Frequently Asked Questions
FAQ's
Frequently Asked Questions
If your question is not addressed below please contact us and we’ll answer you as quickly as possible…
What sized projects do you typically work on?
We work on various sized projects, from very small projects (under 8 hours) to large projects (over 100 hours).
Do you guarantee your work?
Yes, we guarantee that all of the spreadsheets that we create or modify will perform as promised. If at any time you find an issue with any of our work we will correct it as soon as possible at no charge.
How do you charge for your projects?
We typically charge on a per hour basis but also sometimes charge a flat fee. Our hourly rate varies slightly depending on the complexity of the work. Our rates are competitive, but if you are looking for the absolute lowest hourly rate, you will find other Excel consultants and Excel programmers (especially offshore) who offer a lower rate than we do. However, because of our vast wealth of experience in a wide range of projects we are often able to complete projects much faster than other consultants, so our overall cost remains very competitive.
How do you approach a new project?
We start by investing our own time to understand your environment, business needs and Excel challenges. Once we understand these, we focus on how to save you time and money using Excel. We design a solution and provide a written estimate of that solution. After you approve our solution and estimate we begin work. If the project requires less work than estimated, we charge only for actual hours worked. If the project requires more work than estimated, we charge only the estimated amount.
Do you ever turn down a project?
Believe it or not, yes we do. If we think that the cost of a project exceeds the benefit to our client we will decline the project, explain why and offer suggestions on how to better solve the business need. Excel is a phenonemal business tool, but not always the best tool for a given task. We will also turn down an engagement if we do not think that we can successfully complete the project within the client's stated budget. Other Excel consultants may take such an engagement, knowing that they cannot complete the project within budget, only to ask for more money after the project has started.
What industries do you have experience in?
We have experience in a wide variety of industries, most notably: finance, real estate, construction, accounting and insurance. Our deep technical experience with Excel and broad business background makes us effective in any industry we have worked in. We are not just Excel consultants and Excel programmers - we are business people as well.
What if we only have a quick Excel question?
We are happy to help clients and prospective clients with simple Excel questions, free of charge. If you have a question visit the Contact Us page and complete the form. On a related topic, clients sometimes require small changes to spreadsheets that we previously worked on. Depending on the size of the change we often complete these changes free of charge, or for a very nominal fee.
Are you ever able to leverage work that you have done previously?
Directly, no - indirectly, yes. Any Excel consulting work that we do for a client is owned by that client and we do not sell it to other clients. However, every project we complete adds to our depth of knowledge and often allows us to complete similar projects in a shorter time. As mentioned above, because of our vast wealth of experience in a wide range of projects we are often able to complete projects much faster than others.
Are your clients allowed to modify spreadsheets after you have completed them?
Yes, clients own the spreadsheets we create and are free to change them in any way they wish. This may become more difficult with more complex spreadsheets, especially those that include VBA code; however, we always build our spreadsheets so that they can be easily modified and so that they don't break when minor changes are made. So even if we need to make future modifications, we can often complete them very quickly for a small fee.
Do you "farm out" any of the work that you do?
No, we complete all of the Excel consulting work ourselves. We do not use any contractors and all work is performed in California. You will always speak to and work directly with the person completing the work on your project.
What versions of Excel do you work with?
As an Excel consultant and Excel programmer with 25 years of experience, we work with all versions of Excel, but work primarily with Excel 2010, 2013 and 2016 the three most widely used versions today. As more of our clients switch to Excel 2013 and 2016 we perform more of our work in those versions. Please let us know if you have questions about the differences between the various versions of Excel.