 licenses for $550, 5 for $875, and 10 for $1,500. If you need more, just reach out and we'll work with you. Bulk prices will be a little more after early access ends.

What is this early access stuff?

Early access will most likely be just an introductory pricing period, but we might even offer the ability to view the course before all of the content is published. Just know that if you purchase during early access, you'll get access to any and all content that is ultimately added to the course.

Can I download the videos?

Maybe. We haven't quite decided on that question yet, since it would be a lot easier to avoid the extra licenses. We hope the course is valuable enough that we won't need to worry about that!

How can I be notified when this course is published?

Easy peasy, just use the form below. We'll send you an email with updates as we get closer.

Want to receive course updates?

Sign up for and we'll let you know when it's available!

Early access expected in early 2021