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Feb 7, 2025
Google Sheets expert Ben L Collins

"I worked as an accountant for eight years. I was using Microsoft Excel each day for an extended period of time" begins Google Sheets as well as AppsScript's experienced teacher Ben L Collins. "Almost all of my projects were created with Excel however it wasn't a aspect I knew about. I'd written a couple of applications but had never used spreadsheets in any way.

"Pretty in the early days of my employment I was told by my supervisor to finish various projects using Excel"Combine Tables', and the like. However I was able to finish everything on my own!" The supervisor handed him some formulas that would help him with his job. Ben discovered that one of the most important skills needed by any person working in the finance profession can be the capacity to deal with information.

"The people who have the ability to succeed in the game stand to gain greater than those who struggle," Ben continues. I was thinking "Right now I'll need to develop my abilities and skills, which I already have. After that, I began researching websites such as mrexcel.com along with chandoo.org They could have similar capabilities to mine but are making use of Excel for a long time."

The more Ben was able to study spreadsheets, calculations and worksheets like he did get more fascinated by his thinking was that "It seemed like the tunnel which could extend farther into." Ben realized that a part of the information that was obtained by him during his time at university could be utilized in many programming languages that integrate with databases like VBA.

Through his career as being an accountant, he was fascinated by the latest technologies that aren't just related to financial or accounting aspects. "After over eight years working for an acclaimed accounting firm, I was confident that I had done the right thing for the position!. It was hard to figure out which next move to take, but one of my initial thoughts was that I should become engineers." Ben tells me.

     Ben L Collins speaking at a private gathering    

He was a student at different schools before he applied for jobs. "It was not the way I imagined, however I began my own website site and wrote an essay. The first article I wrote about contained Google Sheets and these are these that became the articles which later became part of Google Search." The article resulted in a myriad of customer requests and also pay-per-hour work.

"In the year 2013 from 2013 until the year 2014. In the time frame between 2013 to 2014, one person saying"Hey I'm seeking your help in creating my own dashboard using spreadsheets. Would you be willing to share some suggestions? Additionally, would you take the effort to look over the business's spreadsheets and help me with identifying ways to improve the effectiveness of formulas? '."

The work included Excel, Google Sheets, SQL along with Tableau. "It wasn't the actual work, however it served as the base to believe that something existed. There is a possibility that a single contractor may work as an independent contractor in contrast to the possibility of returning to the company I was employed for . It was never my intention to go back to work as bookkeeper!" Ben smiles. "I always strive to be in the top position of my game to be able to increase my capabilities as well as my technical abilities."

Goodbye accounting, hello education

The initial website for Education General Assembly was just a start. Education General Assembly was just the start of a fresh business venture. The website was created with classes that were specifically designed for researchers and developers. "They are working on launching an online course on the study of databases that will include an hour-long program. Since I attended their school and a participant in the class that was specifically designed to provide beneficial to programmers, I was able to communicate with their employees throughout my time there. They first offered classes that needed instructors. It was a course that comprised Excel, SQL and Tableau," Ben continues. "I realized, 'Hey!' was my whole life up to around the age of eight. ! '." He completed the application process before receiving the job. He taught several times over the course of the 2015 year.

"That was the reason I took the decision to go back into the field of teaching," Ben recalls. "I'd had a couple of teaching experience in the context of university, and also when I was an instructor for students when I completed my education." After that, he started with the online education of corporate customers via the platform. He also began with teaching workshops as well as classes. "As I began to build my reputation by offering my classes in 2017, I took the initiative to develop my own online course and examine the success of the course."

A course on the Query function in Google Sheets

) This course is focused on Google Query. Google Query is among the capabilities of Sheets

The class Ben delivered was very successful. It was enough to motivate Ben to develop a unique new course. "I used an online platform called Teachable because I was looking to establish a relationship with my students. I wanted to keep the connection instead of moving it onto the web like Udemy."

I decided to do a bit of study in the area, and one name that intrigued me was the one who serves as director at Stratechery. Magazine for techno enthusiasts Stratechery, Ben Thompson. Ben Thompson is among the individuals they believe are"the OG!" Ben is laughing. "I am a member of many subscriptions to find out how other members of Flowing Data and Craig Mod have achieved this." Ben received every month a monthly newsletter no cost for quite a while and I was enthralled by their strategies in constructing their business models on the basis of their subscriber base. I told him, "I want mine to exactly like theirs.'. I was impressed by the ease with which everything worked and I thought I'd love to have similar moments.'

