Custom Spreadsheet Design

Create tailored spreadsheets to help businesses run more efficiently.

About Custom Spreadsheet Design

What is Spreadsheet Design?

Custom spreadsheet design means building Excel or Google Sheets solutions that help businesses track data, automate calculations, and make decisions. Most business owners know basic spreadsheets but don't know how to build the systems they actually need.

That's where you come in. You create budgets, inventory trackers, project management tools, dashboards, and automated reports that save businesses hours every week.

Why This Work Exists

Most People Don't Know Spreadsheets

The average person uses maybe 5% of Excel's features. They struggle with:

Formulas beyond SUM and AVERAGE
Organizing data properly
Automating repetitive tasks
Creating useful visualizations

Businesses Run on Spreadsheets

Before companies can afford fancy software, they use spreadsheets for everything:

Tracking finances
Managing inventory
Scheduling projects
Analyzing sales
Reporting to stakeholders

What You Can Build

Common Projects

Type	Complexity	Typical Price
Budget tracker	Simple	$75-200
Invoice template	Simple	$50-150
Project tracker	Medium	$200-500
Inventory system	Medium	$300-800
Sales dashboard	Complex	$500-1,500
Automated reports	Complex	$800-2,500

Template Products

Sell the same spreadsheet multiple times on Gumroad:

Personal budgets: $10-30
Business trackers: $25-75
Industry-specific tools: $50-200

Skills to Learn

Essential (Learn First)

VLOOKUP and XLOOKUP
IF, AND, OR statements
SUMIFS, COUNTIFS
Pivot tables
Data validation
Conditional formatting

Intermediate

INDEX/MATCH
Array formulas
Charts and dashboards
Named ranges
Data cleaning

Advanced

VBA macros (Excel)
Google Apps Script
Power Query
Dynamic arrays

Where to Learn (Free)

YouTube tutorials
ExcelJet.net
Google's own documentation
r/excel and r/googlesheets

You can go from beginner to capable freelancer in 2-3 months of consistent learning.

Finding Work

Freelance Platforms

Upwork - Lots of spreadsheet jobs
Fiverr - Good for template gigs
Freelancer.com

Direct Outreach

Small businesses that need help:

Real estate agents
E-commerce stores
Service businesses
Nonprofits
Local retailers

Your Network

Friends who run businesses
Former coworkers
Facebook groups for small business owners
Local business associations

Pricing Your Work

Hourly vs. Project

Model	Best For
Hourly ($25-60/hr)	Unclear scope, ongoing work
Per project	Defined deliverables

What Affects Price

How complex is it?
How much time will it take?
How valuable is it to them?
What's your experience level?

Start lower to build experience and testimonials, then raise rates.

Project Process

1. Discovery Call

Understand what they need:

What problem are they solving?
What data do they have?
How will they use it?
What's their deadline?

2. Quote and Agreement

Define exactly what you'll deliver
Set a price and timeline
Get agreement in writing

3. Build It

Create the structure
Add formulas and automation
Make it user-friendly
Test everything

4. Deliver and Train

Walk them through how to use it
Answer questions
Make small adjustments
Get paid

Selling Templates

Why Templates Work

Build once, sell forever:

Create a polished spreadsheet
Write simple instructions
List on Gumroad or Etsy
Promote on social media
Earn while you sleep

Popular Template Categories

Personal finance and budgeting
Small business expenses
Project and task management
Habit and goal tracking
Fitness and meal planning

Tools You'll Use

Google Drive for collaboration
Notion for project notes
Loom for tutorial videos
Canva for template graphics

Working While Traveling

Why It Works

100% digital work
No calls required (mostly)
Flexible deadlines
Clients everywhere

Tips

Always use cloud storage
Test on both Excel and Sheets
Record video explanations
Be clear about response times

Who Should Do This?

Good fit if you:

Like solving problems logically
Find satisfaction in organization
Enjoy learning technical skills
Want flexible remote work
Don't mind detail-oriented tasks

Not ideal if you:

Find spreadsheets boring
Prefer creative work
Hate debugging problems
Need constant variety
Don't like client work

Getting Started

Learn advanced formulas (2-4 weeks)
Build 3-5 sample spreadsheets
Create profiles on Upwork and Fiverr
Apply to jobs (start with smaller ones)
Deliver great work, get reviews
Raise rates as you improve

The Bottom Line

Spreadsheet design is an underrated freelance skill. Businesses constantly need help, the work is fully remote, and you can learn everything for free online.

It's not glamorous, but it pays well and the demand never stops. Every business runs on spreadsheets—and most of them are a mess.

Help them clean it up.

Business Models

Service-Based 👷‍♂️

Frequently Asked Questions

What spreadsheet skills do I need?

Start with formulas beyond basics: VLOOKUP/XLOOKUP, IF statements, SUMIFS. Then learn pivot tables, data validation, and conditional formatting. Automation (VBA or Apps Script) is advanced but valuable. YouTube has everything you need for free.

How much can I charge?

Simple templates: $50-150. Custom business spreadsheets: $200-800. Complex automated systems: $1,000-3,000+. Hourly rates are typically $25-75 depending on skill level. Templates you sell repeatedly add passive income.

Excel or Google Sheets?

Learn both. Excel is more powerful for complex work. Google Sheets is better for collaboration. Most clients use one or the other, so knowing both doubles your market. Start with whichever you're more comfortable with.

Where do I find clients?

Upwork and Fiverr have lots of spreadsheet jobs. Small businesses on Facebook groups often need help. You can also cold email businesses whose operations clearly run on spreadsheets (real estate, retail, service businesses).