It is essential to operate quickly

An introduction to Ben's Membership Service is composed of high-end (or "gated") details that can be found on WordPress and includes a unique newsletter distributed via email from Kit (formerly ConvertKit). The primary information in the newsletter comes from Google Sheets and contains specific details about the capabilities of the program, along with changes and other information as well as ways to get the most benefit out of this software.

"The next newsletter will feature specific information on the new functions Google has announced in the preceding months." Ben adds. These are excellent features that allow the manipulation of information. Additionally, they'll provide instruction videos for using these tools, along with the direct link to Google Sheet. Google Sheet template that people can download to use for their own personal needs. In addition, the author mentions that the event will revolve around this topic. "I send out periodic newsletters that contain specific details about the dates, times and dates, along with the Google Meet link for the live event."

If asked about the future prospects for members Ben was interviewed about his expectations regarding Ben believes that the market for membership will be the next major source of income for his company. "I will definitely be looking to bring new members into my company, as I would like membership to become my sole option," he says. "I have an online library open to everyone at no cost. But, it is possible to become an official member in order to help me in my efforts and get additional information."

Similar to Chess by using Google Sheets

The author also discusses the ways of providing advertising as well as other services via his newsletter for free. The writer is trying to eliminate these methods "if I'm able to expand the number of subscribers I have, and it's great to rid of other issues. The process isn't over yet, there are still a few problems to resolve, but growing the number of subscribers is essential. "

He's capable of creating a myriad of methods of enhancing his services. "I've thought about the idea for a while now to find out if I'm more effective at managing these live events, as well as developing strategies to draw more members for this year's events. The software will be updated. There's no reason to alter the method of operation However, it's expected to include additional streams."

He also states that he wants to develop an approach which allows people to discuss about the current work they're working on and the way they'd like to conduct themselves to conduct themselves in the coming time "That could be achieved via "office hours' or methods to make participants talk about their problems and asking questions" so long as the method is practical and financially viable for all.

Ben states that, currently, his communications with his followers are done through emails. "I I would recommend you respond by text messages which read "Hey Please let me know the things you've done'. This is what I like since it's easy to handle.

Discussion forums and "cohort classes' and also work with Google Sheets issues online together as a team. "We are able to finish two projects by 2021. Google Sheets were the talk on the streets. The experience was great However, the pressure was a all-time high throughout the 5 days in which the class was held. Students were in an open-air "firehose filled with questions. It it was my first experience that I've had an experience like the one described here. It's quite scary as after I've turned off the lights and switched off the power source, I'm not able to shut down the light bulbs. This is something I'd like to investigate, however, how can accomplish this without causing any damage to the lighting?

"I did not think about streaming live until the process started. I thought"Just begin streaming and then watch the result. Check my actions before I commit to commitments constantly. It's working! Host is excited to have live entertainment "They're attracted and viewers benefit plenty of enjoyment from the show. We'll see what we will achieve!"

Ben hosting a Zoom session for his members

Ben provides the option of an online Zoom session which is open to his clients.

"Right moment, I'm going to offer classes similar to this. For each class, I'll select the subject of study before we discuss the topic live through demonstrations." The instructor goes on to elaborate. The classes that were taught in co-teaching generally had interactive "People attended and were being asked "Hey What's your concern. The discussions were recorded and in real-time. Participants could also see. We'll look into organizing similar activities in the future. It's a great chance for children to be involved."

In the evening, Ben is contemplating the possibility that Discord forums for answering questions could become a option. However, Ben states that "I try to ensure that I'm in the right position to perform my duties with a manner that doesn't make me feel burdened." This is a clear indication that Ben is in the middle of a long-lasting and strong connection with his followers. We believe that keeping those connections up to time is vital for the long-term success of his cause "Little jobs to complete This will result in an increase gradually in the time which we put into the work!" The man is smiling.

Additional details

Ben Collins is an educator and writer. Ben Collins is the co-creator and the creator of The Collins School of Data. Ben Collins develops online classes as well as blogs that focus on the google Workspace tools. My focus is the analysis of data and automatizing this process with Google Sheets and Apps Script.

Ben L Collins website

Ben L Collins' website

He's an avid advocate of developing lightweight software that are based on data. They are also integrated with Google's Google stack. There's a wide range of apps like Google Sheets, Looker Studio, Google Apps Script, Forms, Docs, Gmail and several other applications. For more information visit benlcollins.com.

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